How To: Make Healthy Lifestyle Changes Stick

By Stacie Ball After the holidays, plans to eat better and work out more dance through our heads, just like visions of sugar plums. Then we get sidetracked, miss our comfort food and activities, and end up back at the drawing board. How do we beat the odds and stick to the healthy parameters we have set for ourselves? Try these five tips for sticking to a new healthy lifestyle.

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Write Down Goals 5Find Your Why

We all want to look better in a swimsuit, but often that is not a deep Health gurus at Sweat.com suggest writing a SMART goal. That means specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely. A goal like “I want to be healthier” is too general and leaves room for misinterpretation. Try something flexible but easy to track and keep yourself accountable. For example, “I will move my body for 30 minutes every day during January.” Break Goals into Achievable Steps Remember, achieving goals is a process. You can’t go from the couch to running a marathon overnight. Begin by walking 30 minutes daily and working your way up to your goal. If eating healthy is your goal, attempt to swap sugary snacks or drinks for healthier options. Then, move on to creating nutritious breakfasts and build on until all meals and snacks are healthy. Share with Others The American Psychological Association explained, “Having someone with whom to share your struggles and successes will make the work easier and the mission less intimidating.” Tell friends and family what you are doing and invite them to join. Maybe you will pick up a new workout buddy or a friend who has some great healthy recipe ideas. enough reason to keep us motivated. The Center for Healthy Eating and Activity Research (CHEAR) explained, “By discovering your deepest goal, you can stay motivated and positive during the process.” Do you want to be able to run and play with your children or grandchildren without getting winded? Are there certain medications you could stop taking with some healthier habits? Finding that monumental reason will help motivate you to keep going on those tough days. Keep in mind that it takes quite a while to form new habits and that there will be setbacks. Give yourself grace and permission to make mistakes. Armed with these five tools, you will be living a healthier life before you know it! a

Track Progress and Reward Yourself This can be something as simple as marking off workouts on a calendar or writing down your weight and measurements each month. Keeping a written account helps you celebrate all that you have accomplished. Brainstorm a list of things you would like and reward yourself as you achieve milestones. Treat yourself to a bubble bath, a movie with friends, or splurge on that gorgeous pair of boots after crushing your goal!