Tuesday, Sept 12, 2017
Larry is one of those guys that you instantly like and want to hang out with. When I had the pleasure of meeting Larry in June, he told me about how hard he tries to eat properly and the steps he had already taken for his health.
When he first started to focus on his health, Larry joined a gym, included more activity such as training for local races, and started tracking his food with an app on his phone. His efforts paid off, and he reached a healthy BMI.
While in grad school, Larry picked up a habit of studying at Starbucks with a hot cocoa and peanut butter cookie (and stopped a few of his healthy habits). Within a year, he had regained nearly 30 lbs and knew it was time to get back in action.
Luckily, he finds listening to music and exercise to be a great stress reliever. It was easy for him to get back into exercising more often. He also decided to set healthy boundaries around his social time, and now his friends know not to offer him unhealthy foods on school nights.
I asked Larry to share his story. Below you will find some words of encouragement and how he uses the HALT method – including a mindful pause to ask if he is hungry, angry/frustrated, lonely, or tried – to stay on track.
What brought you to Well-Balanced Nutrition?
“I started working with Well-balanced Nutrition because I felt my eating habits were hindering my fitness goals. Although I’m fairly active and try to eat healthy (most of the time), I wasn’t seeing much carry-over on the scale.
I knew I was on track when I became more mindful regarding my eating habits. Using the HALT method has really made me think about nutrition in a way that not only makes sense to me but makes me think about why I am eating in addition to what I’m eating.
I’m still human and learned when I get off track, and I try not to “beat myself up too badly.” When I am hanging out with friends and family, it’s not unusual for food to be around and sometimes I’ll overindulge. I’ve tried to realize there is an ebb and flow on this fitness journey, so I try and get back on track.
Best strategy I’ve learned
The best strategy, tool, tip, or technique I’ve learned on my well-balanced journey is the HALT method. Thinking about nutrition using the HALT method makes me connect my mood/feeling with what I’m consuming. Many times, it’s made me redirect my food intake to doing something like walking the dog or taking a bike ride.
Everyone is different. We can all take different avenues to get to our nutrition and fitness goals. Just don’t give up.”
Are you ready to make a transformation like Larry? Contact us today to set up your own personal wellness adventure. It may be the path you’ve been looking for!
