My Secret to Kick starting your Health Plan after 40

By: Tricia

Hey ladies, welcome back to the show. So today we’re going to talk about my secrets to kick-starting in your health after 40. We’re going to talk about five different things for you to think about and to remember when it comes to having that kickstart or that jump in the butt or that kick in the butt for, for behavior change to happen. Whether that is, you know, having some health change that you want to do, whether it means having a fitness goal that you’ve been trying to do, but haven’t been able to do, whether it’s getting more, getting more sleep or drinking, more water, eating more fruits and vegetables. Whatever it is for you that you’re trying to achieve when it comes to your health.
The first one we’re going to be talk about is keeping it simple and starting where you’re at.
I think a lot of times, a lot of us with behavior change, I hear clients talk a lot about, you know, I’m going to go before I start to have this behavior, I’m going to go and I’m going to clean out my fridge and I’m going to go food shopping and I’m going to print out all these menus and I’m going to research what diet I want to do, whether that is Keto or, you know, low carb or Paleo, whatever it is. And so it ends up being this really complex kind of system of trying to get to the point that you’re ready to make that behavior change happen.
And then also having these like crazy ideas of what exercise is going to look like, or even what your health is going to look like. So it could be like, Oh my gosh, I’m going to work out every single day when really that’s probably not very realistic for your life and having diets and things like that, that probably aren’t going to be realistic at the times of your life when it’s crazy. And you know, it’s kind of hard to stay on track. So trying to think about when you’re thinking about what changes you want to make to your health, what’s how to make it as simple as possible and starting where you’re at and not making it too complex.
So figuring out right now, like, okay, what can I do to start today? What can I do to make the change right at this minute? Do I need to go food shopping and get stuff? Do I need to research a diet? No, you don’t need any of that. Just start where you’re at.
If it’s in terms of exercising, okay, what can you do? And where are you at with your fitness goals. So it doesn’t make a lot of sense if you’re somebody who can’t really run and do all of those things at this time, because you’re not that physically active to, to saying that you’re going to go in, you’re going to run three or five miles tomorrow.
So it’s kind of a way just thinking about, you know, kind of where you’re at right now and being realistic with it. Because if you’re not realistic about it, chances are it’s going to be a lot harder for you to stay on track because you may feel defeated because you’re not doing the things that maybe you could have done 10 years ago. So keep it simple and start where you’re at. That’s the first secret.
The second secret is a, is a big one. It’s changing your thoughts about whether you can actually achieve the behavior change that you really want.
Changing your behavior and changing your thoughts, that’s, that’s a really big one, and they’re linked, right? A lot of us know what to do. Most people when it comes to eating better and exercising, most people know what to do. Most people know how much water to drink and how much sleep to have, but knowing doesn’t equal doing. And a lot of the times the stories that we tell ourselves and the thoughts that we tell ourselves get in the way and really when it comes to, if we’re really doing any behavior changes, especially when it comes to eating. I feel like I see a lot of people at the mind is the thing that gets in the way.
It’s the things we tell ourselves that, that mean that that really hinder us from doing what we want to do. If you’re thinking, gosh, I don’t really know that I can really do this and that I can make that behavior change happen. Chances are it’s not going to happen. If you think like, Ugh, I hate going to the gym, and I don’t really like physical activity, it’s too hard. It’s going to be really hard in that mindset to sustain that lifestyle change of having regular physical activity. If you don’t think you can do it, then you’re probably not going to be able to do it.
It’s also the stories that we tell ourselves, you know, like, okay, I really want this and I want to have this behavior change more than anything. But then when you go out and you are in a position to really make that behavior change happen into avoid any of the obstacles that come in the way, how do you do that?
So I’m thinking about like, if you really want to lose weight, I feel like that’s a big one that people do. I want to lose weight and I want to lose weight. I want to work out more. So when you think of those two things, right? Like what is it that’s preventing you from having that? Is it you saying like, I don’t really think I can do it? Is it that you’re not willing to, you know, make the sacrifice because overeating or laying in bed and lying in bed in the morning is something that is more familiar to you and that’s okay. But it’s just really knowing kind of where you’re at in all of that and being realistic about that.
