The key to long term sustainable healthy weight loss is not in calorie counting or dieting but rather in building small, simple healthy habits.
It is habits that make us who we are physically, mentally and emotionally.
Rather than making drastic changes in your diet which most of the time are not sustainable in the long term, work on changing one habit a time.
How much time you spend ideally sitting surfing on your phone or web also impacts your health and weight. We pay a lot of attention to our eating habits but little attention to our other behaviors that affect our weight sometimes as much as caloric intake.
To change unhealthy habits start with small but sustainable SMART goals.
Below are some examples of SMART goals for a healthy lifestyle
1) I am going to plan meals and shop ingredients over the weekend.
Meal planning is essential when you are trying to change your eating habits. Most of us know that eating healthy is important but many of us cannot implement it due to lack of planning. There are lots of good meal planning apps. Yummly is a good one and you can access it through our recipe section.
2) I am going to include more physical activities in my daily routine- eg. I will walk rather than sit when leisurely surfing on the web or talking on the phone
Studies have shown that being physically active throughout the day has more health advantages than working out an hour and sitting for the next 11 hrs. So plan to include some kind of physical activity throughout the day.
3) I am going to learn about one health-related topic each week.
The best way to take charge of your health is to educate yourself.
Educate yourself about nutrition, the importance of physical exercise, stress management for better health. Knowledge is crucial for long term success.
4) I am going to read or listen self- improvement books/podcasts- minimum 5-1o minutes a day
Listening even 5 minutes of a self-improvement podcast or reading motivational articles a day will boost your motivation that in turn will help you to make healthier choices.
5) I am going to spend 5 minutes at the end of day everyday journaling and reflecting on my actions and behaviors
Journaling and self- reflecting is the most efficient way of changing yourself for a better you. It makes you more mindful of your actions and reactions.
Many times we are not even aware of how our behavior could be damaging to us or others. When you spend 5 minutes at the end of the day reflecting on your day it makes you aware of these self-sabotaging habits.
Self- awareness is the key to self-improvement.
These are just a few examples. You can make your own goals.
Remember it takes at least 60-90 days to change your habits so whatever goal you make you must follow that at least for that period.
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