Create a Lifestyle that Blooms for You
By Antoinette Ouattara, MPH, CHHC
Every year, we make New Year’s Resolutions that most of us don’t often stick to. We set goals to lose weight, eat healthier, go to the gym, enjoy life, and quit smoking – just to name a few. But why can’t we stick to our New Year’s Resolutions and create a sustainable, healthy lifestyle? Well, setting New Year’s goals and trying to achieve them is a vicious cycle. “Vicious cycle” is what I learned from a client who explained why New Year’s Resolutions were a struggle to achieve.
As quoted from a testimonial from a client who was an emotional eater, she explained her struggles with food addiction. “Do you ever find yourself eating and you’re not hungry? Maybe you are bored, stressed, lonely, scared, or worried. You need something to take the pain away. Food seems like the perfect comfort. So, you find yourself going to the nearest fast food drive-thru before you get home for dinner. Then, you feel guilty and often physically sick for all that you have eaten. So, the vicious cycle begins all over again. You are on an emotional roller coaster when it comes to food. This person described me. I am an Emotional Eater.” Now, you may not be an emotional eater, but you probably can relate to the roller coaster ride of trying to stick to healthy lifestyle habits.
You can create small changes that will eventually turn into big results. You have the ability to create your own life script. If you want to lose weight, start now – in the present – by taking small steps to reach your target goals.
One of the reasons why we struggle with sticking to our resolutions is because we live in the past and think too much into the future. Living in the present and being mindful of the things that happen now in your life will help you to achieve your goals. Why wait until the New Year to start working out or eating healthy? You can create small changes that will eventually turn into big results. You have the ability to create your own life script. If you want to lose weight, start now – in the present – by taking small steps to reach your target goals. If you want to start eating healthy, add two to three healthy meals daily, eliminate one to two unhealthy foods, and before you know it, you will start to adopt healthy eating habits. Starting your day off with positive thinking and meditation will create the mood and help you focus on producing measurable changes throughout the day. Contrary to what we believe, we can create healthy lifestyles habits without making New Year’s Resolutions. You can create a better lifestyle, but we must first start with creating a mindset that feeds your brain with positive thoughts, create a safe and wholesome environment, and believe that you deserve happiness.
I wholeheartedly agree with Mae Jemison, the first African-American woman astronaut, when she stated, “It’s your place in the world; it’s your life. Go on and do all you can with it, and make it the life you want to live.”
Create a Sustainable Healthy Lifestyle in 2017
Antoinette Ouattara is a Holistic Nutritionist, Clean Eating Detox Coach and Certified Health Coach. She is the founder of Nutri-Nique Living, a nutrition and wellness consulting practice which specializes in promoting healthy living through clean eating.
AFIYA Magazine looks to enhance the awareness and knowledge of wellness issues important to African-American women while providing a platform for us to grow, expand, and develop within our personal and professional lives.