1. The right exercise program : Not all exercise programs are equal! Not all interpretations of the same program are alike. The right exercise program will continue to make a difference in your physique and/or performance. If you do not see and/or feel a difference from your program, something needs tochange! You need to learn what type of program will best suit your goals and limitations. If you have multiple goals in mind you may need to focus on one of them first then the other. Sometimes you cannot mix it all into one. For example: let’s say you want to be more competitive yet still lose weight and increase speed for longer miles. You may need to focus on weight loss then speed. Weight loss programs are very different from performance programs.
2. The right nutritional program: The right nutrition makes all the difference! We all need a certain amount of protein, carbohydrates, and fat everyday. We need these proteins, carbohydrates and fats from natural healthy sources. Proteins, carbohydrates, and fats are not bad for you but the wrong kind or too many of them can be. They can keep you overweight or on your way to having a disease like onset diabetes. Our bodies are more sensitive than we realize. If you were able to eat anything when you were younger without noticing a change in your weight and now you notice everything, chances are your body has always or now is sensitive to processed foods. 20, 30, and 40 years of too much of the wrong food can wear down your bodies. Most of our diseases are caused by our small daily habits. If you have a family history with a particular health condition, bad nutrition can make it more likely to show up in your lifetime. Although there is a time and place for entertainment foods, stop living off them and over-eating them. They will affect your health!
3. Support system: Let’s face it; we are who we hang out with just like we are what we eat! If you have 20, 30, or 40 years of bad eating habits, it is hard not to eat like the people you are with. If you have trouble saying no, try to limit the amount of time spent with people who are eating the foods you are trying to avoid. Love the people from a distance for your own sanity. It’s unrealistic to avoid your immediate family that you live with. Families need to work together. Teach your children how to eat right with you so that they don’t grow up to be part of the 63% of the population that is overweight. Eating habits are a learned behavior. Examples of positive support systems are: spouses and kids that join in on the healthy eating, running and walking clubs (like the Lopers), and friends that encourage you. If you are reading this then you are probably already a part of the Loma Linda Lopers. The Lopers are a great motivational tool!! Examples of situations that make it harder for you to change old habits: spouses and families that eat what you are trying to avoid, getting involved in outside clubs or organizations that revolve around too much entertainment foods, beer and other unhealthy activities or spending lots of time with friends that don’t want to look at their health and may encourage you to get off track.
4. Getting real with yourself: Stop lying to yourself. You know if you have weight or health problems. Deal with it! Eat right and exercise. Do it right this time! Be proactive with your health. Don’t be like most of the people in this country that ignore their health. God gave you a body and all the right tools to take care of it. If you’re not, that is denial and you are hurting yourself more than anyone else and you are missing out on the best part of life which is “Being the Best You.”
5. Owning your own program: It is not anyone else’s responsibility to make sure you take care of you.THAT’S YOUR JOB! The people who get amazing results and completely change themselves and STAY changed are the ones who own their own program. They take responsibility and do something. They are not making excuses or finding reasons why they can’t do something. They are not blaming someone else in their life. Instead, they are asking and researching to make sure they are doing things right. They find ways to be more successful at taking care of themselves and they are encouraging others to take care of themselves. They are taking the time to learn what it really means to be healthy. You have to attack your goal. Treat it as if your life is depending on it, because it does. It’s a choice to be healthy and fit. You just need to learn what it takes to do it, and then do it! Make your choice, “Choose the best life!”
