Nov 30, 2020

 by Susa H van

We so often start by doing the right thing. Whether it’s making the “right” food choices, rocking up at the gym for a workout, picking up a new hobby or spending quality time with family. Then life happens, our plans get ruined and all of our good intentions go right out of the window.

Well, today is the day I am going to tell you that if I stopped every time I went off course, I would not have been as successful or have gotten as far as I have with many things in my life.

It doesn’t mean that I am always doing the right thing, that there isn’t any room for continuous improvement in creating a better life for me. It just means that I will never give up striving to keep on improving.

For the past 3 years my phone’s screen lock photo has been saying this: “I will reach my goal weight by the end of this year”. Have I reached it yet? No, I still have 9 pounds to go. But the moral of the story is: “It does not matter how many times the road to my goal was rough and bumpy and far from perfectly smooth, I have not given up”.

I hear some many times: “I cannot lose weight because my husband cooks all the meals...”. Well, then improvise! Eat half of the food he makes, add a massive salad to your meal, focus on eating as much protein as possible, add veggies to the rest of your plate. Just remember, it does not have to be perfect.  You just have to do the best you can in that moment and adapt to the circumstances. Life is full of imperfections, being able to adapt to them is key. Finding solutions instead of making excuses is what’s going to ultimately keep you moving forward.

Having a bad day or feeling tired shouldn’t be an excuse not to go to the gym. It might mean you are not going to crush your workout, but showing up means not giving up, it means to keep moving your body even when things are not perfect. Something is always better than nothing, 5 minutes is better than 0, half of a workout is better than no workout at all.

Consistency is always the key. It’s better to show up and do whatever you can than not do anything at all. It’s okay to not make the right choices 100% of the time. Results may take longer. I mean look at me, I started this weight loss, healthy eating journey on 1 December 2017. I will reach my 3-year mark in just a few days. 3 years of me working to achieve my weight loss goal, and believe me, it is not perfect all the time. But I try, and I show up, and I have never given up. And if you try and never give up, you can get there too!