Healthy and Happy

Last Updated: 5/12/24

Creating lasting habit change shouldn’t make us miserable in the process. If you’ve set goals, achieved them through sheer force of will, then ended up right back where you started…you’re not alone.

We know that everyone wants basically the same thing…to be “healthy and happy.” This is clearly the endgame, but what if “healthy and happy” was your starting point? What if healthy and happy…as you define it…became the motivation for every decision you made? At One on One, we guide our clients down this path and get them looking through the “lens” of overall health and happiness. When doing so, goals such as losing weight tend to look a little different. For example, going on a restrictive diet and working out 90 minutes per day will certainly cause you to lose weight, but at what cost? Are you healthier? Are you happier? Are you enjoying the process? When taking a measured approach that is more consistent with your desired lifestyle, you will be more likely to answer these questions affirmatively.

Before we get into the X’s and O’s of a fitness/nutrition program, we educate our clients on some basic principles that lend themselves to long-term success.

Mindset – We must change our perspective from “ugh…I have to work out” to one of gratitude “I get to work out.” Without having a mindset of gratitude (gratitude to be able to exercise; gratitude to have choices; gratitude to have food on our tables), we often become negative, sluggish and ultimately unsuccessful.
Less is More – A successful journey towards health and happiness is a marathon, not a sprint. Set yourself up for success by taking a measured approach to nutrition and exercise.
One Day at a Time – When we approach our efforts/goals one day at a time, they become less daunting and more manageable.
Connecting the Short Term with the Long Term – Just like saving money today in order to fund our retirement tomorrow, we must make fitness/nutrition related decisions today consistent with being healthy and happy later in life.
We Always Have Choices – We will never be successful if we allow ourselves to be victims and allow “life” to push us around.
Practicing Acceptance – Lasting health and happiness is elusive until we learn to accept life on life’s terms and people as they are (more on this next week).