How triggers tempt failure and how to combat those triggers: Diet and Exercise

With every new year comes new beginnings, for many it is a shift in ones current lifestyle towards becoming a healthier individual.  A common change that you see take place January first is an increase in gym memberships and a pledge to make healthier food choices, which for many are the first steps to changing their current way of life.  So the question remains, why is it that as the new year wears on we have a tendency to fall back into our old habits?  What is it that keeps us from being those healthy individuals we all strive to be?  What are those triggers in our life that tempt our failure? 

 I think for a lot of people time is a big factor, there just are not enough hours in the day.  I fall into this category, I am guilty of skipping exercise.  Why?  I skip exercises, because nothing sounds better after 10 hours of work than eating dinner and sitting on the couch.  So how do we break our tempting couch sitting?  If time is an issue try these tips: 

1.  Use a portion of your lunch break to go for a walk.

2.  Take advantage of any gym memberships your job offers.

3.  Bring a couple small pound weights and bands to work and perform a 20 minute workout in an available conference room, better yet gather co-workers to work out with you.  

4.  Try joining a gym close to your house so that you have to drive by it in order to go to work and get back home.  (This is what I did and I'm up to 3+ days per week of working out).
5.  Get a personal trainer to start you out on your path to success! 

Next we want to change our diet, but it is hard when you drive by twenty fast food restaurants on the way to work, or a co-worker celebrating their birthday brings cupcakes to the office or your friends invite you out for lunch.  I think the first thing to remember is don't deny yourself of these pleasures, but don't make it a daily event either.  If diet is a problem try these tips: 

1.  Pack a healthy lunch and bring it to work, that way you always have an excuse to not go out to lunch. 

2.  Have healthy snacks on hand at the office and even in the car (if you have a long commute to work), this will keep you on the interstate rather than taking the exit ramp to a drive thru. 

3.  Drink lots of water, staying hydrated will keep you feeling fuller longer.

4.  Eat 5 small meals instead of 3 large so that when the clock hits 3:00 you don't take off running for the vending machine. 

5.  Make small changes in the ingredients that you cook with, for example you can find may free recipes on the Internet that have healthy alternatives for traditional meals, swap out whole wheat noodles for white, switch up a recipe that calls for sour cream and use yogurt instead.  Cooking can be fun and healthy. 

 Finally get your friends, family and spouse to join you in this new healthy lifestyle.  If everyone is on the same page you have a support group that can keep you on track and it is less tempting to fall back into your old habits.  Don't let triggers run your life, with a little planning you can be in control.