"I will lose those pesky 10 pounds!"

"I will fit into the clothes I wore in high school."

"I will go to the gym every day, where I will mentally beat myself up and feel bad."

Did you make a new year's resolution? Did it sound like one of the above statements? 

I hope not! Whether it's a new year's resolution or you're just looking to make a change in your body and your health, learn to focus on what you really want, just by asking yourself a few questions.

If your goal is to lose weight, ask yourself, what are the benefits of losing weight? Is it to improve your health? Reduce your chance of disease? To have more energy to do the things you love? Be specific. Write it down.

Be clear about these benefits. "Fitting into the clothes you wore in high school" isn't a benefit to losing weight. You must dig deeper. What would you feel if you did fit into those jeans from high school? You'd feel good about yourself. While reaching a healthy weight can make you feel confident, perhaps you might make another goal, to work on building your self esteem and self worth in a different way.

Being clear about your health and fitness goals is an important step to success! When things get tough or you feel challenged, you can pull out your list of benefits and renew your sense of determination. 

Remember to give yourself a break. Changing habits takes time, whether you're starting a new exercise program or learning to eat healthier and cook your own meals. Don't expect everything to happen overnight. Baby steps...make one small change each day, and a more significant change each week.

Ask for help when you need it. Learning to live healthy can be a real challenge and it's okay to need help on your journey. If you'd like my support, anything from exercise advise, to healthy cooking, to eating out, to losing weight and gaining more energy through the foods you eat, contact me! I'm here and waiting to design a healthy living program for you.

Good luck and good health to you in the new year!