So many of us struggle with our body image and overall health. The plethora of information on health and wellness spilled all over the place leaves many of us a bit confused about what is best for our bio-individualized needs. Although the simple basics of reaching optimal health do not change (i.e., sleep, hydration, movement, sunlight, socializing, etc.), they depend on setting realistic goals and making lifestyle modifications, including intake and exercise tweaks. Many presume that a health coach program is about a restricted diet, fad diets, or diet pills and involves strenuous physical exercises. But the basics of health coaching programs are rational, flexible, healthy, practical, and realistic.
The first essential step towards health management is to set a realistic and attainable goal. When developing a plan to reach your health goals, it is good to know WHY you are doing it, the benefits you may get in the end, and the changes you are willing to make. This self-analysis helps one understand the problem better and helps set realistic weight loss goals. The weight loss efforts should be reasonable, gradual, and overall fill you with joy, health, and vitality! Once the goal is set (i.e., reduce two pounds a week), then comes the step of creating a journal to analyze and monitor your current lifestyle habits (i.e., what you eat, drink, and how much you move for a week). This journal helps track what kind of lifestyle you are currently living; you can additionally journal what feelings accompany you throughout your day to help you see how your lifestyle affects your emotional well-being. If you are going for something measurable like a weight loss goal, you would also journal this and your measurements. By reviewing your lifestyle patterns, the things that need to be avoided can be seen clearly and can be swapped out with healthy habits and foods. The secret is consistency; if you keep going, you will see positive results! When lifestyle modifications are implemented, you will notice your overall sense of happiness in life bump up, making you feel stronger and more motivated to work on those other goals that you may have been intimidated by in the past that may even scare you to a certain degree! The changes you make should be enjoyable; choose the lifestyle that interests you far more than slogging. In time, you will look back and be forever grateful you made the changes!