MAKING HEALTHY LIFESTYLE CHANGES THAT STICK

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How many times have you gone up a flight of stairs and reached the top panting and gasping for air and had to rest before you could utter a coherent word? Probably as you sat there, you swore to yourself you gotta do better and start taking better care of yourself. Then in that moment you go out and buy a skipping rope or enrolled in a gym so you can get your cardio in only to quit a month later.  Or maybe the working out part is not the issue and like me, it’s the food part because your sweet tooth, carb and meat loving self gets in the way? We all strive to better our health at some point in our lives and if you haven’t, you’ll get there eventually. Or maybe you are the smart ones that have been into healthy living all your life. Well, in that case, congratulations.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle has many advantages such as: reducing risk of disease, increased mood and energy and weight loss. Yet knowing all this, it can still be a challenge maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Here are some strategies that can help you maintain a healthy lifestyle.

        I.      Find Your Motivation

In order to stick to the healthy lifestyle, you have to ask yourself what the reason why you want it is. Maybe it’s as simple as wanting to look good in your clothes or want to maintain a healthy weight so as not to be at risk for obesity. Whatever it is, write down the specific reasons. Remembering the reason why will help you stay the course.

      II.      Have Realistic Expectations

Even outside of a healthy lifestyle, setting unrealistic goals for ourselves leads to backfiring and giving up. For example, you may want to start your own business and decide that in a months’ time you will have become the most sought after person in your field. While it is not impossible, it is highly unlikely. Therefore, baby steps will get your there. You can’t work out for a week and expect that six-pack to be showing. You can’t eat healthy for 4 days and expect to have lost all your belly fat. Setting realistic expectations will ensure you have less disappointments and therefore more likely to keep up with the lifestyle.

    III.      Do Some Research

Whenever you want to embark on something new, you have to seek out information on the subject so as not to go in blindly. The same applies here. Read about health and nutrition. Consult a physician, nutritionist, personal trainer, health coach or reach out to friends and family (already living a healthy lifestyle) about how to start a healthy lifestyle. Increasing your knowledge will help you increase your knowledge, simplify the process and therefore help in making better decisions for your health.

    IV.      Ease In

You might be excited about wanting to get healthy and you quit your bad diet cold turkey and you go hardcore in the gym. Chances are all you will get as a reward is sore muscles and sugar cravings. Your body needs to adapt slowly to new movements and foods otherwise your risk negative body responses which will hamper your chances of sticking to this lifestyle. Allow yourself to start slow so your body can acclimate. Start with a walk before you run. Opt to swap your unhealthy food choice for a healthier option instead of completely eliminating at once.

      V.      Plan

 

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There is an old adage by Benjamin Franklin which says, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!” Same case applies here. Start out your week by planning your work outs and meal prepping so as not to fall off the wagon midweek when things get hectic. Keep a goal tracking journal to check on your progress towards your goals set. These journal entries will help you determine what works best for you, where to make changes and also strategize for future workouts and meals.

     VI.      Tracking Progress

 

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For every goal we set out to achieve, we must track the changes in order to find out whether there is any advancement or not, otherwise we are just working blindly. Check and see whether your endurance has improved, are you still breathless after climbing a flight of stairs? Maybe you need to up your cardio. Are you still overweight after working out religiously? Maybe you need to tweak your diet into more whole foods and less processed foods. Measuring your progress will help keep your motivation when you see changes happening.

  VII.      Reward Yourself

If you are continuously strict, you are bound to get bored. Reward yourself once in a while for your discipline and consistency the other days. Treat yourself to that cheat meal at the end of the week after eating healthy all week long. Buy yourself a nice pair of heels for losing a couple pounds because your ankles don’t hurt so much from having to carry all that weight. Maybe you were working out in a frumpy t-shirt, get yourself some workout outfit. Catch my drift? Whatever reward you choose to stay motivated, do it.

VIII.      Figure Out What Works for You

What works for someone else might not work for you. There are many ways to achieve this goal. Figure out what you enjoy and use that to your advantage.

    IX.      Patience

Be kind to yourself. Contrary to popular belief, it does not take 21 days to form a habit but an average of 66 days for the new behavior to become ingrained.  Don’t expect the changes to stick overnight. Be patient with yourself if you fall off track. Keep with it and eventually you will get to your goal.

 

Bottom line, start slow, track progress and keep it up, you will get there.