Embodying health

Is anyone else having a hard time believing that its already May? If you’re like us, you probably feel like there is so much to do - help the kids with those last few projects, coordinate end of the year parties for school and sports teams, maybe even plan a summer vacation - yet so little time to do it. With summer just around the corner, there is another “to do” many people’s minds - losing weight. We hear a lot of “I need to get my summer body,” or “I need to lose X amount of weight before summer.” People hit the gym or start extreme diets when they realize how little time they have before pool season or a beach vacation. While there is nothing wrong with wanting to take steps toward living a healthier life, it is important to examine your reasons for doing so.

We believe that wanting to exercise and eat healthy should be the result of loving your body, not hating it. Making healthy choices is a way to invest in you! If you go into this kind of lifestyle change with the attitude that working out and modifying your diet are forms of punishment, you set yourself up to fail. Positivity is key! Here are a few tips for creating a positive mindset about developing healthier habits

1. Set goals: Give yourself something to work toward. Maybe it’s being able to run a mile without stopping by the end of the month, or mastering a new yoga pose in your next class. Whatever you want to accomplish for yourself, write it down. Post it on a mirror or write it in a day planner where you will see it regularly and be motivated to work hard to get there.
2. Plan & Prioritize: Making these healthy changes is going to take real commitment. Purposefully set aside time in your schedule to spend working toward your goals. Think of it as an appointment with yourself. You would never skip an appointment with a client or friend, and this should be no different.
3. Persevere: It is going to be hard. You will be tired. You might not see results immediately. But by remembering your goals and sticking to your schedule, you will find that it will be worth it.

Health and fitness shouldn’t be something you turn to only when you want to look a certain way. Our self-worth should not be based on how we compare to the athletes we watch on tv or the models we see in magazines anyway! God created us in his image and that is alone makes us beautiful and valuable. Think about living a healthier lifestyle as a way to responsibly steward the body He has given you so that it can be used for His glory!