How to motivate yourself to be healthy and lead a charmed life

Every New Year’s Eve, thousands of people vow to lose weight. They go on a diet, join a gym and buy workout clothes …only to fail. By Valentine’s Day, their new sneakers are gathering dust in a closet. Gyms have emptied. So, what goes wrong? Why can’t they stick to their resolutions? Well, it’s quite simple, really – their priorities are in the wrong order. Before attempting to change their bodies, they needed to change their mindsets. Only when the mind and the body are in alignment can the person succeed.

To illustrate, if your loved ones pressure you to lose weight, but you couldn’t care less about a six-pack unless it’s beer, you will most likely remain your lovable soft self. The truth is – you are the one who has to want something bad enough to make it happen. Not convinced? Take a look at people who are not dedicated to the goal. If pressed, they will find an excuse to either skip or delay a workout – anything from a lack of time to “my dog ate my shorts” qualifies. It’s much easier to skip the gym if you have a “valid” reason, even if you have to invent one. But if you’re being honest with yourself, you’ll admit that, yes, you could have made the time if you truly wanted to fit exercise into your day. The trick to losing weight is not an expensive gym membership; it’s willpower.

So, how does one battle it out with this stubborn strength of mind? It’s easy! To succeed beating your lazy side that beckons you to spend some time on the couch, you must make exercise a given. You have to understand that every day (or every other day, if you are so inclined) you will perform some sort of exercise. When your conscience starts reminding you that it’s time to lace up those Nikes, you are not going to ponder or stall. You are going to go and burn those calories. Like Pavlov’s dog that hears the bell, you will hear the roar of victory.

Now the only missing element is your designated “bell.” What object, idea, time or sound will be your stimulus? You already know that exercise will take place; what you have to decide is when it will happen. Maybe you will set your alarm to an earlier time to allow for a half-an-hour jog? Perhaps you prefer to let off some steam after work? It does not matter. What matters is that you stick to your plan. You will exercise on a regular basis, barring an injury or emergency. Once that notion is clear and solid, you are on your way to shedding those pounds or to maintaining your already sleek physique.

Of course, keeping trim requires dietary savvy in addition to active lifestyle. You can’t expect to stay in good shape if you nullify all your hard work at the gym with a constant diet of fast food or unreasonably large portions. Often, people are surprised at the amount of weight they gain despite punishing exercise sessions. Retracing their steps usually reveals that they rewarded their hard work with whatever their stomachs desired, justifying caloric overloads with, “I deserve a treat after sweating for an hour on that treadmill!” Unless you want to end up in the same predicament, you should listen to your body. If you have ever observed how little kids eat, you know that they usually consume food only until they are satisfied, no matter how delicious the meal may be. Common sense tells us that we should stop eating when we feel full and avoid greasy, nutrition-free food. But the realist in us allows for the times when we succumb to our desire to taste those salty fries or to have another slice of cheesecake.

Indulgence is a part of life, and it’s fine to treat yourself once in a while. On the other hand, you must understand that if you partake in excessive consumption, you should also alleviate some damage with a particularly grueling workout. Even if you agree with the notion in theory, it’s harder to stay true to it in practice. What do you do on days when exercise seems like the last activity you would want to perform or when it’s particularly difficult to resist that ice cream shake? Well, you rely on your charm bracelet.

A metaphorical “bracelet” that boasts dangling motivators instead of charms is a great investment in your health. Now, before you dismiss this idea as contrived, give it a try. First, figure out what inspires you. Observe yourself on days when your workouts seem especially effective and your meals – particularly healthy. What did you do differently? Did you get more sleep? Did you follow an agenda to make sure you didn’t run out of time for a run? Did you see a really flattering photo of a certain actress? Or, maybe, you saw one of her before the weight loss? Anything that encourages your desire to be healthy becomes a “charm.” So, create a narrative of stimuli that motivate you and break it up into short chunks.

Here is an example. “I would love to lose some weight because I recently saw a photo of myself at the beach and got scared. Also, that high school reunion is coming up, and it would be great if I could at least resemble the girl I used to be. Maybe I will even be able to fit into my favorite pre-pregnancy dress. That would rock!” This thought process becomes a collection of charms: charm No. 1 is the photo, charm  No. 2 is the reunion, and charm No. 3 is the dress. As soon as you feel the need for some extra impetus, you put on your bracelet and immediately – you’re ready to sweat/stop eating/stop coming up with unconvincing excuses. Once you change your mindset, changing your body is easy.

IRINA MISSIURO is a writer and editorial consultant for The Jewish Voice.

Motivational quotes by the J-Fitness professionals at the Dwares JCC:
“To have patience, change does not come overnight! It takes four weeks to make a habit and two weeks to break it. The J-Fitness team is here to help you make the change you want to be!” Heather Stearns, general manager
“I believe that the most important thing is to have a plan. Develop a goal for three months down the road and a progressive plan of workouts for each week. This will allow you to make the most of your time and keep you on track to meet your goal.” Luke Brookner, fitness manager
“Each new day is a chance to be better than the last. Focus on a positive future instead of the negatives of days past.” Rob Castellucci, ACSM certified health fitness specialist
“A goal without a plan is just a wish.” Jodie Thompson, certified fitness professional. (An anonymous proverb first quoted in “50 Ways to Lose Ten Pounds” by Joan Horbiak)