If we polled our members to ask if eating healthy food was important, most of us would say ‘of course’. And if we asked whether exercise is key for health and wellness, everyone would most likely respond with a ‘yes’. So if we know that nutrition plus fitness is the magic key to a thriving, healthy life, why don't many of us dial into it? Why do we prioritize one over the other? Why do we put some of these factors on the back burner and only get serious about it when we’ve been slapped in the face by a wake-up call, such as no longer being able to wear that favorite pair of pants or a poor health screening?
 
In our experience working with hundreds of individuals at Lah and beyond, the key component is accountability. We’re all too often willing to let ourselves down again and again, but when someone else is counting on us, we show up.
 
We show up for others because we don't want to disappoint them, but yet we knowingly disappoint ourselves over and over. We justify why we can't follow through on our nutrition, why we can’t get 10,000 steps a day or make excuses for why we have to skip the gym and we follow it up with a promise to try again tomorrow—or to start fresh on Monday. Meanwhile, we’re subconsciously tabulating every time we don't succeed as another failure, and over time, we begin to see ourselves as incapable.
 
Relying on others to hold us accountable works for the short term. When we’re getting started in any new habit, we need that assistance and support. At Lah, we have a framework of accountability to help those wanting to get started. We send reminders, we check in, we acknowledge you every time you walk through the door, we high-five, we follow up and we celebrate with you each time you reach a milestone.
 
Our #famiLAH also helps in this accountability effort. That friend who is normally in class with you notices when you haven't been there and sends you a friendly text asking how you’re doing. Or someone notices that huge PR posted in SugarWOD and gives you a fistbump and a GIF for it. We’re all in this together. We want each other to succeed.
 
Now here’s where the truth hurts: No matter how you get started with being accountable, it ultimately comes down to you. It’s up to you to consciously choose every day to keep taking steps toward your goals. We will always cheer you on and help you, but if you haven’t bought into the process, it won't stick in the long term. You need to want it. You need to be dialed in. 
 
So how do we stop letting ourselves down and instead create a path to reach our goals?
 
Here are 10 tips for holding yourself accountable to your goals:
 
1. Engage with the #famiLAH. We want to help you! If you don't engage, you are missing out on a big piece of the magic. Who wouldn't want a group of like-minded people cheering you on every step of the way?
 
2. Set reminders. Schedule your classes like appointments that you can't miss. Put a reminder on your phone to get up and walk every hour to ensure you’re getting movement throughout the day. Set an alarm for when you need to start prepping dinner so that you don't look at the clock, realize you have no time and do Grabfood instead. 

3. Tell a coach or class friend when you’re planning to come to class. By putting your intentions into the universe, you have created an expectation that you will want to follow through on.
 
4. Print off a calendar, hang it in a visible spot and cross off the days you hit the gym or stayed on point with your nutrition so that you can literally see all the marks of your success. It’s satisfying to see your efforts adding up and will reinforce your habits!
 
5. Share on social media. There’s something to be said for putting it all out there! Even if no one on social media follows up with you on your progress, making it public will make you more likely to keep to your goals and your word.
 
6. Take progress pics. These are powerful, far more than you would imagine. We get used to how we currently look because change is subtle and seems slow. You see yourself naked every day. You may not notice the change, but by looking back and comparing to where you are now, you can literally see the progress you’ve made.
 
7. Set quarterly goal-setting meetings with a coach. If you are a member at Lah, we want to schedule these meetings FOR FREE with you every quarter, so reach out to get yours on the calendar! If you aren't a current member, find a friend who needs accountability, and set some dates to review your progress and set goals for the future.
 
8. Constantly remind yourself of your "why". A goal is great, but if we don't know why we want to reach it, it doesn't mean much. Ask yourself why you want to focus on these goals you set for yourself. How will it impact your life? How will it make you feel? Once you have a solid "why," remind yourself of it daily so that you internalize it and keep it close to your heart.
 
9. Don't make it all or nothing. Instead focus on that 1% better every day. We are on a journey, not a quick trip to the mall. There will be ups and downs. There will be plateaus. There will be stress, hurtles and self-doubt. Don't let those things mess with you. Acknowledge them and move on.
 
10. Reward yourself for reaching micro-goals. We all like to win, let's’ be honest. Set micro-goals along the path to your BIG goals and reward yourself for hitting those milestones along the way. An example is if someone wants to lose 20kg, they can give themselves a little gift for every 5 kilo’s lost. These rewards don't have to cost anything, either—get creative with things you enjoy and treat yourself!
 
