You’ve heard this before, but it’s worth repeating. Many health issues such as diabetes and heart disease take years to develop.
When you embrace a healthier lifestyle, you may not notice any difference right away. You may see subtle improvements in energy and how you feel but it takes time to see more permanent changes. By focusing on the small wins, you will stay motivated. You may not be used to cooking meals and meal prepping and it takes time to get into a rhythm.
The changes may be subtle or drastic if you’re lucky. Pay attention to how you feel. Over time, your digestion is stronger and you’re getting sick less often. It’s much easier to focus on convenience and not think about long-term effects, but you are going to stay the course.
Always remember your why. It could be:
I want to stay healthy and fit for an upcoming race/active vacation.
I want to change the family legacy of x disease and live a healthier life.
I want to fulfill my mission to ______.
I want to dance at my child’s wedding.
Keeping your why at the top of your mind will help you on days when you feel like it’s not worth it or it’s easier to follow the crowd. Don’t let a setback turn into weeks of ignoring your health or feeling your situation is hopeless.
When I had serious digestive issues, I didn’t experience results quickly. I saw multiple doctors who told me different things and the medications I was on were hurting more than helping me. There were times when I lost motivation but I stayed the course. Slowly but surely, I was able to heal my digestion and regain my health with solid nutrition. I’m so glad I didn’t give up because I felt it was too hard to restrict my diet and my doctor wanted me to try a new regimen. Good health is priceless