Procrastination is the Enemy!

In my work as a personal trainer and nutrition coach, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had the same conversation with clients about nutrition. It goes a little like this:

Me: “So how has your nutrition been this week?”

Client: “well, started out good on Monday and Tuesday. But then on Wednesday the office ordered pizza for lunch. I had a soda. And then that night I had to take my kid to a birthday party and there was some cake and ice cream. So I guess this week is a wash. But don’t worry; I’m planning to start again next Monday.”

Sound familiar? Even if you haven’t had this conversation with a trainer, chances are good you‘ve had it with yourself! NEXT MONDAY??? I want to scream. Why would you wait that long to get back on track with your healthy eating habits? One small slip up at an office party, birthday party, or a night out with the girls, doesn’t mean you’ve got to chuck the entire week. You don’t have to wait until Monday to start eating clean again. Imagine how many clean eating meals and great workouts you will miss out on if you decide to wait until next week, next month, or even next year, to recharge your healthy lifestyle!

Now, I understand that a lot of you out there like the idea of starting a diet or workout plan on Monday, or the 1st of the Month, or worse still, the 1st of the year. This is a natural compulsion. New weeks, new months, and new years all signal new beginnings for us. But consider this: If you have been slacking on your workouts and your nutrition for the last 10 months, does it really make sense to tack another 2 months to your slump while you wait for New Year’s to roll around? Of course not! Instead, take advantage of the fact that you still have 2 months left in the year and finish this year out with a bang! You could lose 20lbs in 2 months! You can drop 2 sizes in 2 months! The possibilities are exponential!

So don’t give up on yourself just because you had a little too much Halloween candy last night. Instead, challenge yourself. Every morning you wake up. Every meal you sit down to. Every opportunity you have for a workout. Learn to see every minute of every day is its own new beginning. There is never a better time than now, with your next meal, to start eating clean and living healthy. Most importantly, don’t buy into the myth of a wasted day. The next time you feel like you’ve screwed up on your nutrition, take a deep breath, remind yourself that you are only human (and as a human you are bound to slip up here and there), and say to yourself with conviction: THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A WASTED DAY! OR A WASTED WEEK! OR A WASTED YEAR!

Your Assignment for the week: Think back over the past year. Were there some times that you got a little too far off track with your fitness and nutrition? Was it because you decided to postpone the start of a new meal plan or a new exercise regimen until the beginning of a new week or a new month? Come up with a game-plan - a mental dialogue - that you will use over the next couple months that will prepare you to dodge the temptation of procrastination. I would love to hear back about what tools you will use over the next 2 months!

**Nutrition tip for the week** Smart Supplements: Do you struggle with cravings for fattening or sugary foods? Cravings are often a sign of some kind of nutritional deficiency. Try starting your day out with a fatty-acid supplement like Udo's Oil (available at most health food stores). A tablespoon with your breakfast and another with your mid-morning snack will provide you with all of your Omega fatty acids you need and the added bonus of a craving free day. And just when you thought it couldn't get better, many people who use Udo's Oil lose about 5lbs during the first 2 weeks of use!