We all know eating healthier and cutting certain foods out of your diet will help clear up breakouts and acne, and even prevent pimples from ever coming back.
But, as much as we know what we should be eating, it’s not always easy to do.
Motivation is the biggest factor. Sometimes we have it, sometimes we don’t.
And what to do if you’re not motivated, and your skin’s a mess?
Well, not to worry, I’ve got you covered!
Here’s 3 simple strategies you can do immediately that will give you some clarity and refresh your outlook and approach. This is what I regularly do to motivate myself, as well as with my coaching clients.
Let’s get you motivated. Do these 3 writing exercises:
Get a piece of paper and pen, or use your phone or computer, and do these 3 writing exercises (it’ll take 5-10 minutes to complete, it’s fast & easy).
Start with the easiest
Write down all the foods and snacks you’re currently eating or drinking that you know is messing up your skin (or contributing to the problem). Be honest, and be specific. Don’t just write “dairy,” but instead write “my morning latte.” Or, instead of writing “sugar,” write what you’re regularly eating with sugar like “chocolate bars,” “soda,” etc.
Looking at the list, circle or highlight the EASIEST food or drink to take out of your diet right now.
Too many times we get overwhelmed with the thought of taking so many foods out at once, or we’re not very clear what exactly we need to stop eating or drinking, we just know there’s a lot.
To make it simpler for yourself, write everything out so you can see what you need to be working on, and it’ll be much less overwhelming to tackle. Plus, if you just start with eliminating one food or drink, and the easiest one, this will get the ball rolling and ensure your success.
I always find you’re better off working on one thing and doing it really well, than trying to tackle 20 things and doing them terribly.
Accomplishing the easy stuff first will ignite your motivation and empower you. Once you get things going and start getting results, it’ll be much easier to continue and do more to improve your diet.
My recommendation is to eliminate one easy food or snack at a time for at least 2-4 weeks consistently, before eliminating another food/snack. Sometimes when you do too much too quickly, you set yourself up to burn out. By eliminating one food at a time, you’ll really integrate that change into your lifestyle, and over time you won’t even have to think about it, it’ll just be part of your routine. Plus, you’ll start getting results with your skin, which will motivate you even more.
Know what’s healthy and yummy
If you want to eat healthier to clear up your skin, you’ve got to make yummy delicious food. There’s nothing worse than having the intention to eat healthier, but when it comes to meal time, you’re not prepared. This happens more than you think.
I recommend writing a list of all your favourite healthy foods, drinks and snacks. Again, be specific. What’s your favourite soup recipe, salad dressing, smoothie, healthy snack, dinner?
The average person eats the same 3-5 meals all the time!
So even if there’s only one healthy food or meal you really like, that’s one giant step in the right direction (and I’m sure there’s more than one healthy thing you know of and like).
And if you need recipes or meal ideas, check out my Pinterest page. I have boards full of recipes and meal ideas, all of which are “safe” and compatible with your clear skin diet.
You’ve got to be happy to be motivated
It’s much easier to be motivated when you’re happy and inspired. It’s really difficult to muster motivation when you’re stressed, overwhelmed, or unhappy.
To keep you excited and motivated, you need to be doing stuff every day that makes you feel good.
For example, when I take a hot bath, I always feel more inspired afterwards to take better care of myself. After a hot bath, the last thing I want to do is binge on pizza and ice cream. Same with exercise, after exercising I’m naturally more excited to eat something healthy, I don’t even have to try.
There’s so many thing you can do to put you in the flow of feeling relaxed, inspired and good about yourself. And everyone is different. For some of you it might be listening to certain music, doing yoga or meditation, exercising, writing or drawing, going for a manicure, window shopping, hiking, walking on the beach, going out dancing, meeting up with friends, watching the sunset, reading your favourite book, listening to a podcast, visiting a special place, etc.
I recommend writing a list of all activities and things that lifts your mood, makes you feel good and inspired. Keep this list close by so you make sure every day you are doing some of these activities. This is especially important for times when you might be feeling down or lacking motivation. These activities can instantly change your mood and outlook, and keep you on track.
