In a world of fast pace living, creating a healthy lifestyle sometimes feel like it is unachievable. Truth is, it doesn’t have to be that way. Follow these eight simple steps and you will be on your way to a better health.
Step 1: To get to where you want to be, you must first know where you are.
Get a notebook and log your eating and exercise habits. Monitor both routine (work days) and non-routine (weekends) activities. At the end of each day, take 15 minutes and review what you did. Observe and locate any tendencies that could cause troublesome weight gain if the behavior is not checked. Take action to fix these negative tendencies. These small steps it will provide you with obtainable wins and you will feel successful.
Step 2: Stop “Impulse” eating.
You probably do this and don’t even know it. I guess that is why it is called impulse eating. Impulse eating is caused by your environment which triggers the eating behavior. These triggers include your senses such as sight, smell and sound. Have you ever driven by a fast food restaurant and have a craving for one of their combo meals? You may not even be hungry but your subconscious have been programmed to respond. The trick is to realize it so that you can fight the craving.
Impulse eating could also happen at home. One of the strategies that I recommend is to pick a location in your home and restrict all food consumption to that specific area. In my home, I chose the dining room as that can also create the atmosphere of proper eating. One tip is to not do anything else like watch TV or read a book while eating. The reason for that is when you are doing something else and eating, you are not paying attention to how much you are consuming which in turn will lead to over-eating. In time, that weight will pile on and you won’t even know how that happen.
Step 3: Don’t feed your emotions.
When we get excited, sad or upset, we sometimes fill that emotion with food. When we consume food while reacting to an emotion, we are usually trying to feed some unmet need. The trick is to identify these unmet needs and find healthier, non-food related ways to satisfy the situation. One thing that happens a lot is we usually confuse thirst with hunger. So before you get something to eat, try drinking an 8 oz glass of water. You will be surprised that sometimes all you need is a drink of water.
Step 4: Cravings do happen… Distract yourself
Cravings creep up when you least expect it. What you will need to do here is to focus on doing or thinking something else. The cravings usually last less than a minute. You will only succumb to the craving if you let it. This is mind over matter so keep your mind strong!
Step 5: Plan, Practice, Act!
Unhealthy behaviors can be broken down to 1 of 3 issues: failure to anticipate the unexpected, failure to plan to cope with the challenges, or failure to take action when the challenges show up. As an example, when going out to a restaurant, anticipate and plan ahead. Put yourself in a state of mind to stay within your dietary parameters but be o.k. with your decision in your choices. What you do not want to do is restrict yourself to a point where you will not follow through. An excellent tip is to eat slowly and when you feel full, stop eating. You can always bring home leftovers for the next day.
Step 6: If you fall off, get back on.
If you fall off your plan, dust yourself off and get back on track. Don’t use that as an excuse to give up. Plan some new strategies to implement so that the next time you are faced with the same situation, you will have tools to help you succeed. Take some time to appreciate your successes that you have accomplished and then imagine what it is like to hit the next milestone. Set some realistic goals and aim to achieve it. Always learn from the failures but don’t dwell on them.
Step 7: Rewards are important
Set those short term and long term goals and remember to reward yourself when you reach them. Do Not use food as a reward. Rewarding yourself with food may impair your goal of having a healthy lifestyle. Choose rewards that acknowledge your hard work and accomplishments. Rewarding yourself with a massage, a makeover, new clothes or some cool sporting goods could provide incentive to hit your next milestone or goal. For hitting a big goal, you might want to celebrate with a spa vacation or a health retreat.
Step 8: Don’t overdo it!
This is a very important step… too much of a good thing can sometimes backfire. Be ambitious in your goals and dreams but don’t overdo it. Work on your plan slowly and consistently will produce better results than if you push it too hard. When you push it too hard, you sometimes feel that your efforts don’t pay off and the incentive to quit is even bigger. Be gentle with yourself and enjoy the ride. Healthy lifestyle is a journey not a destination.
