Make your environment work for you, not against you.

I spend my mornings catching up on daily news and articles.  I take about 30 mins to an hour to read up on developing health and fitness concepts. I think personal development is something we should all strive for, and as a trainer and health advocate, I do my best to stay informed and find new ways for my clients to reach success. I also subscribe to the Tedx Talks channel on YouTube; it is a great source of motivation and knowledge for all phases of life.

Today, I came across a video that caught my attention; the title, "How to make healthy eating unbelievably easy." The speaker, Luke Durward, simply stated an observation that many of us in the health field, including trainers, nutritionists, and weight-loss champions, swear by: if something is not there to tempt you, you won't eat it.

The first thing I did when I started my fitness journey was eliminate temptation. Now, this was a little difficult since at the time I was still living at home. My dad is a single dad and avid Costco shopper; freezer entrees and snack pouches are his go-to items. There is nothing wrong in having these in moderation, but I wasn't in a condition then where I could control myself around a box of Oreos. What did I do? I told my dad to literally hide the snacks. As the saying goes, out of sight out of mind. 

And it worked. Without the option to grab a pack of cookies, or a bag of chips, I was more inclined to reach for the fresh fruit or greek yogurt. Because I couldn't heat up a Lean Cuisine© meal, I had to cook up some chicken and veggies instead. I refilled my water bottle, rather than cracking open a can of soda. I erased all of the 'convenient', calorie-dense, processed foods from my environment, and replaced them with whole, nutrient-dense fruits, vegetables, and proteins.

Now that I have my own household, I practice the same principles. As I'm grocery shopping, I first budget in the essentials: produce, protein, dairy, and pantry essentials (oats, seasonings, etc.). If there is room, I buy one treat item, which 9/10 times is a box of Oreos. This doesn't happen every grocery trip, I do this probably once month. Moreover, I only buy one treat item at a time; filling our pantry with multiple cookie boxes and chip bags doesn't set us up to make healthy decisions.

If you are serious about making a change and determined to succeed, you need to take action and rid yourself of any obstacles. Make a pact with your health & body, and set it up for success. The beginning is always the hardest, and you need to position yourself in an environment that is equipped for you to thrive. Toss away the Oreos, the Cheetos, and the sugar-crazed drinks; there is no room for them at the start of your journey.

Build your foundation first; build your body, mind, and diet to their healthiest capacity. Create mindful and healthy habits, before you expand your diet. Once you have established a healthy relationship between your health and the food you eat, go ahead and have the Oreo.