Am I Ready to Get Healthy?
I know I need to make a change… but it takes so much work? Will it even be worth it?
These are questions and thoughts I hear often. And the truth is, if you’ve heard all the hype around diets before, leaping into a new, healthy lifestyle can seem intimidating.
More often than not, the fear of pain overcomes your rational thinking. “What if it’s hard? How about if I’m called out by my friends and family? What if not ready to get healthy?”
It’s completely understandable, too. No one wants to put all that effort in only to feel like you’re not making progress, or worse fail. But is the possibility of failure heavier than the health you’re trying to gain?
Taking the first step towards health will start an avalanche of wellness wins. Weight loss is only the beginning.
You’ll find your body is capable of serving you well when you take care of it to the best of your ability.
- Joint pain will ease
- Inflammation will subside, and
- You’ll take back a vibrancy you thought was once a pipe dream
If you feel like you’re ready to get healthy, you are probably getting close to seizing that!
To help you decide, let me share 3 ways to know if you’re ready to get healthy.
(And if you’re not ready yet, you’ll know what you need to do when you get there!)
Let’s dig in.
3 Ways You Know You’re Ready for Reclaiming Your Health
Only you can say for sure whether you’re ready to get healthy (-er). As I mentioned above, if it’s been heavily on your mind lately, you’re probably in a good place to start researching your options, at the very least. You may even find that you’re more prepared for it than the social media “influencers” posing as experts.
To help you decide, here are a few tell-tale signs that show you’re more than ready to get healthy.
Readiness Sign #1: Self-Reflection
Have you taken stock of where you are in your health journey at this moment?
Without taking the time to reflect and assess where you are right now, how will you know where to go?
When I first started focusing on my health, I didn’t feel ready for it but I knew I couldn’t carry on as I had been, sluggish, tired and squeezed in my body.
I was a mom of 2 at the time, sleep deprived, and poorly managing my household. I was spilling out of my clothes like a popped can of Pillsbury biscuits and was terribly uncomfortable with not just my appearance, but how I felt in my body. Poor digestion, acne on my 31 year old face, and just plain swollen all over.
But here I am, sustaining a lifestyle for over 8 years, healthier than I’ve ever been, and I have more energy than I know what to do with most days!
If you haven’t taken time to think about where you are right now, spend a few minutes looking in the mirror. Make unemotional observations about yourself – like “I have 2 eyes and one nose”. Once you’ve spent a few minutes doing this, move to how you feel in your body… not emotions, but physical feelings – bloated, unenergetic, etc.
Always assess yourself honestly and don’t berate yourself.
Never ever NITPICK!
Readiness Sign #2: Motivation
You may not feel it now, but your gut feelings about taking hold of your health will almost always steer you in the right direction.
If you think you’re ready for healthy changes but struggle with self doubt, it can be hard to admit that these are just thoughts, not reality.
Years before I took my first step towards health, I spent time reading all the “before and after” stories, seeing people make changes with diet and exercise, and long to be able to take the reigns on my health. But I felt that I never had the exact knowledge to execute, that I needed more tips and tricks, and that I needed more motivation to make that first tiny step.
Here are a few ways to push past those mental blocks:
- First, Picture yourself succeeding. What would it feel like to actually take that first step? Amazing, right?
- Next, There will be obstacles and you need to imagine those things happening. How will you handle it when they pop up seemingly out of nowhere?
- Finally, Spend a minute reflecting on the hard times in the past that you’ve not only survived, but overcome. You can do hard things. Hold that reality in the forefront of your mind as you endeavor to take back your health.
Spending the time to think about what you will achieve and how you will overcome the challenges will help you to know the truth of who you are and how worthy you are of being healthy.
Understanding the truth of this is an intrinsic motivation that won’t fade like external motivation usually does.
Practicing speaking the truth of what you’ve accomplished so far and that you are able to achieve more in this venture will become second nature.
In the words of Zig Ziglar, “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.”
Readiness Sign #3: Acceptance
Sometimes big decisions come easy because our had is forced. e.g. Like when a company transfers us and we have to pack up to move to a new state.
That can feel frustrating in the moment, but many times it’s a blessing in disguise. You learn something or grow in some way that makes you a stronger, more resilient person.
So when that happens, how do we manage to just do the next thing? You don’t melt into a puddle of despair or resentment. Instead, you accept the circumstances for what they are, square your shoulders, and move forward.
My husband’s profession has led to countless cross-country moves in our 18 years of marriage. More often than not, these moves pop up unexpectedly. There was one move that I was not happy about, but we knew it was without a doubt the right move for our family.
I couldn’t control the circumstances or the situation, but what I could control was my acceptance and willingness to tackle the new adventure head on.
Other decisions don’t necessarily fall in your lap like magic, it’s more of an “all roads lead to yes” situation.
If you’ve started other programs or workout regimens in the past and haven’t been able to stick with any of them, it’s possible you hadn’t yet accepted where you were.
Have you come to the place where you have a very clear perspective on your health currently?
For example:
It’s possible you (metaphorically) tried climbing a mountain with tools you couldn’t use and skills you hadn’t yet developed.
Perhaps you found you needed a coach or mentor who could just tell you what to do so you could achieve your ultimate goal of health.
In either case, if there’s no other way to reclaim your health, it may be time to reflect and accept.
With those past attempts, had you accepted where you were? Did you take on the responsibility for your health status and decide it was time to take control of it?
Being able to accept your present state of health will let you tackle the next steps without the doomsday thoughts or the rose-colored glasses clouding your vision.
Standing in between you and regaining your health: The Doubt Edition
Usually, the biggest thing standing in the way of your wildest dreams isn’t something external. It’s actually…well, you.
Some common concerns I have dealt with personally are:
- I’m going to fail… again
- I’m worried about what my friends and family may think
- I’ll never be able to truly change
Does any of that sound familiar?
I’m not sure what the best way to clear those concerns up for you may be, but for me it’s to boss those limiting beliefs into a corner, tell myself true things and repeat my “why” to myself. Why do I want to be healthy in the first place? Why do you?
Standing in between you and regaining your health: Real-Life Obstacles
Real-life obstacles are some of the most obvious challenges you’re going to face with reclaiming your health.
I’ve already covered common obstacles in this post, but you likely will have some challenges that are unique to your circumstances and resources.
The good news is, with a little hard work and a lot of persistence, those obstacles can be overcome.
So in addition to what I shared above, I encourage you to seek support with others who are a few steps ahead and right where you are now.
And remember, when you’re ready, you’re ready.
If you find that you aren’t willing to make sacrifices to really change your lifestyle, you know that you’re not quite ready to reclaim your health. And that’s okay, just keep setting the stage for it and you’ll get there.
Want some help with seeing a healthy lifestyle lived out? My YouTube channel has lots of examples of how I’ve reclaimed my health. I also have tons of recipes for you to try and lots of camaraderie so you know you’re not flying solo on this quest.
So, are you ready to get healthy?
I hope this post has helped clarify when you are ready to take that big step towards reclaiming your health.
If you’re feeling uncertain, remember that when I first started my quest towards health, I heard opposition from all sides, but the loudest was my own internal dialog.
Now look at me, a mom of 3 who can keep up with my kids and my husband without batting an eye, and most importantly, your realistic cheerleader who wants you to win!
Have a question or want to share your thoughts with me? I’d love to chat down in the comments here, or shoot me an email on my contact page.
You’ve got this!
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