There are many other ways to keep yourself accountable, so find what works for you. Something that worked once might not work forever—switch things up often to stay excited and motivated about your success.
 
If you need help getting started on your health and wellness path, feel free to reach out! We would love to set up a Strategy Session (or a  No-Sweat Intro for new members) with you where we talk about your current lifestyle and your goals, and help you make a plan of action.

Did you know that chronic disease often begins in the gut due to poor nutrition? Therefore, it is incredibly important to encourage a healthy lifestyle for our kids from a young age! Here’s how you can help:
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Be the example!
If you are telling your kids they can’t have juice or soda, don’t drink it yourself! Your kids look up to you so lead by example and follow a healthy lifestyle.

It’s never too early or late to start.
Start your kids off from a very young age eating fruits and vegetables. Use things like hummus dips or toothpicks to make vegetables more fun and interesting. If they didn’t like something the first time then you can reintroduce it at a later date, prepared a different way.
 
Do you have a picky eater at home?
If mealtimes are a struggle, try these 4 tips to help your child develop better eating habits.

1. Make it a family affair by planning family mealtime. Eat meals at the table as a family. Do not offer food while your child is playing, watching television, or walking around.

2. Try different preparation methods -- roasting, air frying or using different seasonings.

3. Try new foods when they are most hungry at the beginning of the meal. Continue offering new foods even if your child has said no to them before. It can take as many as 10 times for a child to try a food and like it. Don’t give up!

4. Be a role model. Your child will eat better and be more willing to try new foods if she sees others at the table eating the same foods. Family members, including older brothers and sisters, are important role models for healthy eating. How can you preach eating whole foods when one kid or parent is eating sugary cereals and doughnuts? Doing a pantry clean out is tough, but sometimes necessary to get all the unhealthy processed food is out of the house. 

You can use these tips for a child of any age. It’s never too late to start having a healthier and more enjoyable mealtime.

Everything we do today affects us in some way, shape, or form in the future. I think we learned that when we discovered how bad smoking is for us, or when we discovered what carcinogens are, but what about our other choices?

We choose to drink too much alcohol, eat too much sugar, and fill our grocery cart with processed junk. We also choose to sit at a desk all day, then sit in a car, and sit on our couch, and we avoid movement. What price will we pay for not exercising or for making poor food choices? 

Think about this for a second, we are animals who are made to move and feed off the land. Yet we still drink soda and participate in activities that cause harm to our bodies for enjoyment. The worst part is that we DON’T EVER STOP TO THINK ABOUT THE FUTURE.

One day these choices will catch up to us- saving money to buy the big bag of chips because they are on sale (this is just one simple example) that will cost you in the long run. What will that cost be? Your Health.

This is the cost of all our medical bills, pain, immobility, and independence that could be a result of our current poor choices. In case you didn’t know a trip to the doctor is EXPENSIVE and not having a good quality of life is depressing, to say the least. Who doesn’t want to be able to play with the grandkids (or great-grandkids) or be able to take care of themselves?

The great news is that you CAN CHANGE this outcome!! You have CONTROL over your current habits and research shows by following a few guidelines you can lead a much healthier lifestyle- leading to a better quality of life. Here are the simple steps to being more healthy:

Maintain a healthy diet- this means eating as little processed foods as possible and focusing mostly on whole foods (think the perimeter of the grocery store)

Maintain consistent physical activity- this means working out at least 3x per week and trying to attain a goal of 10,000 steps per day (at least 8,000 for those who feel that’s too much)

Reduce sugar intake! Men shouldn’t consume more than about 36g per day and women should limit it to around 25g per day according to the American Heart Association.

Not smoking

Moderate alcohol intake- this means limiting your intake to an average of ONE beverage per day!! (I don’t mean one of your pours of wine or vodka- we mean the actual serving size)

The hard part is making sure you actually stick to these basic guidelines. Our society is full of bad influences from the people we hang around to the commercials we watch, so living a healthy lifestyle when we are full of influences and busy schedules can be difficult to do on your own. We recommend that you find an accountability buddy and ask them to help keep you accountable.

If you can’t find one- we are here to help! It is our goal to empower YOU to be able to set the habits in place to do this on your own!! All you have to do is get started by booking a Free Intro HERE!
 
Check out this awesome article from Harvard University HERE.