5 Simple Ways To Make Healthy Habits That Last

If there’s one thing I hear from people, it’s that being healthy is hard. This message rang loud and clear a few weeks ago when a client was explaining how frustrated she was that she couldn’t cook, meal prep, exercise, cut out soda and fast food and do everything her life demanded at the same time.

It’s true. Being healthy is hard. You have to make a conscious effort to do it and be ready to embrace it too. But maybe, just maybe it doesn’t have to be that hard. Here are 5 Simple Ways To Make Healthy Habits That Last.

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Change Your Expectations

We live in a fast fix world. We expect everything right now, right this second. Modern medicine doesn’t help this either. We believe everything is curable with a pill or surgery, but when it comes to health that’s not the case. Everyone knows that in order to healthy you have to exercise and have good eating habits, yet most people don’t do this. Why? Because our expectation is that it should be quick.

Losing weight, getting healthy IS NOT easy. Change your expectations, stop trying to be perfect and accept that it will take time, hard work and unwavering commitment. Isn’t that true of everything you’ve accomplished in life? Then why would you expect anything different from your body.

It’s Not All Or Nothing

Many times we think it has to be all or nothing. It’s OKAY to take baby steps. Let’s say you want to give up soda. Instead of going cold turkey, try switching from regular soda to diet soda first.

You’ll still fulfill your craving but for a lot less caffeine, sugar and calories. While diet soda may not be the epiphany of health, it’s a lot easier to transition slowly from regular soda to diet then diet to something else than to go cold turkey all at once. Transitions that are slow are more likely to have lasting effects.

Make Your Commitment REAL

When you commit to making a change, make the commitment real. Don’t just do it for a day or a week. Commit to it for a minimum of six weeks.

Then ask yourself, how am I feeling since switching to diet soda? Do I feel better? Try drinking a regular soda and see how it makes you feel. By the way, I’ve done this and it feels horrible. The point is make your commitment real and tell people about it too so they hold you to it!

Do ONE Thing At A Time

People give up because they try to do too much at one time. Maybe you don’t have time to do full blown meal prep every week. So what? That’s okay! Focus on doing one healthy thing at a time. When I began losing weight, the one and only thing I focused on was walking 20 minutes a day. That’s it! As time went on, I added more things.

By implementing one thing, there’s less change for you to adjust to making it a lot easier to stick with it. Over time, one healthy change becomes so routine you forget you’re doing it. That’s the point when you can add another new change. Over time those changes have a big impact which leads me to the next point.

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Small Changes, Big Rewards

We often overlook the value of a small change in our lives because we don’t see an immediate return on investment. Ever wonder how something as small as a snowflake can end up making the biggest pile of white fluff? Your body is like a pile of snow. It takes years (lots of snowflakes) of poor eating habits and inactivity for it to unravel from the healthy state you were born as. Conversely, the reverse is true. Something as simple as walking five minutes a day can reduce your risk for cardiovascular disease. That’s a small change that has a huge impact on your health!

Get more of my healthy living and weight loss tips in my 30 page book, Ditch the Diet.

What’s one change you’re willing to commit to now?

About Megan

Megan is a certified nutrition practitioner, author, freelance food photographer and fitness instructor living in Phoenix, Arizona. On her blog, Skinny Fitalicious she shares EASY, gluten free recipes for weight loss. Follow Megan on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates.