You’re making a healthy change, but how will you make it last? You might feel like you have this whole exercise and healthy eating thing down. If you do, that is great! If you don’t, you are not alone. If this is the first time you have started a “diet” that includes cooking and eating real food, most likely you are a part of the latter. There is a learning curve to what is healthy versus what is not healthy. Knowing when a packaged food says “all-natural” it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s healthy. Realizing that a strawberry flavored yogurt that claims it is a “great source of calcium” is not the healthiest when it has 25 grams of sugar. Understanding that bread is not the only food that will fill your carb category in your food journal. After you have learned these tips and many more, how on earth do you maintain it…FOREVER?! Yes, forever is the goal. I want to make sure that your healthy change that you are partaking in is a lasting change. One of the best ways to do so is educating yourself. This is why food journaling is so critical, taking the extra time to fill out a food journal will help you learn so much about the food you are eating. I know, I know, it does take extra time to track it all. You will not have to do it forever. Eventually you will be able to accurately guesstimate your calories and macros. Although journaling is always a good tool to come back to if you sway a little off track. What about exercise?! It doesn’t matter if you are doing boot camps, studio classes or working with a trainer one-on-one you should be feeling more energized during the days, and sleep better at night. (If exercise hasn’t done this for you yet, please let me know so we can talk me about getting your hormone levels looked at.) You should be noticing how your appearance in the mirror is changing. Things are tightening up, and you feel stronger. You are on the right track. It’s the opposite of a down-ward spiral, I suppose we can call it your up-ward spiral! How will you keep your up-ward spiral going?

1. Surround yourself with support/people you want to be like.
2. Make sure you are using every single day to better yourself in one way or another
3. Focus on how you feel when you are eating clean and exercising.

The key to this all is to use the accomplishments that you have made so far, then use that for fuel to keep going in the same direction. Little by little, improving every day. You will have set-backs, so does everyone else, but don’t let that throw you off. Think positively and highly of yourself. If you take these words and apply them to your life I guarantee you can achieve what you are wanting to achieve.   Chris Hanson, Fitness Director