Tomorrow is a New Day

After a number of days of hit-and-miss when it came to choosing proper foods (I’m trying to think about health mainly, fat loss being a factor in that), I was pretty frustrated with my inconsistency.You must realize: I’m constantly listening to medical podcasts discussing the positive results of good nutrition on metabolic and immune health; nevertheless, what I was listening to, and my poor food choices were inconsistent. I desperately wanted to be eating and exercising for optimal health.Yes, I was in a funk. I was disappointed in myself; disappointed in my food choices, food timing, sleep, exercise and keeping a positive attitude. The trouble is, as I know this happens to many of you, my inconsistency, and doing the opposite of what I wanted to do, lead to a feeling of discouragement. I noticed myself blaming life circumstances (social distance BBQ, stress from a work day, too tired, etc.); however, the scientists who discover the health benefits of healthy eating and living seem to be able (willing!)  to follow very healthy habits, no matter the circumstances.A recent podcast on Dr. Peter Attia’s website profiles Dr. Don D’agostiono who does work for NASA and Navy seals (nutrition to optimize health under severe environmental circumstances). He follows what he researches: a very low carb lifestyle. He does this to optimize his personal health. If a busy man like him is able to maintain the lifestyle he wants, why not me?A lot of this comes down to simple excuses that I’m making. It comes down to taking responsibility for those excuses, and realizing that I’m just giving myself permission to not do what I need to do.So, I say: ENOUGH!  Enough excuses.  Right now, at this moment, I can re-set my thinking and my body.  And so can you.  We can re-focus on our health and wellness!  Tomorrow is a new day and we have the opportunity to create something different.Be firm in what you want as a goal. Be relentless in putting your health as a priority. Learn to say no. Make sure you set time aside for personal growth and self-care (exercise/meditatioon/good sleep).  Are there people in your life sabotaging your efforts? Are there environments or situations that set you up for not eating the way you want to? How can you create boundaries with these people or places?  Often these people or places might be in your home; talk to the people in your life honestly about your goals and how they can support you. Figure out which environments (or times of day) may feel more challenging, and create strategies on how to maneuver around them.Journaling your goals and ideas is a great place to start.  Write down what’s important to you, and write it down daily.  A few notes about your intentions for the day will help ground you.  At the end of the day, reflect on what you felt proud of.  Feelings of pride and accomplishment are paramount to fueling motivation and keeping consistent.What can you do tomorrow that will make you proud of yourself?Keep pushing ahead. Never give up!Dr. Doug