When I first meet with a client I go through some standard questions with them, what is your goal, when do you want reach it, how committed are you etc. One of the most important questions I ask though is “What do you see as being a Barrier to Your Success?” If I hear the answer “NOTHING…there are no barriers in my way.” Then I smile and thank the person sitting in front of me for allowing me to accompany them on their journey. I know they will succeed. Through experience I know that this person does not have less challenges than the next person, it just means they are (as Andrea put it) committed to the outcome. They know that no matter what life puts in front of them, they will figure a way around it, because what they want matters, it is important, they are important.
Do you have a health goal in mind? Do you have a hundred reasons why you can’t start towards it today? If so, then I recommend you write down all your reasons, erase those that are excuses, and then decide how you are going to get around or break down any barriers to your success.
If you were to sit in front of me tomorrow, and I asked you to list your barriers to success, what would you say?
Do I think they are being honest? Yes and no. I think they are probably being honest to me, but perhaps dishonest to themselves. They want to believe they can do it, remove the barriers. But I do believe that we can remove the barriers and know that people can answer truthfully they have no barriers. What I would never believe is if someone tells me they have no challenges. “Life” will always be there, we just need to be able to work with it or get around it somehow.
I think everyone has a barrier of some sort or other. I know i have several!!! Do you think those that say they do not are being honest…?
hey hey testing
Hi Jen! You are not alone, we live life from one event to another and healthy eating often takes a back burner. First and foremost I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to perservere and develop some consistent habits that work well with your life.
Tip#1 – Hate to Cook? Go to your grocery stores pre-prepared sections and serve yourself up a huge salad, some precooked veggies, a healthy soup etc. A healthy version of fast food. There are also places where you can go and pre-cook a months worth of meals at one time and freeze them for when you need them. Check out if there is a Supper Works in your area.
Tip #2 – Need more veggies? Keep a container of Spring Mix Greens in your fridge along with the ingredients for a great salad dressing (think olive oil, fresh lemons, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard etc). Serve this up with some canned beans, canned salmon or pre-cooked chicken on top.
Tip#3 Need more fruit? A fruit smoothie for breakfast can get 2-3 servings in easy! What about eat it with a healthy dip (ie. plain yogurt and some honey) and/or a handful of healthy nuts and seeds.
A last thought, healthy food tastes great, but if you are used to packaged foods that are loaded with sugars and salts you will find foods that are ‘au natural’ boring. Give your taste buds some time to acclimatize and keep an open mind!
Hope that helps!
Christine
I have a few health goals but one specific to nutrition is to eat more fruits and vegetables. I recently cut out all diet pop (which I had been addicted to for years) but I found cutting something out – after the initial withdrawal – is easier then finding interesting and creative ways to introduce something you are not used to.
So far today I have had grapefruit juice, an apple, and a banana. It is not yet dinner where I will likely have a veggie serving or two. BORING.
So, if I am honest, my two biggest barriers are 1) time and 2) a complete and utter hatred for anything remotely related to cooking (and yes, preparing, cutting, and mixing DEFINITELY apply!).
Any simple suggestions for a chronic kitchen avoider? Btw, I love to eat. Just someone else has to do the cooking 😉