Create a Great Relationship With Yourself

By Maia Carney

When you work out, you need to put in your maximum effort. That means you need to create a great relationship with yourself so you can cheer yourself on to victory. A good relationship will help you follow through on those goals that you've set, respecting that inner voice.

Be Kind To Yourself

You might say that being pampered, lounging and eating peeled grapes is being kind to yourself, but deep down inside, you know it's not true. When you work out, you feel fantastic afterwards. That's because it burns off stress hormones and replaces them with other feel-good hormones. That good feeling is your body saying you're doing great and letting you know that it wants to work with you.

Eat Healthy

When you have a good relationship with yourself, you're more willing to give healthy living a chance. Healthy eating isn't dieting, but instead making smarter choices when it comes to the type of food you eat. You'll want to eat more whole foods and less processed ones that have dangerous chemicals and higher calories. Some of the changes may include making substitutions, such as eating an apple instead of a candy bar, or even more subtle things like using Greek yogurt on your baked potato instead of sour cream. You won't have to give up some of your high calorie foods you love, just eat them less often and use portion control.

Positive Attitude

If you listen to the voice in your head, you're bound to hear negative things like, “you look terrible,” or “you're stupid”. How many times have you said these things in your own mind? A good friend would never talk that way to you and you should never talk that way to yourself. Instead of saying, “I'll never be able to do this”, learn to give yourself kudos by saying, “Hey, I'm getting better!”

Tips For Success

When you have soreness and pain from working out, think of those as markers for progress. If they're unbearable and last a long time, don't hesitate to get professional help.

Drinking plenty of water is essential when you're on the road to good health. Water not only flushes out toxins, it helps you have more energy and makes you think clearer.

Get plenty of rest. You owe it to yourself to get a good night's sleep for mental awareness and good health. Exercising helps you sleep sounder.