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Break Rules, Make Choices – The Better Way To Get Fit

Choose a Mindset — Not a Set of Rules

People who seem to “have it together” can make difficult things look easy. When you’re working on goals for your health and wellness, it’s easy to look at people who seem to never mind the “struggle” of nutrition and fitness and think they must be naturally geared for success. Some of them may be, but with our modern lifestyle, most people just aren’t naturally athletic into their 30s and 40s, and beyond… it takes work! There is a secret… You CAN be one of those people who’s happy to be healthy. All it takes is the right attitude.

Rules are Made to be Broken

Quick diets and strict, monotonous workout routines make a lot of money because they appeal to our laziness—follow these “rules” and you’ll get results, it’s that easy! They teach you to eliminate things, give you lists of “don’t” and “can’t,” and profess that if you can just use your willpower to follow the instructions to the letter, you’ll find success. Of course, they may be right! There’s no denying that people with very strict diet and exercise routines can become very fit. But it is a rare person who is satisfied with this kind of rigidity.

It’s human nature to be dissatisfied with limits and want to test them. If you make hard and fast rules for yourself about eating and exercising, chances are very high you are going to eventually break them. Why? Unlike driving over the speed limit, there’s essentially no risk of an immediate consequence for violating dieting rules. When you impose arbitrary restrictions, your brain can automatically rebel, and there’s no external accountability. That’s why these diets and fad workouts never work for average women — it’s too difficult to adhere. What initially appealed to your brain as the “easy way out” is anything but!

Choose your own Adventure

We know all the reasons people want to eat well and work out, from living longer to just plain looking your best. Of course the results are worth the effort, but there is a difference between effort and misery. We don’t want you to be miserable while you’re getting healthy. That’s why we encourage you to focus on making positive choices rather than adhering to rules and regulations.

Framing your healthy habits as choices you make is an effective way to make fitness and nutrition a long-term change rather than a mad dash. You already know what will get you results, so take advantage of those guidelines when you make your decisions. Try to pair your choice with something positive that will result from it now, as well as something connected to your long-term use of this choice as a habit.

Here are some examples of how you can turn “rules” into “choices”

Rule: I have to work out three times a week.
Choice: I choose to go work out with friends. By making this choice now, I get to see Karen who makes me laugh. By repeating this choice, I will gain energy and strength.

Rule: I can’t have sugary beverages.
Choice: I choose to drink more water. By making this choice now, I get to keep $2. By repeating this choice, I will protect my body from the harmful effects of excess sugar.

The power of this technique is that unlike rules, choices are 100% yours! They are under YOUR control and YOU are accountable. Instead of a chore to endure, good decisions can start to feel good when you approach them with positivity. Bootique’ers know that we don’t do fad diets or boring workouts. What we offer our clients is a whole mind-body approach to health and wellness. Our women lead dynamic lives, and their nutrition and fitness should complement, rather than oppose, that fluidity.

Question: What choices do you make that help you achieve your health and wellness goals?

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