My husband chose to get healthy, and I didn't have to nag him!
How did this happen? Proximity breeds curiosity and adaptation. Let me explain.
I've been on a health and wellness journey since I was about twenty years old. That's a long time. However, I finally learned, and fully adopted the nutritional aspects of it about three years ago. What a game changer!
We always say youth is wasted on the young and that we wish we knew then what we know now. The most important thing is that we finally learn.
My husband played sports and was active in them all through school and continued that activity way into his 40's through training and coaching. He's one of the lucky ones too. Naturally thin, with an efficient metabolism, and manages stress better than anyone I have ever met. Health and weight have never been a concern for him, and he still gets great tests results on his blood work at physicals. Having Recently given up coaching, he's not been as active, and I think that has caught his attention.
The last few years have brought changes to our home and kitchen habits as I immersed myself in my health coaching education, and my newfound knowledge began to transform the landscape of our meals.
Believe me, my husband and son looked on in horror as I removed certain items from our diet (imagine the faces of terrified characters in a tragic opera and you'll gain some understanding of their reactions).
In reality, I didn't go too wild, and they retained quite a few of their standard foods. It was more about me and the change I wanted to make in my health. They were welcome to come along for the ride but they both declined.
Time passed, I finished school, and opened my coaching business. While my son would complain to anyone in earshot about how I was ruining the house and killing them with healthy, non-GMO, low-glycemic, whole foods, my husband was getting curious and more inclined to try the new food and make some changes.
That's how it starts. Getting curious about why food matters and what foods can make a difference for you. I went with it and talked him through whatever he wanted to know. Encouraged him to try new things, and backed off when he'd had enough culinary adventures.
Last month he declared that he needed to cut out sugar. My heart leapt and my inner health coach gave a Tiger Woods fist pump. My matter-of-fact response was, "Okay, how can I help?"
The last few weeks have been filled with questions like, "Should I eat this," and “How bad is that?"
I've encouraged him to start slow, like I would any client, and to "crowd out" the foods he finds make him feel not so great anymore and to "fit in" more foods that give him energy and make him feel good.
The results have been great. My husband has gone over to the health side and is on a roll! He's stopped eating bread and sweets, cut out fast food, and I've lost count of the number of nights he's had salad. His latest obsession, cottage cheese and peaches. I HATE cottage cheese but it's a protein hero and he loves it; so I won't stand in the way! 😀
We take walks together now and the basement has been converted into a mini gym. I'm so proud of him. Most of all, I'm impressed that he chose this path on his own.
It's not surprising though, in the words of motivational speaker Jim Rohn: “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” The people you spend the most time with shape who you are. They determine what conversations dominate your attention. People who tend to adopt heathy habits, spend time with healthy people. My husband hangs around coaches and is married to a health coach. It was bound to rub off on him!
As for my son, he spent the summer having more protein and fresh fruits, so I count that as a win. I'd be lying if I said he didn't have fast food a few times, but he's had a lot less of it, so I'll take it. I hope he sees his parents eating healthily and eliminating fast food and decides to join us. Besides, we are two of his five people!
I feel like a did a little “health ninja” on my husband but he did all the hard work himself.
When you’re ready to change your habits, all you need is a little curiosity.
Want to learn how you can adopt the “Health Lifestyle Habit” too? Book a complimentary consultation call to learn how small changes in your approach to healthy eating can help you be Better4U and Better4All!
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Take care and be well,
Courtney
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