Temptation is EVERYWHERE! It will always be around us but it is up to us to have that control to push past it!! These 7 tips have helped myself and many other challengers in my Facebook Accountability groups. I hope you find a few that will help you be stronger than those temptations!
TIP 1 – STRONG MINDSET
You will find food temptation at work, at home and at gatherings. So having a strong mindset with how you view food, will be a great start to help you overcome those temptations.
At work with the donuts and cookies everyday sitting out calling your name. At home with the hubby’s goodies stash or kids holiday candy that comes home often. The cake and dessert table at your neighbors kids birthday party. Maybe it is even your time of month and the cravings are extra strong!!
What in your mindset has to SHIFT??
It is to start thinking of food as FUEL for your body and nothing else. If it won’t give me the energy I need then I don’t eat it. 👊
“Also, knowing that just one little cheat of a donut isn’t going to kill me, but one cheat allows my mindset to change and let’s me think one little cheat a week and then one little cheat on the weekends, then daily… and its a cycle!”
*Thank you Samantha for your awesome mindset TIP!!!!*
So really focus today with the mindset that every bite of food is to fuel your body with good healthy choices.
TIP 2- HAVING A STRONG WHY
I want you to take a few moments today to really focus on what is a very important topic; what is your WHY?! I know that having a strong why is what has really helped me stay motivated in my journey.
All of us have a different reason why we decided to commit to our health and happiness, but we need to get down to the very heart of why you are in this to succeed for the long haul. We want this to be a lifestyle we continue and are happy with. WHY is this going to be different than your other attempts to feel comfortable in your skin? That why will be what can pull you away from any temptation or weak moment along the way. We need that WHY to keep us from blowing an entire day or weekend…or letting it spiral into months of not taking care of YOU.
I promise you if you take the time to dig deep, way past the “I want to be fit” or “I want to lose weight” and tie it to an emotion, you will succeed! Once you have it, write it down on paper.
Then make it REAL, post your why in your home where you see it everyday AND tell one person that you would never want to let down. 🙂 Every day you need to say that WHY out loud or when you are tempted to not workout or let things spiral out of control with your nutrition!
So, the question of the day is…WHY are you on this journey to better health?!
TIP 3- MEAL PREP
It is SO much easier to NOT eat something unhealthy when you have something healthy already pre cut and made that is easy to grab.
So much of giving into temptation is that we are either bored, stressed or possibly dehydrated. All three of these reasons cause us to grab those snacks in the break room or sneak in the pantry and stuff a candy bar down before the kids find us.
We all know what is healthy and what isn’t. It is as simple as being prepared with our food and having that strong WHY that will help us stay on track consistently.
“I’ve also been bringing my lunch everyday, I meal prepped for the week. I know I do my best when I pre plan and meal prep, sometimes I’m just being lazy.”
*Thanks for the TIP Elizabeth!!* ❤️
TIP 4- WATER INTAKE
I’ve been stopping and thinking, “Do I really want this or am I just eating it because it is there?” and it’s been helping me decide to put it back and drink more water.
Water is one of the most essential nutrients your body craves. Yes, CRAVES! When you are thirsty, your lips or skin are dry, you are tired, you have a headache, or you are hungry, those are all signs your body is craving water.
Focus on those signs and try to stay ahead of the curve. Normally, if you are experiencing any of those signs, you are already dehydrating yourself. A great goal is to focus on drinking half your bodyweight in ounces of water each day.
What is your water goal? When you are hungry today drink a glass of water first and wait to see if you are really hungry or if it was just your body telling you it needed water.
TIP 5- WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS
Goals are important to have, so you know where you are going.
Today, I want you to raise the bar and think about motivating yourself towards a BIG goal. Remember, we are only limited by what we cannot see. You HAVE to develop that vision. We have to see it and we have to BELIEVE it!
So, what excites you just to think about it? Is it feeling confident in your bathing suit on a family vacation, feeling amazing in a dress or a suit when you go out on a date night, slipping back into a pair of jeans that have been tucked away in your closet for years or achieving something like a 5k or marathon? What makes you smile ear to ear? What gives you the chills?