It’s pretty something to think about is that it takes practice. If you’re not in the habit of eating healthy or making the behavior change at the beginning, it takes practice. It’s not something that all of a sudden you decide, you know, I think I can do it and I’m going to do it. Maybe it is for some people, but for a lot of people, it probably isn’t.
And so it’s having it, making that conscious effort and decision and in your mind that, okay, I’m going to do this. Even if you don’t believe it. I think doing the behavior over and over again, allows you to finally get the belief that it can be done. So it’s just, you know, even if you don’t feel like that at the beginning, just acknowledging, like, okay, I’m going to do this. I think I can do this. And then just practicing at the more you do that behavior, the easier it’s going to become, the more it will get done, the less effort it will take. And the more of a lifestyle it will be.
So changing your thoughts about yourself and about the behavior you want to achieve is something that is going to be really helpful. And that could even be doing things like affirmations or just making an effort every single morning to, you know, to look at the behavior that you want to achieve and trying to tell yourself, okay, I can do this. You know, and especially if it’s about self-acceptance, I think that’s some of it too, or our body acceptance. You know, if that’s the behavior that you want to do, then that’s something that every day you can practice, how you feel about that.
Number three is taking action. A lot of us go down, a lot of my clients, go down this rabbit hole of learning, right? So there’s all these podcasts and books and all of these free resources out there that talk about making behavior changes, especially when it comes to health related changes. It’s much easier to keep learning and learning and learning then to actually do the behavior, right?
So, sometimes that learning to me can kind of work against us because, you know, we’re in this techno we’re in this age right now, where we have all of this free information and so much information. And yet we have rising rates of obesity, inactivity, and just, you know, not really good nutrition with increased risk of chronic diseases. So we can have all of these, all of this stuff at our fingertips yet it’s hard to disseminate that information. And then it’s also, you know, I think we, I think a lot of people can get stuck in rabbit hole of just learning, learning, learning, learning, and never taking any action. But the real behavior change happens when you take action. Taking action allows you to see, first, that you can do the behavior and it reinforces every time you take action that you can do that behavior. It gives you confidence and that, that, that, that decision and that behavior can be done over and over again.
The other part of taking action is, is that, you know, you’re never going to know what works and what doesn’t work when you’re trying to create that behavior change, unless you try it. Today, I was doing puzzles with my son, right, and when I realized I was thinking about this, and each time when you’re doing a puzzle, you’re kind of like fitting puzzle pieces into a certain spot until you get the piece that works, right? And then once you get that piece, you move on to the next one because you’ve gotten it, and then you’re closer to having that puzzle completed. So I was thinking about this when it comes to behavior change too. So if you’re never taking action and it’s hard to fit that puzzle piece in and to see what works and what doesn’t work. Once you decide to take action, you, it’s not going to probably be something that, you know, happens right away and all of a sudden you’re really good at that particular behavior. It would be like the analogy of the puzzle piece and trying one different way. And seeing if that works and trying a different puzzle piece and seeing it that works. And then once you try the puzzle pieces and they fit together, then you can move onto the next behavior change.
So taking action is the key here because you know, you can learn all that you want, but I think learning and not taking action is just to say that we procrastinate and we get really comfortable and we feel like we’re taking action and we’re doing something, when in fact we’re really not doing anything, that’s going to move us forward when it comes to making real behavior change happens.
Next, I want to talk about creating accountability. And this accountability can be accountability to yourself, or it can be accountability to a friend or family member or a loved one.
Accountability is important because it helps you remember and review the promise that you’ve made to yourself. So when you’re thinking about what you want to do this week in terms of making a lasting behavior change, what is it that’s going to, it’s very easy to get to a point that we give up on ourselves and we don’t hold ourselves accountable to the very things that we want. So how can you create accountability when it comes to your life? How is it that you can keep the promise to yourself that you’ve made last night, that you want it to get up early this morning and work out? How can you do that? And having accountability will help you remember the promise that you’ve made in the importance of the promise that you made to yourself.
