COMPROMISE AND COMPASSION - A Small Rant....

Okay, this has me a little ticked off so I’m going to try to write an elegant post without resorting to name-calling and curse-words. 

Kidding....sort of.

I follow a lot of health/nutrition/fitness professionals on social media. I like to support other professionals and I like to share ideas and information.

However.

A particular male fitness trainer made what I would consider an INCREDIBLY insensitive post about how people need to step up and do better if they want to claim they are working on their health/nutrition/fitness.

I grew up in a family and in a community where “Pull yourself up by your bootstraps and get to work” is basically the family/town motto. So, there is a part of me that understands this philosophy.

There is also the part of me that understands REALITY.

I have stated it a thousand times and I will state it again – If changing your health/nutrition/fitness were easy, EVERYONE WOULD BE DOING IT!!!

There are SO many factors for why people aren’t as healthy or in-shape as they could be or would like to be. I also understand that people make a lot of excuses for why they aren’t as healthy or in-shape, as well.

And this is why I HIGHLY recommend Compromise and Compassion!

Compassion for circumstances that are within as well as OUTSIDE of a client’s control. A client might not be able to control having an unsupportive spouse who refuses to eat healthy food, making it more difficult to work on their own nutrition. Is it possible? Yes. But does it add extra stress, strain, and more work to their life? Also, YES!

My husband was diagnosed with a disease that completely changed his ability to be active, as well as what he can and can’t eat. This disease had ZERO to do with his lifestyle habits (not a smoker, doesn’t drink, was active and could eat whatever he wanted within reason). It is hereditary and it changed EVERYTHING about his – and subsequently OUR – lifestyle. He used to be able to walk 3-5 miles per day, no problem. Now, he struggles with 3 blocks.

BUT HE’S WORKING ON IT!

And that is the point. Having COMPASSION for people who are TRYING to make the changes necessary for a healthier lifestyle. Your circumstances have a HUGE influence on your ability to make healthy choices. And surrounding yourself with compassionate people or working with a trainer or coach who are compassionate and understanding is INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT to make the lifestyle changes you’re after.

Compromise is another key ingredient to making lasting health changes.

I will say it over and over and over until people finally hear me – Creating Healthy Habits is NOT an All or Nothing endeavor. Taking the All or Nothing approach is going to leave you with precisely that – NOTHING.

Because it doesn’t work.

Less than 5% of people on planet Earth can wake up one day, decide “I’m going to change my health and nutrition” and then completely stick with it for the rest of their life.

The other 95% of the population on the planet have to make changes slowly or one at a time until those healthy habits have become a natural part of their daily routine.

There will be slip-ups. There will be mistakes. You will have bad days that result in missed workouts, poor food choices, or straight up quitting.

Please, PLEASE believe me when I say that I understand what it’s like to go from eating whatever you wanted (healthy or unhealthy), being able to do whatever workouts felt right for you or not working out at all and still being able to maintain a healthy weight; to having to watch every bite and relearning what exercises are okay to do because your circumstances changed.

You are not alone.

And this is where Compromise can be your best friend, if you let it.

Instead of being down or beating yourself up because you missed a workout because your kid was throwing up all night and you got zero sleep, congratulate yourself on being a present and caring parent, and jump back into working out when you’ve had a good nap.

Or understand that it’s okay if you’re not a big fan of salad, but you’re good with lots of veggies on a sandwich. Or if adding dressing in moderation will help you get that salad down the hatch, do it!

There are compromises you can make every day that are HEALTHIER CHOICES THAN WHAT YOU MADE THE DAY BEFORE! If you can go from a large mocha to a small, that’s a compromise! If you can choose a grilled chicken sandwich instead of a bacon cheeseburger, with small fries instead of a large, that’s a compromise.

Each day you make a healthier choice than the day before, you are one step closer to meeting your health and wellness goals!

Being compassionate and compromising to reach your goals will help you stick with it and create the habits and routines necessary for lasting change.

And if you’re looking for help to reach your goals, make changes, and receive support and accountability, Book a FREEConsultation with me to learn how Health and Nutrition Coaching can help.