Ah self control. It’s something that we all have the capability of enforcing in our lives yet some of us are better at it than others. Its been called self discipline, self constraint and strength of character along with several other terms that I find significantly annoying being a headstrong/rebellious type. I will freely admit that the best way to ensure that something gets done… is to tell myself not to do it. Another thing that we all have is an ideal or a goal that we want to achieve, often this goal has to do with our physical appearance or our health. Whether the goal is weight loss, an increase in energy or a change in health, the vehicle for transporting us to that goal is, (unfortunately), self control. So what is self control in tangible terms? Well, have you stayed up late watching infomercials while stuffing your face full of macadamia nuts to the point of physical discomfort and most probably exceeding your caloric intake for the next two days? (Hmm, me too, yea, this is not self control), Have you watched as the host has sold you on the next big product to sweep the market and if you buy it right now it will transform all of your problem areas just by utilising this one product? Yes! This is the answer! No self control required, only five easy payments, but wait, theres more! At some point, self control has got to come into play. When you go to make those payments, does that take self control? “No”, you say, “thats just what I have to do”. This is a rule that you have made for yourself using self control. You know that if you don’t make the payment, you wont keep the item that you want. You know that if you don’t pay your bills, you’ll lose everything. We all know that there are huge consequences in the adult world for not exercising self control, yet we look at our health and wellness as something that is optional. For myself, I decided a long time ago that I feel mentally and emotionally more stable when I exercise every day. I have been told that I am genetically blessed with a fast metabolism, or that I’m lucky to be a morning person. I have been told that the reason I am fit after having children is because I had them while I was young. The truth is, I set a solid boundary for myself by binding my workouts to my work day. If it was a work day, then it was a workout day. If I wasn’t too sick to call in for work, then I wasn’t too sick to exercise . This was a brilliantly effective way of creating a habit as well as a set of healthy rules for myself. This is how I became a “morning person”. My body became so in tune with this habit that it stuck with me even on my holidays and days off. The key for me was binding exercise to something that wasn’t optional but that had to be done anyways. Once that became a habit, making other healthy choices became easier as my resolve and self discipline strengthened.  Often we become overwhelmed with what needs changing. Maybe you want to start exercising and you need to change your diet. These are big changes, and for me, moderation isnt a balance I find easy to strike. Im an all or nothing type of girl, I am impatient and often compulsive. But these are traits that have improved with my exercising self discipline. My advice is to recognise the road to your goals as being just as important as the destination. If the destination is good health and a healthy weight, the journey will be full of healthy meals and memorable runs! You  will pick up souvenirs along the way like perseverance, endurance and resolve. You will start reaping benefits long before you arrive! Small changes lead to bigger change, but any change means you will have a different outcome and after all, isn’t that why we seek change in the first place?

Cheers-Amber