And when we talk about accountability, accountability can be setting a plan at the beginning of the day and then at the end of the day, reviewing to see if you kept the plan or promise to yourself. So you’re having that self accountability. It can also be, you know, with family, friends, loved ones, like you’re going for a walk and your accountable to them. It could even be, you know, going on a Facebook group and saying, okay, I said, I was going to eat five fruits and veggies today and I did it.
Accountability is really important because it just reminds us of the promise that we’ve made to ourselves. And it keeps us consistent with reminding us that that was important to us. If you’re needing, you know, there’s, there’s a lot of resources that there’s a lot of free resources out there, or maybe require more accountability. I have a program, the Whole Health Balance Blueprint, which creates accountability by creating routines and structure and food, freedom, and health transformation.
In that program participants and clients are accountable to themselves. And they’re also accountable to the other group members, because it’s a really small group of only about six women. It’s a way of having accountability each week to yourself, then to the other group members too. Sometimes with accountability, I feel like this can be tricky because if it’s a topic that’s really embarrassing to us. So if you are ashamed of how you look or you are not sure that you can, you know, actually do the behavior, you’re still kind of in that phase, that you’re not sure that you can do it, having accountability with people that you don’t know, but that you feel some kind of intimate connection because they too are struggling with the same things that you are, can be really helpful. And in this program, you’ll have that accountability. For more information on the Whole Health Balanced Blueprint, head over to my website WholeHealthEmpower.com
The last thing I want to talk about is, decision-making. So when we talk about how, you know, you’re in this place that you want to make this health change, remembering that all of this desire to want to make a health change is your decision. It’s all you are capable of doing all of that. Whether you decide to take action, that’s a decision. Whether you decide to not take action on whatever behavior change you want to do, that’s also a decision. I think I hear a lot of people and my clients say like, Oh, I couldn’t do this because of that. I get that, but it’s still a decision. So it’s the why I say that. I know it sounds a little harsh is because it’s within your control. So the more that you’re able to, you know, take ownership of that, knowing that whether you cut out of bed this morning and exercised, that was a decision, but maybe you stayed in bed and you didn’t exercise and you really wanted to, and that was a decision to. So knowing the difference and knowing that you are in control of every decision and every thought, and every desire that you have, knowing that will kind of empower you to know that whether you take action or you don’t take action, it’s okay, not to have judgment in it, but it’s still your decision.
And so if you want to do something different than next day, that’s your decision too. So if today, it’s not for you and you don’t feel like that you’re capable of making the decision. Then you wait and you do it when you’re ready. But either way, there is, there is a decision in that process.
So these are my secrets to kick-starting your health after 40. And I want to remind you that this whole journey of making health changes is not perfect. It just a process of starting where you’re at. The more you do it, it will get easier. The more you practice it, the easier and the better, and this journey into self care and behavior change isn’t always easy. It’s more this idea of taking one step forward, even if you’re scared, even if you don’t want to do it, just taking some kind of action.
The action piece is the real kicker, because you can keep learning and listening to all the free resources. But it’s the action that’s going to create lasting behavior change. Remember it’s progress over perfection. Just get started. Just make one change today and keep doing that change no matter how small over time it will get easier. And it will allow you to have a confidence that you can really do this, because I know that you can. And again, if you need help, head over to my website and find information about my program.
Thanks for sharing your time with me today. And I will see you back here next week.
If you found value in this podcast, please rate, review and subscribe on iTunes. Being a busy woman or mom doesn’t mean that we have to give up on our health, wellness or self care. Together we can take tiny, imperfect steps towards creating the whole health we desire and deserve. You can find us at wholehealthempower.com or on Instagram @wholehealthempower. Thanks for listening. I’ll see you next week.

Resources:
Come find me at: Home – Tricia Stefankiewicz (triciard.com)
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Join the FREE ONLINE FB Community: Whole Health Empowerment Project – age 40+,- weight loss, healthy, body lo | Facebook
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