Recently, I had a conversation with a woman who was complaining that despite eating salads all day long and working out five days a week, she still wasn't quite seeing the results that she wanted.

 

Then, leaning in towards me, she revealed some other health concerns that she was experiencing:  stomach issues, including bloating and gas, low energy and diminished libido.

 

 

 

Have you ever asked yourself this question?  Are you finding yourself hitting a plateau or experiencing setbacks in your goals?

 

 

If so, there are usually a few possibilities why this may be happening:

 

1.  You aren't clear about what kind of 'results' you'd like to achieve.  Sometimes people have a general idea of wanting to be 'healthy' or 'in shape' but don't have a clear idea of what exactly that means for them.  What does healthy mean to you?  How will you know if you are healthy or in shape?  If you're skinny but have low energy, bad skin and stomach issues, is that in alignment with your vision of healthy?  The more specific you are with what you want, the easier it is to attain it, the more tangible it becomes.  But here's the real key: the more you place it into the context of the bigger picture and why what you want is important and *juicy* to you, the more compelling it is for you to take action on it.

 

2.  You're eating based on a diet, not what your body truly needs.  A great example is salad, which many people consider healthy and may be nourishing on many levels.  However, depending on what you put in your salad, it is also sometimes not enough to sustain you or fulfilling enough.  This may lead to binges later on in the evening, which you may rationalize by telling yourself you ate 'healthy' earlier in the day.  It's important to step outside of your way of eating, check in and ask yourself, is this what my body really needs?

 

3.  Lack of variety = boredom and lack of motivation.  Using the example of salad again, if all you eat is salad all day long with the same four or five ingredients, 5-7 times a week, your body is missing out on all those other nutrients that are abundantly found in other fruits, vegetables, legumes, and protein sources.  I don't mean to bash salad, because I love a good salad, but it's no wonder you get that chocolate or greasy fries craving!  Your body is telling you it's bored with your food choices, and on a deeper level, probably missing other nutrients in your diet.  What about your workouts?  Maybe you're bored by the same old gym routine and what you really need is an outdoor activity to get you inspired again.

 

4.  Remember that it takes time to build new habits and really see results.  Don't throw the towel in before you've even gotten started!  You have to think of your health as an investment for the long haul.  Not just something to turn to when you need to lose those 5 lbs. from the holidays, not just something to 'deal' with when more serious health problems arise.  True, some people experience positive changes in as little as a few days, while for others, it may take weeks or months.  But the real change usually happens after about 3-4 months, when the cells in your body regenerate.

 

 

 

 

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR WEB SITE OR NEWSLETTER?  You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:  Frances Cheung, Holistic Nutrition & Wellness Counselor, coaches individuals and groups on living life passionately and putting yourself back on the priority list so you can be more productive, have more fun, and take insanely good care of yourself in the process.  To start receiving vaulable nutrition and lifestyle tips and insights, please visit www.francescheung.com.