As I am writing this, it’ll be more than 6 years since I decided to take responsibility for my own health. 

Back in 2014, I decided I would find a way to become healthy and avoid collecting another autoimmune disease. I also wanted to avoid having to take any medications for my thyroid and keep it healthy and functioning properly, since I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.

So I started with a full elimination diet called the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP), a diet where you eliminate everything that could cause inflammation and then add it back slowly so you can see what works for your body. 

I went full blown on the elimination part for a full year before I started to add different foods to see if they affected me in any way. 

To say that this wasn't hard it would be a lie. Granted that I didn't have bad food habits before, I always cooked at home and didn't buy processed foods, I cooked with olive oil and I didn't use vegetable oils and I was never big in sugary things or sweets. But, still, taking away things like tomatoes, eggs, cocoa, and coffee…those were tough!!!

Then, it wasn't just the diet, it was a full lifestyle change, I started changing the type of chemicals I used to clean around the house, I changed the detergents I used to do laundry, I changed the products I used on my body, from shower gel to toothpaste, to moisturizers, night cream, deodorant…

I started doing daily meditation, and slowly added exercise back so I didn't stress out with all the changes at once. I started paying attention to the hours of sleep I needed and the use of blue lights at night. 

I started being aware of how things make me feel. 

This was a huge undertaking, and I’m still going on and adding things slowly to see how they affect me. I joke often that I am a walking science experiment, but it totally feels true! 

What is that keeps me going during these years? The progress I see. 

About a week after I started the elimination diet, I stopped having migraines. I stopped being bloated and I stopped having intestinal issues. My energy was so much better without afternoon slow downs. I was able to stabilize my blood sugar levels, before I would have to have snacks every three hours to avoid almost fainting if I didn't. Now, I can go for 16 hours without snacking and without feeling the need to. I stopped having joint pains. I stop having foggy brain. My memory has improved noticeably and my concentration and focus is much better. My skin is great and my nails have improved too. And my thyroid labs are all within range, my antibodies are negative and, better yet, I don't have any symptoms of hypothyroidism!

All those things keep me going. Because I see the changes. I feel the changes. 

I have kept at it for years and I’m still going at it as strong as when I started…

Now, you might be thinking that I am very disciplined or that I have a very strong will power to say no to the pizza, or to the cheese or the bread, or the eggplants or the cookies or the popcorn at the movies…

But, let me tell you, I am not different than you. 

What I want you to know is that there are very specific things that you can do that will help you succeed whenever you set a big goal for you. 

These are very tactical things that I’ve learnt during these five years. 

And, since I’ve learned a few things, I will be sharing them with you over the next couple of blogs. This is Part 1.

I hope they help you stay focused on your goals, whatever they might be.  

What I’ve learnt during these years:

1.    Having a strong why is very important

You must know why you are setting up your goal. This is what keeps you focused when things get complicated. This is your northern star. For me, my health and supporting my body so it doesn't get another autoimmune disease is my big reason. This is what keeps me focused when it’s pizza Friday at the office or they have ice creams and cake to celebrate events. If your why is not clear or not very strong, you might lose the focus and not be centered whenever something not aligned with your goal happens. Filter your decisions based on your why, will this that I am about to do help me to get closer to my goal? Check my previous post if you are interested in reading more about how to filter all your decisions in alignment with your goal. 

2.    Being prepared is 90% of the success

Think in advance about what you are going to do if something happens that’s not in your plan. It’s crucial to understand how you are going to react whenever temptation knocks at your door and to have a backup plan that will help you in those situations. In my case, whenever I have to travel somewhere for work or other reasons, I research in advance about the place, where I can access fresh foods, where I can find the things that I eat. I was in Japan several times in the past few months and I did exactly that, I researched where my hotel was, I found a grocery store within walking distance, I took with me the supplements and all the things that I needed to prepare my breakfast and lunches at the hotel before getting to the office for full day meetings. So, I had my “hotel-made” salads while everyone else at the meeting was having pizza and sandwiches for lunch. Then at night, I explored the Japanese restaurants in town with my special note translated to Japanese that says that I cannot take soy and gluten… 

Now, you might not need to go so far on this, but think about situations that you might find, such as your family reunion, or holidays, or parties and make sure you bring a dish that you cooked that you can eat, so you don't have an empty plate in front of you and feel pressured to eat something that you shouldn't. Or, if your goal is about exercising every day, think how you can do it even if you are out of town, have exercise plans ready that are easy to do at a hotel room, or outside without using a gym…Ask yourself, what can derail me from following my plan today? Then, prepare for it.

3.    Ensure you celebrate your wins and small accomplishments

This one is very important. Recognize your achievements. Stop and give yourself a pat on the back. Have a small ritual to celebrate your wins along the way. Don't just wait until you hit a big goal to celebrate. Acknowledge how good you are doing on a regular basis. For me, sometimes I forget to recognize that what I set out to do for my health is a big deal, and I tend to diminish the accomplishments I’ve done. I need to be more aware of noticing the good things happening to me instead of focusing on the things that don't work, like not going to the gym one day or not waking up on time, or whatever that is. I need to recognize that maybe I didn't go one day to the gym but I have actually been working out regularly over months, so what should I focus on? Remember to celebrate!! Focus on your achievements and results so far and then go for more…

4. Be compassionate and intentional

If you fall off the wagon, don’t beat yourself up so that you bring yourself down. Recognize the fact and then, don't miss the next day. Go back to your routine as soon as you can. 

Also, appreciate that sometimes your body needs rest and your mind do too. Be ok with taking days off. And when you do, ensure that you are fully enjoying those days and not trying to do something else. When you rest, be intentional about it, do it fully, recharge, repair and restore. Then go back to full gear. 

5.    It’s a journey

Remember that this is a journey, not a one-stop-at-the-end kind of trip. Each day is important and small steps are the ones that’ll take you to the final destination. Don't discount the power of small steps. And don't discount any little efforts; those are the ones that keep you moving forward. If you wake up late one day and instead of having a full hour to workout you only have half an hour, go anyway. Even if you only have 10 minutes for a workout, do a Tabatha workout, move your body in anyway for ten minutes. Doing a small something is always better than doing nothing. Forward movement always…

With these five tips, I’ll stop here until next week, where I’ll share more of the lessons I learnt over these years.

Now, why don't you share with me, have you set up a big goal for yourself? What are some of the tips that you found out work for you? What did you learn about yourself in the process?  

Let me know below!

xoxo,

Sofia