It’s no secret that the journey toward improved weight and health is filled with valleys, bumps, plateaus and even downward slopes. Identifying areas for improvement and creating new lifestyle changes for a healthier you can be difficult at times! That’s why it’s important to stay on top of your goals — being conscious of your desires, temptations and habits will lay the groundwork for success to happen.
One of the best ways to stay focused and to keep your motivation flowing is to continuously work on challenging yourself. More than just scolding yourself for straying from your nutrition plan and attempting to eat cleaner the next day, challenging yourself effectively means identifying your shortcomings and working vigorously to overcome them. You’ll notice that by expanding your realm of opportunities, you are creating a doorway to step into sucess!
Challenge Yourself Frequently with these Tips
There are a variety of ways to step out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself to better health. To get started, consider a few of them below:
- Aim for One More Cup of Water – It’s easy to get distracted by our responsibilities and forget to keep hydrated, just as it is easy to go for a soda as opposed to a glass of water. First, assess your water intake and then challenge yourself to increase that uptake each day. This is something you can do daily!
- Increase Your Duration/Intensity – As you continue to your fitness routine and your body adusts to your physical activity level, challenge yourself to step it up! Perhaps you want to work out for 15 minutes longer each day, or you’d like to increase your speed or the weight that you’re lifting. Examine your overall fitness goals and then begin climbing steps to get there!
- Develop a New Habit – While concentrating on one habit at a time can be a great way to stay focused, once you feel comfortable in that new habit, don’t be afraid to strive for another one! If you’ve gotten used to making your target workouts each week, for example, you can aim for a new goal such as adding enough protein into your diet each day.
- Share Your Story – Every journey is significant – even yours! Opening up about weight and health can be difficult, but sharing your story can feel liberating and be inspiring to others. By sharing your story, you may even gain more support and encouragement for your own efforts.
- Strive for a Better Night’s Sleep – Your body needs sleep to restore itself. However, long days and busy nights keep many of us from getting the amount of sleep we need. If this is you, challenge yourself to either go to bet a bit earlier or wake later! More sleep can give you the energy and focus that it takes to sustain your weight-loss goals. For more information about the connection between weight and sleep, please CLICK HERE.
No matter how small, every step you take towards a healthier you is noteworthy. Just remember that! By challenging yourself and opening the door for progress to continue, you’re on the fast track toward reaching those goals!
