These days over 50% of Americans are overweight and out of shape.  Most people spend their days in front of a desk, in a car or in front of the TV.  These sedentary habits combined with a diet of refined sugars and processed foods is a recipe for weight gain and disease.

This probably doesn’t come as a shock to many of us, but the challenge is how to overcome these bad habits.

Where do we start?

We are all creatures of habit.  Don’t believe it?  Try going to bed an hour early, change your pillow, wake up an hour early, try another toothpaste, don’t drink coffee, drive a different route to work, don’t look at your cell phone for an hour, don’t go on Facebook for a day, don’t eat at a restaurant for a week, etc, etc…you get the idea.

Habits are powerful.  The goal should be to replace bad habits with better ones.  Now this is easier said than done, which is why I want to start with your mindset.

Our mindset (how we think, our attitudes, and our input) plays a huge role in our success.  TV infomercials may sell you a dvd set or piece of equipment, we all have gym memberships and a few vitamins, but has this really helped you transform your body?  Probably not.

Successfully creating the body you want starts with your mindset.  At Innovative Results we break mindset down into three categories (Attitude, Motivation and Support).  Lets walk through these categories briefly.

1.  Attitude

Attitude will make or break your success in the gym.  When you think about working out, what is the first thought you have?  Is it positive or negative?  When the alarm goes off early, how do you react?  When you choose to eat healthier food, is it a positive experience or a hassle?   When you don’t feel like being at the gym, how is your workout?

“Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.”

2.  Motivation

Motivation is another vital aspect of a healthy mindset.  This can be summarized by “what you want”, “why you want it” and “recognizing hurdles in the way”.  The key here is to brainstorm on what you truly want to have happen.   Your goal should be important to you and make you a little emotional.

Write your goals down now.

After you have set a goal, the next step is to clarify why you want this to happen.  Lots of people wanna lose weight, but understanding why is critical.  Why you want to change has to be bigger and more important than the obstacles that will surface on your journey.   We have found that the more emotional the goal, the more motivated the person is to walk through the necessary steps to accomplishing their goal.  For example, if a woman is going to stand in a white dress, in front of 600 friends and family members, she is usually more motivated than if they simply wanna lose 5lbs before a trip to Vegas.

Write down why these goals are important to you.

3.Support

Now that you have your goals and your reasons written down, the next step is to think about your current lifestyle.  Mentally walk though your day/week and think about your current habits.

Who do you surround yourself with? What do you read/watch/listen to?

Change is never easy, so it is important to surround yourself with a support system of like minded people.  Friends will unintentionally drag you back into the bar, into ordering deserts or back into bad habits.  So plan ahead and protect yourself from these potential distractions.

Your level of success depends upon the people you surround yourself with and the books you read

Which habits are keeping your from achieving your goals?  This could start with sleep schedule, eating habits, time in the car, time at work, time in front of the tv and more.  Write these habits down on a piece of paper.

The next step is to brainstorm ways to improve your current habits and align them with your goals.  How can you improve your habits or schedule?  You can probably figure most of this out on your own, but if you need advise or outside opinions, feel free to comment on this article and ask questions.  We can always help point you in the right direction.

Write down your current habits and replace them with healthier alternatives.

**Be sure and share these thoughts with people close to you.  When people understand your motivation and your goals, they will be more likely to support you and hold you accountable along the way.  Who knows, you may even motivate them to join you in your journey! 

So, if you are struggling to get started in a workout program, then review this article again, get your thoughts on paper and lets get this party started today!

Our next article will talk about movement and how to get started with a new workout program, no matter what your ability level may be.

So stay tuned!