What would make you jump up and down with excitement when you achieve it? I know it can feel overwhelming to even think about but I feel the most awesome things happen a few steps outside your comfort zone! What is your ultimate fitness/health goal?
IT MUST BE…
- Measurable: Way to measure your progress so you know when you have reached it.
- Timely: Specific goal date! Really sit there and VISUALIZE it. Make it REAL in your mind. Then get it on a piece of paper that you see ALL THE TIME! It needs to be in your face. I have mine written next to my WHY.
You could create a goal board on where you are going on this health journey. Quotes that motivate you, pictures of the event or trip to keep you focused. Outfits you want to wear and rock or bathing suits you don’t want to cover up. Having this as a visual of your goals helps you stay focused even more.
*Tip from Sue! Thanks girl!!*
“I started assigning snacks/junk food/temptations a place on my body yesterday. When I want a bad food I think of its place and wonder if I really want that attached to me. Donuts become saddle bags. Ice Cream becomes a spare tire. Cookies become double chin. Cake becomes thigh rub. To really help me, I literally picture that donut being placed on my saddle bag area and it morphing into a donut shaped saddle bag! The bigger the donut, the bigger the newly acquired saddlebag. It’s hilarious, but a HUGE deterrent.”
TIP 6- TOSS TEMPTATIONS
You probably would have thought this would have been our first TIP, but I wanted you guys to really dig into your MINDSET, WHY, and GOALS before you decided what had to go.
I get it is hard to do this when you have other people living with you. We don’t all live alone where we can have just what we need in the house. Most of us are married and have kids. We are living a healthy lifestyle, so ideally it should spread to our family also but I know husbands can be pretty set in their ways with what snacks they want in the house.
My husband actually has his snacks in his MAN CAVE, so they are not in the kitchen where I can see them. So I focus down stairs and see what would tempt me on a stressful day… chocolate has to go for me! That is my biggest temptation. What is yours?
When those temptations aren’t around you, you don’t have that temptation to deal with. The next tip will talk about how you can stay focused on your WHY and GOALS even with temptations around from the family.
How did the temptation tossing go? I am all about moderation when on your life journey with health and happiness. You know your goals and it isn’t to deprive yourself from food, but it is to fuel your body with healthier choices and better ingredients. So read those ingredients and start substituting healthier options to sweets!
TIP 7- PUSH NUMBER
Okay, I have two activities for you… and I love them! Every time I do them they spark excitement for me.
- Time to find that PUSH number that follows you everywhere and reminds you constantly of your why and your goals. Do you want to lose 3 lbs. a month? Make 3 your focal number. Or you want to wear a certain favorite pair of jeans again? Make that size your number. Or, are you working on a 5K, 5 would be a positive number to focus on.
Whatever that number is, put it EVERYWHERE!! Make it your screensaver for your computer and on your phone. Take that number and put it on your rear view mirror in your car. Post it in the kitchen on your fridge door. Post it on your bathroom mirror so you see it every morning. This is your new lucky number. It is YOUR number! Make it fun. It will become so ingrained that it will feel like it already happened. It might seem silly but it works!
- Next, list all positive side effects of achieving your push goal. Think about how reaching that goal will make you feel. How will it positively improve your relationships? Your job? Your activities? Isn’t that fun to think how your life will change? That gets me so excited inside! Make a list and make it long.
I love this saying… “Your attitude determines your direction.” It is so true! Finding this PUSH number and posting it everywhere is another positive way to stay focused on your path and where you want to go. No temptations can break you now!!!
Here is a video of me sharing my push number that I have had for a long time and it works really well for me. It ties into my WHY too. 🙂
That was our last Busting Temptations TIP as well!! I hope you guys learned some more about yourself and how strong you are in this health and happiness journey we are all on!
To stressing less and playing more,
Melissa 🙂
Leave a Reply