10 Tips for a Heathy Mind and Body

So much of weight loss and living healthy is about being mentally strong. Food is food, but your choices determine how healthy it is. You have a whole day in front of you and you could just lay around trying to get a perfect play-through of Mass Effect 2 or you could get out there and sweat (and then get your perfect play-through!). It all comes down to how bad you want to reach your goals and what you're willing to sacrifice in order to get what you want.

We're faced with food every day and it can really wear you out when you constantly have to make good choices despite your body craving things that aren't good for you. Fitting in your fitness routine can seem like a real drag and the more excuses you make, the easier it is to make them. If you don't find a way to get your head on straight it can be a slippery slope to derailing your progress. One bad choice can lead to a "well screw it" attitude and before you know it you've been off your game for a week and your pants don't fit.

So how do you get mentally strong? Here are my top ten tips to help you stay in a healthy mindset and keep you on track to get the body you want.

• Make a list of the reasons you want to change your life and the things you won't miss about being unhealthy so that when you waver, you can look at it to remind yourself why you  need to stick it out.
• Make as many choices as you can in the morning before you've depleted your willpower. If you leave stuff till later in the day, you'll be to tired to make the right choice.
• Don't move too fast when you start out. Pick a few new habits to adopt and then add more as you go. If you overwhelm yourself with a super strict regime in the beginning, then you'll run the risk of burning out.
• Level up your cooking! You won't have to wonder what's going in your food if you make it for yourself a majority of the time. It will give you a measure of control and won't leave you dependent on anyone or anything when it comes to your nutrition.
  
• Have a plan. Waffling about with trying to eat healthy when you haven't done research on the different options or methods that you could use can be exhausting. Obviously the knowledge base you've had so far isn't working. Find something you can get excited about!
• Find balance in your exercise and nutrition routine and make sure it works for you. What works for someone else, might not work for you and vice versa. If you get overwhelmed with counting calories, then find a diet where you don't have to worry about that like Atkins or Paleo. If you feel lost without structure, find a program where you're accountable for logging everything you eat so you can learn what it takes to stay on track. If that's what you want, then Weight Watchers or using Fitbit's nutrition planner might be a good fit.
• Learn to forgive yourself. It takes a strong person to keep going despite setbacks but those who learn how to stay positive and keep moving forward are the only ones who will find lasting success.
• Give yourself a break. Find rewards for doing well at your goals that allow you to relax and decompress. It takes a lot of energy and effort to make good choices all the time despite the presence of cake (even if it is a lie!). You need to find ways to release tension (hopefully not by eating treats) so you can stay strong and keep pushing forward. Get a pedicure, make time to watch your favorite show, read a book, plan a fun night out or a weekend excursion to a place you've always wanted to go. Shop for new clothes! Make it personal and the instant gratification of staying on track will speak for itself.
  
• Find a fitness routine you love. It's a lot harder to convince yourself to go lift weights if you hate every second of it. Would you rather run? Would you rather do yoga? Would you rather take kick boxing? Play in a pick-up ice hockey game? Get passionate and make it happen! There's something out there for everyone.
• Have a support system. It's true that no one can make you get healthy until you're ready to embrace that goal for yourself, but surrounding yourself with people whose values and goals align with yours or just those who love you unconditionally can be your saving grace. There will be days when you need to tell someone how much you miss ice cream or how sore you are from doing squats. You want someone who's going to tell you to keep going and not be an enabler who will help you sabotage your hard work. Surround yourself with people whose healthy outlook you admire.

Hopefully these are helpful to you all! If you have any of your own tips for fellow Slayers here at Project Reroll, please leave them in the comments so we can help each other.