Finding weight loss is simple. We all know what works, but it is not easy.

Inner Dialogue

Nearly every day I have an inner dialogue that goes: “Today is a good day to find the perfect donut. Just one, maybe two donuts, with a hot cup of tea.” Or, it goes something like “Netflix hasn’t even asked if I am still watching.  When Netflix asks me if I am still watching, I will get off the couch and go for a run. Oh, it still hasn’t asked! I guess I can skip my workout today.” A healthy lifestyle is all about managing that inner dialogue. Those conversations have an ultimate impact on how I have maintained a 40 pounds weight loss.

There are 24 hours in the day. We’re awake for 16 of those hours. I’m guesstimating it takes about 3 hours a day to be very healthy. Those 3 hours come from 60 minutes of exercise, 30 minutes of restorative, and 90 minutes of food-prep and eating.

Any Lifestyle is Time Consuming

Please keep in mind that any type of food-prep and eating is already time-consuming so that 90 minutes is not really taking too much out of any schedule. Last weekend I placed an order with UberEats and it was just as time-consuming. Especially since I stalked the driver and alerted my family to the odyssey of my pizza. 

“The order is being prepared.” 

“Steve is going to get the order.” 

“Awesome, Steve has a 98.1%  rating, which is very promising.” 

“Shoot, Steve is not going anymore.”

“UberEats can not find a new driver. What does that mean?” 

“Should I consider a refund and research other options?” 

“Maybe, the drive is too far for drivers.”

“Ok, nevermind Uber found a driver, Bob is on the way.” 

“Bob has an 81.6% rating. Should I be worried about my pizza?”

“Will Bob look at the distance of the delivery and dump me?”
“When will I know he is committed to the delivery of my pizza.”

“He has the pizza and is on the way. It’s only 30 more minutes.”

I have changed the names of the drivers to protect their privacy, but this just happened. Life is time-consuming, Whether it is a healthy life or an unhealthy life, there will be things that take up your time. Finding balance everyday is part of the inner dialogue we all have. 

We all know what to do

Everyone knows what to do, and yet we all struggle with consistency.  Being healthy does not mean being perfect or not having those inner dialogues. In fact, I think that navigating that conversation is an important part of this journey. How do you maintain a  healthy lifestyle? I guess the first thing is to determine what a healthy lifestyle looks like. 

I created this t-shirt for my clients. It is the steps to a healthy lifestyle, and the advice I aspire to live by.

Be Coachable

Eat Clean

Workout Smart 

And Listen to Me

It is a simple set of steps to feel great, but it is not easy.

We all know what to do, so how do we make sure the healthier voice wins just enough times to feel great. 

Weigh your options

Utilize imagery to play out the options in your head. Ask “Will I feel better after this workout, or do I need to sleep in this morning?”. If the answer is an enthusiastic yes to either of them, do it. Focus on creating long term habits and don’t get lost in the weeds of this process.   

Embrace Failure

You will lose that inner dialogue sometimes and that does not represent self-worth.  If you eat a cupcake while watching Netflix all day, that has nothing to do with who you are. Failures and missteps are just the signposts of life.  It is very important to learn from your mistakes.

Fall in love with yourself.

It will be the most important relationship of your life. I have worked with many people who are willing to do anything for the people they love. I worked with a mother that stopped eating dairy while she was breastfeeding because her child was allergic. The same mother could not give up cheese and crackers at 4 PM, because it was too challenging. Or the wife that couldn’t make healthy dinners, because her husband doesn’t want to eat riced cauliflower. If caregivers care for themselves will it hurt or help their ability to give to others? 

Stay accountable

A healthy lifestyle will always be a long winding road. It is important to have ways to make sure you are still on the right path with support and science. When I work with clients we use the scale, pictures, weekly check-ins, and texting to stay accountable without judgment. My job is to show them the path and walk beside them on that healthy journey cheering them along every step of the way. Everyone has a different path, and that requires a lot of listening and patience. 

Feeling good is the best reward for a healthy lifestyle. There are some beautiful people sitting on the couch eating ice cream and terrible people drinking kale smoothies running marathons. We need to focus on the long journey and that requires ways of managing those inner dialogues. Don’t focus on being perfect, just find a way to stay accountable without judgment.

Owner and Founder of Empower Fitness,

Nicole Kefalas