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Tag: habits

FitnessHealthy TipsLifestyle

Make Healthy Habits Stick

We’ve all felt that excitement and anticipation when trying something new or making a change. We are hopeful and motivated for the future and nervous about the road ahead at the same time. But once those beginning jitters go away, how do we keep ourselves on track? Reaching a weight loss goal can be a long and difficult path to success, but the habits you form in the beginning will help get you there. The little changes and progress you make every day will add up in no time, and the longer you stick to your healthy habits, the more you will benefit and the easier it will all become over time.

 

You have to start by committing to a goal. It may seem unnecessary, but making your goal something specific and attainable can help you form habits to get you there. Once you pick something, break it down in to smaller steps that you can work on each week and each day. For example, if you want to make a certain amount of progress by a certain date, break it down week by week to help you stay motivated. Seeing yourself lose each week will make you want to try even harder the next week and soon you will feel really good about your healthy habits when you see how they are working for you.

 

As much as we try, it is inevitable that there will be bumps in the road. When you have a craving, think it through. 10 minutes from now do you want to feel guilty or proud? Think about the benefits and the downsides and make your choice with logic and a clear head. None of us are perfect, but you do have a choice when something doesn’t happen the way we want it to: give up or learn from it. Understanding the real reason why you can’t stick to your habits or why you haven’t been able to make it work in the past can help you find success this time. Move forward with new understanding but don’t be hard on yourself. Making a major change in your life can require constant effort and be quite exhausting, but the new habits you form from hard work and dedication will help you reach your goals and sustain a healthy lifestyle. Slowly, it will become easier and easier to make the healthy choices until they become habit.

 

An important part of making smart choices is having a plan and being prepared. If you want to eat clean, you have to have healthy food in your home or a plan when you eat out. Make a grocery list, check restaurant menus ahead of time, plan your meals and snacks – do whatever it takes to give yourself a helping hand.

 

The definition of a habit is an acquired behavior pattern regularly followed until it has become almost involuntary. You may feel nervous and impatient in the beginning, but even the smallest changes you make are setting you on the right path. The work you do day in and day out may feel tedious sometimes but you are rebuilding your lifestyle while also losing weight. It takes time and hard work but that’s what makes it worth it.

 

~ Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

 

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

FitnessHealthy TipsLifestyle

Struggling After Vacation

Spring has finally sprung and we are experiencing some beautiful weather. This week I want you to concentrate on moving forward and ONLY moving forward. Leave the past behind you and focus on the future. STOP BEATING YOURSELF UP…IT GETS YOU NOWHERE. Don’t spend your energy and thoughts about what you didn’t do or should have done this past holiday break. Think about what you want to look and feel like come this summer. Are you ready for the barbeque parties? Or the pool?  Can you imagine yourself in shorts and a tank top? Sundress? These are questions only you can answer. Because in a few short weeks you will be pulling your summer clothes out of your closet and they will either be VERY TIGHT or THEY WILL FIT or THEY WILL BE BIG. The result is entirely up to you.

 

After vacation we tend to have a hard time getting back on track. We spend a week eating and/or drinking a little more than we should (a lot more for some). Your body doesn’t turn off and on after a week. It needs to be trained again. So if you are experiencing a hard time because you are struggling getting back on track.  Try your best to work through it. It’s okay to be a little hungry it will go away. Yes they may be real hunger pains, but only because you just spent a week of overeating. You need to work through it or your new extra weight will become old weight and will not come off so easy. Do it now….Get rid of it now!

 

Start with the basic 3 meals and 3 snacks. If you need an extra snack, have one from your program. It’s better to have an extra snack off your program than to grab something that will take you off your path. Make sure you have healthy on program snacks with you at all times. It’s important to have snacks within arm’s reach. If you get to the point where you are starving then you waited too long and most likely will grab something unhealthy. After one week you should be back on your program 110%.

 

We can’t change the past. We can only learn from it and use what we learn to make our future a better and positive place for us. Treat your body with respect, love and kindness. Fuel it with healthy food that will make you feel good and run at 110%. When you treat your body like the gift that it is…it returns the favor.

 

 

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

 

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness
8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797
469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018
FitnessHealthy TipsLifestyle

Start Thinking About Shorts Season Now

Yesterday it snowed several inches again on Long Island. It seems like winter is never ending, but now that we have transitioned from February to March, shorts season is right around the corner and Spring Break is just a couple weeks away. Now is the time to put in that extra effort toward reaching your goals, not in May. As soon as the temperature starts to increase and little bits of green grass start to replace the inches of snow, you will wish you has started thinking about spring and summer sooner. 

