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It’s about change!

If you are like me and most people, there are things in your life you wish were different. Although you may have had the best intentions to change in the past, for some reason you have not been able to successfully achieve the results you want.

Success would be something easy to achieve if it wasn’t for the barriers in the way, but these don’t need to stand in your way. It is important to be familiar with what your barriers are so that you can plan around them.

It was an experience at a child’s party that sparked the topic for this article and the two preceding ones. Time was against me so I didn’t have the chance to eat before going to the party. And we all know that when you are famished, it's hard to hold off until you can find healthy food. As a result you end up eating anything that’s not too good for you and typically regretting it.

My solution to this dilemma – plan ahead. Create an environment that makes healthy lifestyle choices feasible.

Lack of time is also another barrier but let’s leave that for another article, shall we?

In the most recent article, I addressed confusion arising from exposure to information overload and conflicting messages. We live in a world of countless choices and an overflow of information and nutrition is no exception. Between the plethora of diets and a new miracle food of the week, it is no wonder that we are more confused than ever.

Today’s article continues from the last. This relates to the hurdle of unrealistic expectations.

I will share my sister’s experience to shed more light on my topic for the day. Having struggled with her weight her whole life, she has finally been able to shed it by drastically altering her diet.

Before getting to where she is now, she tried many ‘diets’ which were not successful. She meets people who knew her back in the day and obviously they are stunned at the difference.

The question she receives all the time is “how did you do it?”  The look on some of the faces register disbelief that such change can just be achieved by altering the way you eat.

Part of the problem is that we have distorted perceptions of change. Somehow we have managed to believe that all we need is some ‘pill’ or ‘magic lotion’, and change would be quick and easy, or perhaps a ‘diet’ that involves something drastic like drinking only protein shakes for four months. Believe me, she tried them all.

Most of us know that things don’t really work that way. There is no magic that can completely erase habits built over a lifetime. What most people need is not a ‘diet’ but a lifestyle change.

Isn’t it interesting that we don’t gain weight overnight, yet when it comes to losing it, we expect it to happen overnight?

By the way, any time you see the words "easy" “quick” or "fast" when it comes to change, make sure you hold on to your wallet/purse. It probably may not be the solution to your problem. If it were, there will be no need to embark on dietary change for health or any other lifestyle modification for that matter.

All you need to do is pop a pill and “presto”! You become a size 10 instead of 20. I am sorry to say there’s no shortcut.

There’s no need to put money in anyone’s pocket who claims that their lizard oil will cure your every ailment, but of course you want the easy answer, a short cut.

No one wants to hear the hard-truth that you have to change your lifestyle to get meaningful, long-lasting, permanent changes to your health.

That pretty much sums it up.

The answer to your wellbeing is not in a magic pill. It is in lifestyle choices.

Most people will confront some sort of challenge as they try to reach their lifestyle goals. The people who are able to achieve lifestyle change are those who have a good comprehension of the situation and the barriers they face, so it’s easy for them to see appropriate ways to overcome these.

Maybe your doctor has told you about the changes you need to make, like quitting smoking, cutting down on salt, getting enough rest, or curtailing the drinking of alcohol. So why aren’t you doing it?

You have the opportunity to change your quality of life. The only thing stopping you is the decision to act upon what you know or want. Until you recognise that, you cannot achieve the kind of lifestyle you desire.

Ultimately, we’re talking about your health and wellbeing. If you don’t value it, who will?

The writer is a Lifestyle Coach & Author of The Seduction of food’[email protected]

 

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