I wasn’t sure what to title this but it really is overcoming the stereo typical answers that are out there when it comes to your healthy lifestyle journey. I am 43 years old. I have been through many years of people telling me what I should do to stay healthy. For example, create a different reward other than food or drink water when your hungry or workout twice as hard if you ate that hamburger to make up for the calories. I don’t know about you, but I could never succeed. I’m going to take each one of these examples and add some “self talk” to each of them.

What is “self talk”? It is positive but what we have to understand is that each of us will have a slightly different twist. We are all different so why should a blanket answer work for the millions or billions of us out there?

For me, creating a reward system still involves food. If I enjoy eating then I will always want my chocolate, my salty chips or my ice cream. It will be a life long struggle if I deprive myself of them. I just change how I “self talk” about my food. I know that eating my reward in the morning will allow those calories to be burned throughout the day. I mix dark chocolate and milk chocolate together or banana ice cream with regular ice cream. This allows me to decrease calories and still allows me to enjoy my reward. If you deprive yourself, you will think about that particular food all day or even all week. This is when “self talk” can turn negative.

Drinking water is very important. It increases your metabolism, helps with digestion and we are made up of 60% (men) or 65% (women) water. Have you ever kept track of what you are saying to yourself while you are drinking that water? For me, I ask myself what do I really want to eat. For many of us, we eat something and then change our mind and then add something else. While you are drinking that water, just think…. think… think what am I hungry for? If you change your mind 3-4 times then you will understand the need to step back, drink water and save calories.

We are all tempted every day by food-whether that is through commercials on television, signs on the roads or simply passing restaurants on the way to work. I kept track of how many food commercials are on television during an hour long show and the total was 10 commercials focusing on food. On your way to work one day, count how many restaurants you pass. We may cave into those commercials or signs occasionally but that doesn’t mean that working out harder will create a balance in your body. Food is fuel and we need to look at it as fuel to help us exercise safely and efficiently. Those fries are not going to give me the energy to do an intense CrossFit class if my body is not used to it. If anything, it may make me feel lethargic during my intense workout. So, if you do cave in, simply make your workout a few minutes longer instead of more intense.

Now is the time for you to figure out what your “self talk” will be to help you through your healthy lifestyle journey.