 

 

Focus on the habits that will get you there. Choose to eat a healthy breakfast every morning, pack healthy snacks for during the day, exercise consistently, make a healthy grocery list, plan your week on Sundays or any tasks you want to take on. Don’t worry if you can’t get everything right at once – that is why you are starting now while there is plenty of time to build healthy habits and get results. Instead of saying something vague like “eating right” make it more specific and attainable, like cutting back on sugar or snacks, having fish a couple times a week, switching coffee for tea in the morning, etc. These little changes are your building blocks for not just summer weight loss, but a sustainable fitness plan that can become your healthy lifestyle. 

 

 

The last thing you want to do is wait until it’s too late and then go on an extreme quick-fix program. These programs not only instill an unhealthy relationship with food and exercise, but they seldom work or offer long term solutions. If you try to make an extreme change in a short amount of time, you will be more likely to gravitate back to your old habits. Slow and steady wins they race, and also continues to feel the benefits long after crossing the finish line. Working hard for your weight loss goals will not only ensure your good habits stick, it will also make you less likely to back track when you remember all that you went through to get where you are. When you go on a quick fix diet you don’t experience the value of hard work and realize what you are capable of. The journey is just as important as the destination. 

 

 

Whether you are new or coming back to exercise and healthy eating, even beginners will experience great results. You have the time to get stronger, build endurance, develop technique, and change the way you eat little by little, all while losing weight. For those of you who are already hard at work and on the right track, now is the time to put in the extra effort. When it’s time to put on that bathing suit or summer dress, you will be glad you did. 

 

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

 

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

469 7th Ave Manhattan NY 10018

FitnessHealthy TipsLifestyle

How To Stick To Your New Year’s Resolution

 

It’s time to shake off that holiday haze and get back to reality. Some people see it as a welcome end to a hectic and busy holiday season, while some may still be clinging to the last few moments of celebration. Either way, for almost everyone it is time to go back to school or work, say goodbye to your relatives and put the decorations back in the attic. Returning to your usual work or class schedule is impossible to avoid so maybe you’re thinking about taking your time getting back to your weight loss plan. January 1st was still part of the holiday break so maybe you planned to get serious about your resolution today…But you weren’t ready to get up when the alarm clock went off this morning, so forget about having your head in the right place when it comes choosing what to eat this week. And those leftovers shouldn’t go to waste, right? The passing of another holiday season and the stress of going back to your regular routine may make you feel overwhelmed, but now is not the time to shy away from your commitment to your resolution. Take this as an opportunity to kick things into high gear. Use this fresh start to build on what you have been doing.

 

But beware – the worst thing you can do right now is go overboard. Putting too many things on your plate or trying to quit certain things “cold turkey” can make you weaker and crumble under pressure. If you have a long list of strict resolutions or things you want to accomplish (quit candy, cut alcohol consumption, exercise more, drink less soda, drink more water, eat more vegetables, get healthy, try juicing or a detox, eat more protein and focus on your weight loss, etc.) all at the same time, your brain is going to be the one getting the workout instead of your body. When you split your attention and have too many priorities it can actually make it harder to accomplish anything at all. For example, if you over do it at the gym it just means you’ll probably dread exercising and be less likely to workout. Instead, push yourself just beyond your comfort zone without getting too intense. Similarly, if you were to skip meals or try some crash diet you are basically setting yourself up for failure. Making changes to your eating and exercise habits is possible when done right.

 

The best way to succeed is to break up your resolution into manageable pieces. You should make realistic goals that are specific to you. If you have never been a runner and then decide to run a marathon next month, you should probably reconsider. Or if you want to cut down on how much sugar you consume, you will probably be feeling cravings after just a day or two without it. Your brain automatically prefers comfortable, old habits over new and different ones. For a while, for example, you will still crave sugar or resist going for a jog, but eventually you will be running a full marathon and will have left those sugar cravings behind. The most important part of this idea is to have a plan and hold yourself accountable. Make clear goals for each month or week and keep track of them. If you miss a goal, it’s not the end of the world. Readjust your plan and keep going. You’re not giving yourself any excuses to quit, you’re actually ensuring your success.

 

Most of all, it’s important to remember that this will take time. It is commonly felt that resolutions need to be accomplished within the beginning of the new year for them to count, but remember that a year is 12 months. It’s not a January Resolution, it’s a New Year’s Resolution. Changing your habits and completing a major accomplishment won’t happen over night. The changes may be small and gradual, but that doesn’t make them any less of a success. By the end of the year you will have accomplished so much that you never thought would ever be possible right now. The same way you start with simple, short phrases when you learn a new language – start small and you will see major results.

 

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

 

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018