It is very easy to decide on adopting a healthier lifestyle, but unfortunately sticking to this resolution often proves to be much harder. Thanks to our busy lives there are often so many things that get in the way of our exercise time or leave us feeling completely demotivated.
Often the problem is trying to make too many drastic lifestyle changes at once, which is very difficult to sustain. While it is very important to live healthier, the odds of sticking to it are much better if it is a gradual process. Use the following tips to adapt your lifestyle and discover that being healthy is not out of your reach.
1. Cultivate The Proper Mindset
Talk is easy, but no change will ever come without taking action. It is one thing to know all the facts about proper nutrition and the importance of fitness, but another to incorporate these in your own life. For many people their own health and well-being is a secondary priority, when in reality there is nothing else more important.
Even if you are the type of person who tends to put the needs of others ahead of your own, you have to realize that without your health and well-being you won’t be able to help anyone. Getting your priorities straight and cultivating the proper mindset about your health will help you to stay committed to a better lifestyle.
2. Adopt A Positive Outlook
Doing regular exercises and eating more healthily does take a lot of hard work and commitment, but all too often we give up the fight before we have even started. When we dwell on the negative aspects, such as how time consuming it will be or how much effort it will take we are only demotivating ourselves. This not only makes it much harder to get started, but can also result in nothing getting done at all.
Instead of this negative outlook it is much better to approach the changes from an optimistic perspective and have a positive outlook. Don’t think about how hard or time consuming a workout session will be, but rather focus on how much better you are going to feel afterwards. By remaining positive and focusing on what you are going to achieve instead of what you will be sacrificing you’ll find your perspective about the changes improving.
3. Keep Things Manageable
Trying to do too much at the same time is a surefire recipe for failure when it comes to changing your lifestyle. Sure, it might work for a short time, but the “everything or nothing” approach rarely leads to long-term success. Instead, acknowledge the fact that change takes time and that you are not always going to be able to succeed one hundred percent.
By attempting drastic lifestyle changes and then failing you not only end up feeling horrible about yourself, but this also leads to a yo-yo effect. Periods of very healthy eating followed by binging on junk food or doing rigorous exercises for a few days and then not at all will only end up doing more harm than good.
The changes you make cannot simply be fads, but must be a lifestyle, so keep things manageable to make it easier on yourself. Once you realize that you can just take it one day at a time, it will be a lot less daunting.
4. Dress For Success
If you keep your workout clothes in the bottom of your wardrobe where you have to search for them every time you want to exercise you are sending the message to your brain that it is not really that important. Instead, carefully lay them out in the evenings before going to bed so that they serve as a visual reminder in the mornings of your commitment to fitness.
When at home, you can also choose to wear your workout clothes so that you have no excuse to slip in a few minutes of exercise when there is time available. These acts are very simple, but effective at getting you into the groove of making fitness part of your lifestyle.
5. Cut Back On Eating Out
Eating out is convenient, but there are so many drawbacks that eating at home just makes more sense. Not only does eating out inevitably mean you end up consuming more calories, sugar and salt, but if done frequently it becomes very expensive as well.
If you prefer eating out because it is convenient or less time consuming, look at healthier alternatives to accomplish the same at home. Your body and your bank account will look a lot healthier if you start eating at home instead.
6. Don’t Try To Do It All On Your Own
Friends and family can be a big positive influence, so why not make them part of your healthy lifestyle. Not only will it make you more motivated, but it will also help to create healthier habits for everyone involved.
For example, cutting back on eating out might make you feel like you are missing out on the social aspect of it, but this doesn’t have to be the case. Inviting a few friends over for a meal can be just as fun, and you can even try special “themed” dinners for some added variety.
The same goes for working out or kicking bad habits. Getting a family member, friend or even co-worker to join in will make it less daunting, and you can also help keep each other motivated. It also means you’ll have someone to share in the struggles and success.
7. Don’t Get Ahead Of Yourself
Think back to any skills or abilities you have and you’ll find that very few of them were mastered overnight. Even some of the most basic skills, such as walking, took lots of time and practice to perfect. However, when it comes to fitness and health we often expect immediate results and end up disappointed when it doesn’t happen.
Having goals is important, but not if you set the bar so high that you are constantly worried about future targets instead of celebrating daily victories. Stop looking too far ahead, and in
stead focus on what you are accomplishing in the present. No matter how small your accomplishments are each day, acknowledge and celebrate them. This will allow you to take pride in what you are doing and make it easier to consistently work towards improving your health and wellness.
8. Take Responsibility
The most important change you can make in your life is to take responsibility for your own health and well-being. Other people can give you advice, help and encouragement, but only you will be able to make any meaningful changes to your lifestyle. Any success you achieve with your healthier lifestyle will mean nothing if you don’t also learn to love yourself and value your body.
