Dear Pamela,

 

I am stuck in a health loop. Over and over, day after day, I start strong and fail miserably by the end.

In the mornings I workout, eat well and feel great. By three pm, it all starts to fall apart. 

I am 52 years old and embarrassed that I am still struggling with this. I used to blame the temptations of Goldfish, nuggets, and mac-and-cheese when my kids came home from school. Now I am an empty nester, and I know it’s not them, it’s me!

These habits are starting to show on the scale and in my bloodwork. 

It’s like I have two personalities, the one that cares about her health and the one that gets amnesia after 3pm.

 

Help!

The Jekyll and Hyde of Health

 

Dear Jekyll and Hyde, 

 

I get you. 3pm is a human-energy low point in the circadian world. Your willpower tank has run dry and it is easy to say, “Enough of all this excellence.”

Good news is, you do not have a split personality. 

What you have is ambivalence 

Ambivalence means you want two things at the same time. 

You wake up with a strong desire to live the life of a health influencer, but you also want to feel sated while eating some of your favorite foods. And if life is all carrots and squats, is it really worth living?

Good news, you can have it all. Let’s shuck you out of this ambivalence loop.

Ask WHY you want to improve your health

Let’s solidify WHY your health is important to you in such clear form we could embroider it on a pillow. 

Fill in the blanks:

I am working on my health right now to create a body that feels ______ and will allow me to _____ for the rest of my life. 

If embroidery isn’t your thing, at least put that WHY on a post-it and slap that sucker somewhere you’ll see it daily. 

Create a “Success-Room” 

Right now you are grading yourself on a pass-fail basis, where one misstep says, “Game over. Might as well full-send into hedonism.” 

Instead:

Set a pathetic goal—the easy to attain version of your day that would still feel like a success. 

Set a glory goal—the version of your day were Dr. Jekyll finishes as strong as she started. 

Now you have a floor and ceiling representing a bigger range that allows some joie de vivre while staying on track.

Create health “triggers” 

Early in the day, make afternoon success easy by physically settling it up. 

• Place walking shoes by the door.
• Have veggies chopped in the fridge
• Jot down a plan for dinner or buy the ingredients

These triggers are like health booby traps for when the 3pm doldrums hit.

You are going to be successful. The morning version of you loves the way you feel. I am confident with a couple of tweaks you can feel strong and capable all day long. 

 

Sending strength and 3pm energy,

Coach Pamela