Photos courtesy of Female Gym Motivation

The best way to get healthy and fit is by introducing good habits–one at a time. Many people fail because they take on too much too soon. Take one habit at a time and devote twenty-one days to making it stick. Then introduce another one. After a few months you will be working out four-six days a week; drinking 90 ounces of water everyday; eating nine servings of fruit and vegetables every day; limiting alcohol to VERY special occasions. Here are some tips to making new habits stick.

1. Commit and reward: Want to hit that 1400 calorie mark every day? Commit to 21 days in a row. Set yourself up for success with a reward. If you hit the 1400 calorie mark everyday within 50 calories on either end, you earn a new workout outfit. Maybe you earn a massage or extra session with your personal trainer. You decide.

Photos courtesy of Female Gym Motivation

2. Visual & Aural Reminders: Keep motivated by placing visual reminders of your new habit. Print out a contract in which you promise yourself you commit to the new habit for 21 days. Sign it and tape it to your fridge, on your bathroom mirror, and in your bedroom. Make it the first and last words you read at night and in the morning.  Program alerts on your iPhone that say, 1400 calories! 90 oz of H2O!

3. Recruit a Friend: Accountability is much easier when we know a friend is right beside us. Ask a friend to dedicate three weeks to a new habit–it doesn’t have to be the same goal as you. Work together and send a text once you successfully completed the work. If your friend receives your text before they finished their work, you motivate them even more to get it done.

4: Create “Triggers:” A trigger is a small ritual before executing the habit. For example, a trigger for working out may be to lay out your workout gear right before bed so you are ready to get dressed as soon as you wake up. A trigger for 1400 calorie days may be planning meals the day before to ensure you hit the target. For drinking water, fill up the water bottle at night so it’s ready to go. Commit to refilling it every time it’s empty to build your water drinking capacity.

Photos Courtesy of Female Gym Motivation

5. Replace the bad habit: If your new habit is replacing a bad one such as eating 1400 calories a day to lose weight instead of 2300 calories, make sure you replace the old habit with all the benefits the new habit will bring. Tape a before photo of your overweight self on your contract with the number 2300 and another picture of a beautifully strong body next to the number 1400.

6. Speed-bumps: Prepare yourself for imperfection. If you miss a day, get right back up and add another day to your total. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Keep pushing until you achieve the goal for three weeks.

7. Anticipate Temptation: If you intend to stick to a calorie goal, sign up for a Double Eagle Fitness grocery store tour to learn how to stock your kitchen for successful weight loss. Throw away all junk and processed foods. If it’s not around you can’t get up in the middle of the night to eat it. Environmental control is one of the most important tools for successful weight loss.

8. Find Role Models: Studies indicate we become like those we associate with. Find a friend who already works out religiously. Find a friend who already drinks 90 ounces of water without thinking. Find a friend who likes going on hikes rather than sitting on the couch and watching TV.

9. Visualize: See yourself doing body weight pull-ups without the band. See yourself drinking water and stepping on the scale as the numbers go down. See yourself wearing smaller sizes, running lighter and faster, wearing brand new snazzy gym clothes.

Photos Courtesy of Female Gym Motivation

10. Do it For You: These new healthy habits are for no one else but you. Love and cherish yourself with self-talk that says, “I CAN,” and “I am strong.” Keep pushing and striving until you reach your goal and then move on to the next goal. You only get one life and one body so lavish the one you have. Post to the comments what habit you will begin this week!