Don't Make These Five Mistakes When It Comes To Your Health and Fitness

1.     Too Much Too Soon

This is the most common mistake I see people make.  Change takes time, and making small, sustainable changes that you can stay with in the long run will get you where you want to go.  Don’t over exercise and starve yourself believing that it will get you to a fit, healthy and trim body faster.  I watch people get injured or get tired of being hungry and feeling deprived so they “blow it.” Change one thing at a time that you can stay with, and it will get you to your goal, or close to your goal much for effectively.

2.     Getting Sucked into the Latest Fad

Detox diets, gadgets that will flatten your abs, or  supplements that promise a cure all are not going to work if you want long term results. There are no special “secrets” to being healthy and trim. It is about committing to consistent healthy practices that are based on good scientific evidence and not the opinion of a celebrity or something posted on the internet. Believe the phrase, “If it is too good to be true, it probably is.”

3.     Believing Just Because You are Fit and Thin, Then You are Health and You Can Eat Whatever You Want!

You can be thin and a successful athlete but it doesn’t mean you are healthy.  If you think that you can afford to eat junk food just because you are super fit, think again.  I know this first hand.  I hate to admit this but 15 years ago I ate whatever I wanted because I was strong, fit and lean.  However I got a major wake up call from my doctor about my heart disease risk and so I stepped out of my denial and starting eating a healthy plant based diet and it has paid off. My doctor has told me that instead of running toward heart disease, I am now running away from it. 

4.     Believing That Your  Family Health History is  Your Health History.

Just because you have a family history of heart disease or type 2 diabetes, doesn’t mean you will end up in the same place.  Family history is important to consider, but what you eat, exercising regularly, and maintaining healthy relationships all affect gene expression.  This exciting field is called epigenetics. 

5.     You Can Add New Habits Without Subtracting Others.

Change is hard.  In order to adopt something new into your life it means giving something up.  As a health coach I have asked clients to start by creating space for something new to enter their lives.  This means physically cleaning out closets, desks, drawers, cupboards and pantries.  Getting rid of stuff that gets in your way helps you stay focused on the new habits. I highly recommend the book, “The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up,” by Marie Kondo.  It can also mean cleaning out their schedule of activities that don’t really serve them like watching too much TV or spending time with people they don’t really like. Once you have created physical space, emotional space, and time on your schedule, you can add time for cooking healthy food, exercising and spending time with people who support your new lifestyle.