Written by Marika Haag

Adopting any new thing or habit can feel difficult at first. Old habits are stuck and difficult to change, or even more challenging to give up altogether. Once you recognise and accept that starting something new is not easy, you may find that change is more successful.

Start with patience

If you are looking for a life change, such as weight loss or a lifestyle change, it is best to start slowly and methodically. The bigger the change, the more slowly you should start.

It is a good idea to set long-term goals. For example, if the extra pounds have come on over several years, you cannot expect them to go off in a few months. Or if there has been a long break from exercise, five training sessions a week is too much for the body.

It's worth letting both your body and mind gradually get used to the idea of change. However, the results will start to show quickly, once you decide to start or continue to exercise regularly, for example. In the beginning, even two sessions a week can be a good goal if you haven't exercised at all in the past. If sometimes you only do one session a week, it's still better than none at all. The next week is another chance. By being gracious and accepting of yourself, the guilt of small setbacks is reduced.

Focus and enjoy

The same principle works well with learning to eat and lose weight. Total abstinence from treats, for example, can be worse than a gradual reduction. However, it is more important to pay attention to what you eat than what you don't eat.

If your thoughts are constantly revolving around the treat you are NOT allowed to eat, the negative thoughts will dominate too much and the outcome is usually predictable. How many people have been on a candy ban and found they could last three days?

Even with treats, it's better to allow yourself to indulge occasionally and to see it as a positive thing to enjoy treats, for example at parties, but decide not to indulge every day. Or enjoying one good chocolate bar every day with a clear conscience, rather than a whole plate once or twice a week.

You can try the same idea with your child: there's no one candy day where you pull out a bag full of goodies, but every day you can have one, a cookie, some ice cream or even just a jar. This is likely to make the attitude towards treats more neutral, as nothing is forbidden and what you get can be eaten with enjoyment and a positive attitude. It also avoids sugar spikes, potential malaise and the next day's crash, as there is never any vomiting.

Don't blink alone

Learning new things on your own can feel particularly challenging. Outside support during change is particularly important, as encouragement and motivation can help you to cope and keep going. Even small setbacks don't break the whole package or leave you feeling annoyed when someone else is living the change with you.

If you need help getting started or support and encouragement to make changes, contact a personal trainer. A personal trainer will help you set realistic goals for yourself, get you started on your change journey and provide support along the way. Don't struggle on your own, because help and support is available.

At LadyLine, we want to provide our customers with an accepting, safe environment that enables wellbeing and exercise, always on a healthy basis - now and in the future. We don't encourage exercise to earn food or reduce food intake to compensate for treats. We want to encourage healthy lifestyles, including indulgent eating and treats.