When setting your health and wellness goals, understanding your WHY is essential. In Element 01 of Your LifeBook, Dr. Wayne Scott Andersen tells us that identifying your WHY is critical for creating the lasting changes as we embark or continue on our journey to optimal health and wellbeing.

Your WHY will motivate you while you are on this journey and help turn your new, healthy behaviors into lasting habits. Here are some tips for identifying and using your WHY:

• Choose an authentic WHY. When identifying your WHY, make sure it is authentic and intrinsically motivating to you and your story. The more personal and inspiring your WHY is, the more motivated you will be to reach your goals and avoid temptations.
• Know that your WHY will change. As you begin to accomplish some of your health and wellness goals, you will develop new goals for yourself. With these new goals, will come new WHYs. Expanding and strengthening your WHY as you continue to transform will help you maximize your growth.
• Write it down. After you have chosen your WHY write down your goal three times so that it occupies a concrete space in your mind. Place these sheets of paper in places that you will see throughout the day, such as your refrigerator, bedside table, mirror, or dashboard.
• Read it out loud. Read your WHY out loud with conviction multiple times a day. Read it when you wake up, before you go to bed, and any time throughout the day when you may encounter temptation. Don’t be afraid to read your goal out loud in front of others. Focusing on improving your health and wellbeing is nothing to be embarrassed about!
• Envision your success. In your head, envision a scene where your goal is fulfilled. Doing so will help you experience your WHY and make your goal feel more real.
• Say, “yes” instead of, “no”. Throughout all phases of your transformational journey, from identifying your WHY to achieving your end goals, positive reinforcement is key. Repeating “yes” statements to yourself will help encourage you to remain steadfast in achieving your best self. For example, say “yes” to the person you want to become, rather than “no” to temptation.

Identifying your WHY is the first step of your transformative self-discovery journey. Commit to taking actions based on your WHY that will give you the confidence and momentum needed to achieve your goals.

Ask me, your Independent OPTAVIA Coach, for additional tips on defining your WHY as you embark or continue on your journey to Lifelong Transformation, One Healthy Habit at a Time.

Now, more than ever, it is important to take time to focus on a critical element of our wellbeing that is often overlooked: our heart health.

A healthy heart is a key component of your journey to optimal health and wellbeing. Here are some actions you can take to boost your heart health and set the course for a great new year:

• Light exercise. It is essential for your heart health to do some light exercise each day. Try taking a 10-minute walk around your neighborhood or lifting some two-pound weights a few times throughout your day. Practicing this Healthy Motion will help your heart pump blood throughout your body more efficiently, allowing your heart to keep your blood pressure under control.
• Eat veggies. Vegetables contain many nutrients, particularly fiber, that are key to heart function. The nutrients help improve blood vessel function and blood circulation, which can help lower cholesterol and regulate blood pressure levels.
• Go fish. On your next trip to the grocery store, go for fish instead of red meat. Fish is often rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which can help reduce inflammation, blood clots, and irregular heartbeats. Try eating a fish full of these fatty acids 1-2 times a week in your lean and green meal to boost your heart health and function.
• Practice deep breathing. Take a few minutes each day to practice deep breathing. Sit or lie flat in a comfortable position, inhale through your nose, and exhale through your mouth. Completing this exercise will relax your body, slow your heart rate, and ease any anxiety you might be carrying. This stress-reducing activity can help lower your blood pressure.

Ask me, your Independent OPTAVIA Coach, about other ways to keep your heart happy and healthy.

Different This Time.

Before Brian found OPTAVIA, he felt miserable and was constantly tired and in pain. He used food to cope with his emotions, making him overeat and feel bloated, in addition to having difficulties bending over to tie his shoes, walking up a flight of stairs, and finding clothing in stores that fit him.

“At one point, I had to wear custom made orthotics in my shoes because my feet hurt so badly from carrying around all of that extra weight.”

Just after seriously considering weight loss surgery, Brian found OPTAVIA and started on Plan immediately. “At the end of the first month, I knew OPTAVIA’s Program was going to change my life…without surgery.”

“This time was different because OPTAVIA is not a diet, it’s a holistic approach to lifelong transformation by learning, developing, and practicing the Habits of Health.”

“This time there was a system in place to guide me through each step of my journey and to help me create a healthy body AND a healthy mind. Now, I know being on Plan has far less to do with eating food, and much more to do with WHY I'm eating the food.”

Brian loved the support and guidance he received from his Independent OPTAVIA Coach while on his journey. In fact, after he decided to become a Coach himself!

“I needed to become an OPTAVIA Coach and pay it forward, for my family and friends, so they could choose to take back their health.”

Today, Brian has lost 150 lbs* and he’s settled in nicely to his new lifestyle.

He can easily tackle multiple flights of stairs and he no longer needs to wear custom orthotics. Best of all, he is now content and proud of the accomplishments he’s made to date.