2858: Tackling Health Habits During Tough Times by Susan Kolon of Kolon Performance Strategies on Tracking Fitness Goals

[00:00:00] Überlass deine gesunde Ernährung und die Gains nicht nur deinem Bauchgefühl. Denn bei der Ernährung gaukelt uns unser innerer Schweinehund manchmal ganz schön was vor. Sag stattdessen Hallo zu deinem neuen Coach, Yasio. Yasio ist die meistgenutzte Ernährungs-App Europas, made in Germany. Egal ob Massephase oder ein bisschen Abnehmen, tracke Kalorien, Proteine, Carbs, Fette, Bewegung und Intervallfasten. Und mit den Tasty-Rezepten bist du ready für deine Ziele. Let's go! Lade die Yasio-App jetzt herunter.

[00:00:30] This is Optimal Health Daily, Tackling Health Habits During Tough Times by Susan Kolon of KolonPerformanceStrategies.com and I'm Dr. Neal. Hey, happy middle of the week Wednesday and welcome back to Optimal Health Daily where I simply read to you from the best health and fitness blogs for free. I cover fitness, nutrition, stress management, weight management and lots more just like an audio book but from a bunch of different authors and always with permission from the sites.

[00:00:58] Now it is the middle of the week and like I do every Wednesday, I like to share a little bit of inspiration. So here we go. The secret to achieving any goal is to perform the right acts with the right actions performed in the right amounts with persistence is attainable. Grant Cardone. And with that, let's get right to today's post and start optimizing your life.

[00:01:24] Tackling Health Habits During Tough Times by Susan Kolon of KolonPerformanceStrategies.com Habits, whether healthy or unhealthy, are made the same way by repeating an action until it becomes a pattern. And in order to take on a healthy habit, we need a reward for that behavior to keep us motivated, to make it easier to stick to, until that new habit too becomes a pattern.

[00:01:51] When our lives are going smoothly, it seems like discipline, structure and routine carry us a good portion of the way. We're anchored in these areas and count on them as partners to move us forward. What happens when we go through tough times, a stressful period, and our tried and true habits seemingly grind to a halt? Immediately, or perhaps for the long term, our environment has changed.

[00:02:14] So let's consider how we can navigate in a new environment with new guidelines to get to a place where we can feel good about how we are doing with our well-being. Think about a habit you want to change. Be specific. Maybe you're lax in your healthy eating at breakfast. Maybe you feel anxious. Sometimes we turn to foods as a way to suppress negative emotions. Or maybe you're not getting regular exercise because you can't visit your workout facility.

[00:02:42] Or your timing is restricted because you're working from home. When our routine is disrupted, this can cause a slide in our healthful habits. So when you're thinking about a habit you want to change, let's be as specific as we can. We can be overwhelmed with living day-to-day when we are disrupted with new schedules, environments, and routines. We want to consider starting with just one small step as a way to start or transition toward a more healthful habit.

[00:03:10] Think about one healthy choice you can make to get a little control back in a seemingly uncontrollable time. One small choice that can be integrated into your daily life, whatever that looks like right now. Okay, so get a post-it note or your phone because we're going to write something down. Research shows that when you write down your wellness habit, you have a greater chance of achieving it.

[00:03:33] So, please write down an I will statement that is realistic, meaning it's something you can likely accomplish right now, and timestamp it. If you want to increase vegetables in your lunch in the place of chips, for example, you might write something like this. I will eat a side salad three times a week at lunchtime for two weeks. This is realistic because it's not every day. It's also very specific. Lunch. And it's in a two-week time frame.

[00:04:01] And I would like you to make a note indicating how you feel on the days you eat the salad instead of the chips. For exercise, your I will statement might look something like this. I will walk after dinner for 15 minutes, four evenings a week, for three weeks. Notice, it's specific. We're talking about walking. It's reasonable. Four out of the seven nights. You get the idea. So, think about how to make a small step toward a healthful habit.

[00:04:30] Make it realistic for the lifestyle you're in right now, and make it reasonable for a specific time period. And again, I would have you note how you feel after moving your body with this exercise. Okay, big question. What will you receive for this habit? Maybe it's more energy, a sense of calm, looking better and feeling stronger. For healthy eating, it might be feeling more alert in the afternoon. For exercise, it might be getting better sleep.

[00:04:59] Every habit has a reward, so make sure you note yours. It will be a good motivator and reminder on days when it gets hard, and you ask yourself, why am I doing this again? To stick to your wellness habit, track your progress. It keeps you focused. Checking off your achievements is unbelievably valuable, as your brain's reward center releases dopamine, which is an instant and natural high. You might also choose to share your progress with someone else for added support. We're better together on our wellness journeys.

[00:05:30] In challenging times, give yourself the physical and emotional space if you stumble. Healthy habits are not linear. Look at any obstacles you may come across. See if there is a simple, small step back on track. When you examine your new routine and environment and find a new way to integrate a healthy habit, consider that it's going to look and feel different. I hope you find these tips helpful to make your habits healthier.

[00:05:58] You just listened to the post titled, Tackling Health Habits During Tough Times, by Susan Colon of ColonPerformanceStrategies.com. And I'll be right back with my commentary. Have you ever wondered if your calendar age truly reflects your body's health? I'm passionate about taking control of my well-being, which is why I joined 23andMe Plus Total Health, a revolutionary longevity platform that's transforming how we approach preventive care. What makes this different from traditional health care?

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[00:07:41] Dr. Neil here for my commentary. When I first started getting into resistance training, way back when, I couldn't even do a single pull-up. I would watch my workout buddy perform 10 in a row, and I would become frustrated because I couldn't even perform a single one. So I set a goal for myself. Perform 10 pull-ups without stopping, just like my friend. I made my goal just like everyone told me, and again became frustrated because after a month, I was no closer to achieving this goal.

[00:08:10] I still couldn't do a single pull-up. I became so discouraged, I started avoiding pull-ups altogether. Now, a little wiser and a little older, looking back, I can see where my problems were. I didn't map out how I was going to get from point A to point B. Meaning, I didn't provide details about how I was going to go from zero pull-ups to 10 pull-ups. I just expected it to magically happen. And I didn't provide any kind of timeline. By when would I be able to do 10 pull-ups?

[00:08:39] In 5 years? In 5 days? So I eventually changed my goal to be, like Susan said, a bit more realistic and to put a time stamp on it. I changed the goal to something like, by next Saturday, I'll be able to perform one pull-up without assistance. This is so much better. This helped to focus my attention on a more manageable goal with a strict deadline. I could harness my mental and physical energy to just this one accomplishment. And it worked.

[00:09:08] I was finally able to perform one pull-up. That feeling was a reward in itself. I knew that if I could do one pull-up, nine more weren't that far away. So I set a new goal. Perform two pull-ups without assistance by, and then you'd fill in the date here. Now, I don't remember exactly when it happened, but after I was able to perform a few pull-ups without assistance, getting to 10 was easy. All right, thank you so much for being here. Thank you for listening every day. I hope you're having a wonderful week so far,

[00:09:38] and I'll see you back here tomorrow where your optimal life awaits. Thank you.