Everyone is guilty of bad habits, when it comes to weight loss. Breaking bad habits can be hard, because it’s much easier to fall back to old ways versus the hard new way.
Even, I am guilty of bad habits. I do eat cheat foods, I enjoy a great glass of wine and have insatiable desire for anything with chocolate and peanut butter, and sometimes I most definitely will give in! But when it comes down to committing to a goal, I break my bad habits and slip right back into my regimented lifestyle.
It is not easy to break bad habits, especially if you are just starting out on your weight loss journey but it’s definitely not impossible either. If you really want that body of your dreams you will have to take charge. A ripped six-pack, a firmer set of glutes and a tight toned muscular body isn’t going to appear by itself. It takes serious work, dedication and a change in lifestyle.
Breaking each of the following bad habits can help you get that much closer to achieving weight loss success!
Bad Habit #1: Procrastination – the ‘Do it tomorrow’ attitude
Don’t say you’ll start your diet or exercise plan tomorrow or the following week. You have to be willing to start today – right now! Begin by jotting down a workout routine and diet in a notebook, composing a basic shopping list of healthy foods you’ll need to support your plan and most importantly, setting goals for yourself.
Without a goal or end-date to work toward you will never get there! Make your get lean plan a part of your lifestyle and before you know it, exercising and eating right will come to you so naturally that you won’t even have to think about it. Not sure how to get started on a plan – contact me directly for online diet, nutrition and workout guidance!
Bad Habit #2: Inactivity – ‘exercise avoidance’
Get off the couch and start moving. Leave your car at home and walk instead. Park further away from entrances at malls and work parking lots. If you take public transportation get off a few stops earlier and walk to your destination. If you work in an office, take the long route to your next meeting; take the stairs instead of the elevator. And next time you feel like vegging out in front of the TV, try doing crunches during the commercials.
Take your gym bag with you when you leave for work in the mornings, so you won’t be tempted to do something less productive or get side-tracked on route. Remember every little bit counts. In no time, these little spurts of activity will be a normal part of your day. Not only will you start to feel better, you’ll look better too!
Bad Habit #3: Eating Out – ‘too lazy to cook’
If you don’t already know, eating out too much can result in added calories – you can’t always know what is going into your food if you are eating it at a restaurant. If you are eating out because of convenience or you lack the time to make your meals, keep in mind that there are ways to eat a hassle-free healthy meal without sabotaging your fitness goals.
Prep your meals once a week, and make food in batches. This way, you will be prepared all the time! There really is no excuse these days – pretty much all grocery stores have pre-made salads, fresh cut veggies and some even have grilled chicken! If that still seems to much, consider signing up for a meal plan or buying meals from the many available companies providing healthy calorie controlled meals.
Bad Habit #4: Skipping Workouts – ‘no energy-no-exercise excuse’
Have you been slacking on your workouts and it’s happening more often than you’d like. Stop using the – I have no energy excuse. The truth is exercise actually gives us energy – get to the gym – even when you are tired, within a few minutes of moving your body, I guarantee your blood will be pumping.
Adrenaline and lots of other energy boosting neurotransmitters will be in full effect. You will be energized and love yourself for getting to the gym. Schedule your workouts and commit to keeping them. And for that extra motivation, get a workout partner that will help keep you on track.
Bad Habit #5: ‘Snacking on Junk Food’
Sure the occasional cheat food or junk food will not hurt, but if you overdo it, and continually make it a normal occurrence throughout your day, the end result will not be to your satisfaction. To get results and support your body-shaping goals you need to be consistent. Schedule cheat or junk meals, these can be mini goals to work toward – a little reward after a few weeks of consistent eating and consistent results!
Now if you’ve got your own bad habit breakers you would like to share, or want to let me know what solutions from this blog you plan on using, I want to hear, tell me about it in the comments below!
Until Next Time…
Be Fierce & Rule the World,
Lauren Jacobsen
