I haven’t always lived the healthiest lifestyle and sometimes I still don’t treat my body with the utmost respect. Getting better though, and I do think about consequences a whole lot more than I did when I was younger. But what I have learned is that it takes time and commitment to make long lasting changes in your health. You have to be honest with yourself – the person you really are inside. You need to get to know yourself really well – and the real reasons why you want to change - strengths, weaknesses, why you work out and why you eat the way you do.
This kind of background work will help you set the stage for success. You’ll be better prepared for the challenges that change can and will bring.
How do you get started? Here’s 5 steps I use
1. Set your goal. Make sure it’s SMART – Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-Based. You can’t get there if you don’t know what you want.
2. Create a powerful why. Why is this goal important to you? Jillian Michaels says “your why should make you cry.” Meaning it needs to resonate strongly within to keep you motivated.
3. Know your strengths and weaknesses. Do you get a better workout in the morning or evening? When do you have more energy?
4. Set up for success. Big one for me. I tend to think I can have the junk food in the house “just in case” and as long as it’s at the back of the pantry I won’t be tempted. Wrong! Surround yourself with good motivation. Keep your gym bag packed and ready to go, get rid of the junk, create a simple home gym if working a trip to the health club into your busy schedule is impossible.
5. Be accountable. Hire a trainer, keep a journal, workout with a friend, have someone check in on you once a week to make sure you’re on track. It’s harder to lie to someone else than it is to lie to yourself. I should know. 
