Five ways to build a supportive team
By My Fit Foods’ Meg McCall B.S., M.S. Candidate in Human Nutrition, Corporate Nutritionist
Ask yourself these questions:
- Are you stuck in a rut with your weight loss and fitness goals that you can’t get out of?
- Do you feel like you never have time to exercise or cook healthy meals for you and your family?
- Do you have 15 to 20 lbs or more to lose and you have been saying every Monday all year, “This is the week!”
- Are you eating fast food or take out many more nights of the week than you want to?
- Is your doctor telling you it is time to make a change because of cholesterol, triglyceride, or blood pressure numbers?
- Does your wife or husband worry about your health and nag you about it?
- Do you feel like you can’t focus at work and lose all energy and productivity after lunch?
- Do you drink more coffee than you should just to get going or keep going?
- Do you drink wine or other alcoholic beverages at night to calm your stress and sleep?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you are not alone. Most Americans are feeling this way—out of whack, overweight, and overstressed. We can’t keep doing the same thing over and over again and expect the same results, (insanity) so we must develop a game plan for a support system that can help get you out of the rut. After all, you deserve to look and feel your best and age well. Your quality of life is everything and focusing on it with the right tools and support can change things very quickly.
Creating your Support System
INFLUENCE: Surround yourself with people that have the lifestyle you want. They eat healthy, they exercise, and they inspire you to feel and look good. Read daily affirmations everyday and look at your goal list every morning.
PRIORITIZE AND PUT YOURSELF ON THE CALENDAR: If your health is not your number one priority, then your body is a ticking time clock headed for burn out or disease. Put yourself in your calendar for work out times, for meditation times, and for practical to do’s like grocery store cooking and stopping in My Fit Foods so you are always stocked up and ready to go.
BUDDY SYSTEM: Get an accountability buddy at work or someone you speak to on a daily basis like your spouse or best friend. Getting a trainer is a great way to create structure and accountability and they will whip you into shape! Writing your food and exercise down in a journal and sharing it either daily or weekly with this person will help keep you honest and see trends such as when you have a stressful day you want cookies!
VISUALIZE SUCCESS: Write specific long term goals down with monthly achievable steps. Add a visual: either an old picture of a thinner you or a magazine cut out of what you would like to look like. Remember: anything is possible no matter what your age, size, or health. Keep these visuals and goals right by your desk and read them every morning.
START A MY FIT REVOLUTION AT WORK: You spend more living hours at work than you do anywhere else. Americans work an average of 45 to 60 hours a week. Why not create healthy change where you spend most of your time? Our 21 Day Corporate Challenges are saving companies on health insurance costs and improving productivity. Every dollar spent on corporate wellness will save a company on average 5 dollars. Once a handful of people lose 6 to 15 pounds in 21 days, the success is contagious and everyone wants to take part. Walking and exercise groups begin and friendly competition and comraderie settle in. Just don’t fight over the microwave at lunch time and get used to people eating their 3 o’clock snack in meetings. Ask your HR team and CEO to participate—when leaders change, the entire company can be inspired.
We know you are busy, tired, and carrying alot of responsibilities. Build a support system to help yourself out!
Image by Meg Braisted