Healthy goal setting
If you’ve been following me or my blogs you know by now that how to lose weight in a healthy way is about so much more than just the healthy food, healthy eating, and how we move our bodies; it’s about our mindset and the boundaries we set to achieve our goals. Healthy living is about creating healthy lifestyles and to do that we must come up with our non-negotiables, our boundaries, the safeguards we set in place to ensure we are not derailed by the temptation around us. I could give you all the weight management, natural weight loss, healthy living tips but until you set your boundaries and make a commitment to follow all you have been taught, nothing will be achieved.
NUTRITION
Let’s start with the concept of setting boundaries around our nutrition. This one can be tricky! So many social events involve food, culturally we eat to celebrate, many people eat when they are sad, weddings to funerals all involve some sort of food and beverage that likely don’t fall into your “healthy meal plans.” Nutrition isn’t solely about healthy snacks, healthy eating habits, a balanced diet, good food habits, portion control, and intermittent fasting, etc. It’s about setting yourself up for success by setting clear boundaries for yourself and those around you. Here are some helpful tips for setting nutritional boundaries.
One of the staples to losing weight is paying attention to alcohol consumption; some people quit drinking altogether when they start a health and fitness journey or sometimes in the middle of the journey when they realize how much better they feel without it! Let’s face it, many social events include alcohol. A way to set yourself up for success and to set your boundaries is to let people know what you’re doing and what you’re trying to accomplish. Once these goals are named and said out loud it helps to keep you accountable and allow those around you to know “what’s up” and to perhaps not offer you that Moscow Mule. There are also really fun cocktails you can order and still feel a part of the festivities ie: cranberry, soda water, and a lime. You could also limit your carbs the day you have a festivity you know you would like to drink at and then limit yourself to perhaps one or two drinks. One common theme you will see throughout this article is a similar one to what I would tell someone with an addiction trying to avoid going back to a substance and that is to avoid “people, places, and things” that may trigger a “relapse.” What I am saying here is, enjoy the party and have fun, but within reason. If you truly feel you cannot say “no” to something that you really want in order to achieve your goals, maybe it’s time to take a step back from that and evaluate why you’re having such a hard time saying “no”. I’m in no way saying ditch your friends, or isolate yourself, or do anything that cuts you off from family and friends. What I am saying is, you must find other healthy activities and ways to interact with folks that align with your goals and new healthy lifestyle. For example, you may have that friend you always hit happy hour with after work so perhaps you suggest an after work walk instead. Again, if you’re finding it impossible to stick to your new lifestyle while maintaining certain friendships this would not be healthy for you and perhaps you just step away and take a break from that particular relationship while you work on yourself. You will build up your own structure and willpower through your journey and eventually reach a place where you can re-integrate into certain environments with no problem!
FITNESS
Find yo’ fit fam!! I cannot tell you how important it is to surround yourself with people of like mind. When you’re trying to achieve massive results, you need to take massive action and that includes, AGAIN, the people you surround yourself with. It’s so much easier to get that workout in when you have folks doing it alongside you or cheering you on; that’s why I love my virtual wellness community so much. I know I would not achieve a fraction of my fitness goals without them and I certainly would not be writing this blog. Another way to set healthy boundaries around your fitness goals is to schedule your workouts and make them non-negotiable. Seriously, look at the week ahead and set yourself up for success. You may be thinking of excuses like, “What if my kids need something from me?”, or, “How will this take away time from my significant other?”. How can I schedule the time when my day already seems so full? The real question you have to ask yourself is, ”Is this really a priority for me?” If the answer is ”yes” you will make it one. I have a room in my home that is just for working out and my boyfriend knows that if I am in there with the door closed I am not to be interrupted or bothered. This is an expectation and a boundary that has been set in our home. You may be thinking that you don’t have an entire room in your home that you can dedicate solely to your fitness space, but once you create a space, a schedule, a ritual that works for you and aligns with your goals, achieving that goal, making yourself and your fitness a priority, and saying ”no” when you need to in the kindest way possible will be so much easier.
VICES + RELATIONSHIPS
This category is near and dear to my heart and I believe correlates to growth as a human more than anything else, but is absolutely applicable to meeting the goals of a health and fitness journey. We all have traumas and triggers and relationships that are healthy and relationships that are toxic. We also have different ways of handling these relationships and the stresses they may cause. That is where vices come in! some people drink, smoke, eat, avoid, get angry, shut down, or even get even. It is important to pay attention to how people affect your energy and if they push you to be better or if they derail you simply by being in your life. As you start to transform and change people in your life whose growing and changing may not be on the same path, it may be difficult for them to understand your headspace and change in priority. That is ok, and it is up to those people to choose how they handle their potential discomfort with your changes. It is YOUR job to protect your energy and protect your home, space, and goals by setting boundaries that keep you on track, not falling back into old relationship patterns or temporary vices that make you feel better in the moment, but not long term. I recently had interactions with people not in the same path as me that have been in my life for its entirety. I started to notice how negatively my mental health was being impacted and how ultimately that affected my motivation to make the healthy choices I make on a daily basis. I wanted to sleep and eat junk. I didn’t want to ”push play” on my workout or make a healthy meal. I was in full on shut down mode which doesn’t make anything better for anyone. I reached out to the people I have in my corner who are of like mind and got myself back on track. Don’t be fooled into thinking diet and exercise are our only avenue to transformation.
OVERVIEW
If you get nothing from this article other than the fact that ”no” is NOT a dirty word, I’m totally ok with that. More people need to be ok with firmly being able to use the word ”no” knowing that not only is it ok to say ”no”, but you also don’t owe anyone an explanation. It is perfectly ok to make yourself a priority so that you can achieve your goals. The more you align with who you are meant to be, the better you are for EVERYONE around you. That is a simple fact. I often tell my clients WARNING: starting this journey may result in increased happiness, self-awareness, better relationships, and the killer ass is just a bonus!
I hope this information was useful and finds you in a space of heart. I’m just me Sarah Roberts (Savino), MSW, RYT200, TBB Coach founder of team Indie Sols, figuring out what works for me and sharing it with you in hopes that it will make some positive changes for you as well! As always if you have any direct questions or want personal consultation for anything you can reach me at my email thefitphilanthropist@gmail.com or contact me through any of my social media: Facebook.com/sarah.savino IG- the_fit_philanthropist
Love and Light Always,
Sarah S.
“Sarah Savino is my recommended Wellness and Nutrition Coach who resides in Colorado but has a community of clients she guides and manages nationally. She has her frequent retreats that her clients are encouraged but not required to attend and someone who knows first hand how it is to be overworked and overweight. She is a living truth that once within the right community and with the right guide, everything is possible. Check out her bio. under ‘Meet Our Team’, available on the website here.”- Dr. Shakib