Dear Coach Gila,

I enjoy reading your articles and have even been successful in implementing some of your suggestions with my young children, especially with my picky eater. Thank you for the ideas. In terms of my own personal challenges with my weight, I’m a bit of a mess. I don’t have a specific question for you, I just thought you’d be a good person to go to for motivation. I need to get into a routine, I need to start exercising and start eating real food instead of grazing on junk all day. To be honest, just thinking about all the work involved in cleaning up my act is enough to stop me in my tracks. It’s too much, too overwhelming, and I can’t seem to take the first step in any direction. Please help me.

-Overwhelmed

Dear Overwhelmed,

Thank you for writing to me. You say that you can’t seem to take a step in any direction, yet you did. You set aside a few minutes, looked up my email address and sent me an email. It seems to me that thus far you have taken numerous steps in the right direction.

I’m so happy to hear that you have successfully implemented some of my ideas in your home. It could not have been easy. As the mom of a picky eater I know that it can be challenging, and yet you rose to the occasion.

Why the lack of energy when it comes to your own journey to health and wellness? Dig deep and think about what is holding you back. Do you fear failure or are you afraid of reaching your goals? Why are you getting in your own way?

Sometimes moms need permission before they are able to take care of themselves. Believe me when I tell you that it is not selfish for you to take care of yourself.

Borrowing from the “oxygen mask” metaphor while on an airplane is helpful to illustrate my point. We are instructed to put our oxygen mask on first before helping our children. The same philosophy applies here. Moms must take care of themselves first so that we can take care of our children and other responsibilities in the best frame of mind and with the most energy: physically, psychologically and emotionally.

I’m a big believer in small changes. It’s easy to become overwhelmed when looking at all that must be done to become healthier. Break it down into small steps and work on one area at a time. One small change at a time. The small changes will slowly add up to yield big results.

Combining small changes and consistency is the key to success. Consistent daily action will allow you to reach your goals. If you go off track, that’s OK. Don’t beat yourself up, just get back on track as soon as possible. Remember, you are not aiming for perfection. You are aiming for progress.

Push yourself out of your comfort zone. Change is uncomfortable but that’s OK. Become comfortable with being uncomfortable. You will be able to handle the small changes you will slowly begin to implement.

A great place to start is with hydration. Often that feeling of lethargy and lack of motivation is dehydration. Start your day with a tall glass of lemon water and continue drinking water throughout the day.

Be kind to yourself on your journey. Accept yourself where you are now and be proud of yourself for wanting to be the healthiest version of yourself that’s possible.

You can do it—I believe in you!

Coach Gila

Do you have a question for Coach Gila? Please email all questions to [email protected].

Gila C. Guzman JD, CINHC, journeyed from a practicing attorney to a certified integrative nutrition health coach. Coach Gila helps busy families reach their health goals by providing realistic tips and tools. Coach Gila practices a whole-foods approach and is sought out domestically as well as internationally by those who want to change their relationship with food, end yo-yo dieting and lose weight, overcome emotional eating, heal from autoimmune diseases, and manage IBS and diabetes. To learn more please visit www.mainassethealth.com.

By Gila Guzman