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Be aware of “perfectionism.” It’s not good for Your Health!
November 6th, 2008 · by Edwin · Filed Under: Foundational Health
Do you struggle with perfectionism, especially when it comes to your diet and exercise routine?
Do you feel guilty when you enjoy your favorite dessert or skip a day or two of exercise?
Do you often start a new healthy eating plan and exercise program but get discouraged and quit when you slip up?
Perfectionism can be deadly when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle. In other words, if you feel like you have to be perfect and never enjoy a little dessert or one or two days off from your exercise routine, then you will have a difficult time sticking to a healthy lifestyle. A healthy lifestyle should be enjoyed and not dreaded.
For years I confused excellence with perfectionism, which caused me a great deal of stress. I believe that perfectionism is bondage. Believe me, I know because I was in bondage to it for many years of my life. I am wired to be a perfectionist – but thank God I am changing daily.
So if you happen to slip up on your healthy eating plan every now and then, just enjoy that piece of your favorite dessert and don’t feel guilty. Go ahead and eat it and then get right back on track. The key here is “getting right back on track.” The problem is not that one piece of dessert; it’s when that one piece of dessert turns into an entire weekend of unhealthy eating.
Action step for today …
Its decision time again!
Make a quality decision right now that you are going to live a healthy lifestyle no matter how many times you may slip up. Decide ahead of time that you will not feel guilty when you don’t follow your new healthy lifestyle perfectly. Remember living a healthy lifestyle is not a race. Take small steps everyday toward your health and fitness goals and you will be amazed at how much progress you will make in a short period of time. And eventually your cravings for unhealthy foods will diminish and be replaced with cravings for healthy foods that God intended for you to enjoy.
Enjoy the journey and never give up!
I welcome your comments, suggestions, and questions so go ahead and leave your comments –I’d love to hear from you. Also, if you’d like for me to cover a topic in more detail or cover a topic that I have not talked about yet, just let me know.
It’s important for you to know that this blog was created for you. The goal is to build a community of people helping people. So if you would like to share your knowledge on a health and fitness related topic, just leave your comments.
Although the information in this blog will benefit people of all ages, this blog is dedicated to over 40 fitness, so I’d especially love to hear from those who are over 40.
