“There’s a solution to all this healthy living chaos”
For too many of us, life has become a juggle of yo-yo diets and emotional roller coasters, which reflect on the scale. But it doesn’t have to be this way forever! Stressors are reflected through our decisions to adopt unhealthy habits such as emotional eating, snacking, drinking excessively, and sluggish behaviors. The old saying “you win some, you lose some” could easily be rephrased when it comes to dieting: “You lose some, you gain some or more.”
In some cases, we choose to take on a challenge of dieting that we cannot win. We move from one weight loss regimen to the next, constantly trying out the latest diet fad and praying to shed a few pounds for the wrong reasons. Instead of feeling confident after we decide on a lifestyle change, we hold on to memories, clothes, and pictures that remind us of how far we have come and deep down we doubt that we can maintain such a healthy weight loss long term. There is a solution to all this healthy living chaos! Here are three rules that I abide by in my current journey of healthy living that I wish to share with my readers. These rules are simple to follow and can create a solid foundation in your healthy living journey ahead: Change Mindset, Focus on Proper Nutrition, Stay Active.
RULE #1: CHANGE MINDSET
Behind everything you do—even your unhealthy habits—is a thought that keeps you from getting healthy. Making a decision to change bad habits into positive ones always comes with a challenge of doubt. Oftentimes, we second-guess our decisions and make excuses as to why we might not be able to achieve them…self-doubt is our own worst enemy.
It is essential to know the main reason why you want to change your current diet or lifestyle. Ask questions like: Am I dieting for just a season? Is this decision to lose weight associated with a medical scare? Do I want to live a long fulfilling life with my family? For example, you can decide to lose weight for the following health reasons: lower cholesterol levels, decrease chances of pre-diabetes, obesity, heart failure, or stroke.
A parent can decide to get healthy for the sake of his or her children or a child’s decision to shed the pounds to increase speed in a sport. Whatever the reason is, you must start with a shift in mindset. Most diets do not work because we often set unrealistic goals that make us frustrated when we attempt to achieve them.
Developing a solid reason for the weight loss gives the brain a reason to stay focused. By casually deciding to lose weight, we sometimes reverse our success because we were never fully committed mentally to make a change. Without carefully analyzing the reasons for change in any area of our life, we do not build confidence, self-motivation, and consistency to want to maintain the change after we start the diet. Preparing your mind with constant affirmation, research, and motivation about why you have chosen to shed a few pounds helps lessen the burden that comes with the process. Instead of beating yourself up every day about losing weight, you can start by making small changes such as journaling reasons for the change daily, substituting one unhealthy habit for a healthier choice each day or week, or practicing positive thinking and envisioning your change in your present time. Set aside a period of time and practice visualizations of the success each day that leads to your start date; start with small changes and remain constant in order to achieve your goal.
RULE #2: FOCUS ON PROPER NUTRITION
Every time we reduce our calorie intake during a diet, our metabolism slows down, leaving us feeling sluggish and frustrated. Even worse, once we reach our weight goals and eat regularly again, we regain all the weight back in no time. In an effort to lose the regained weight, we start yet another diet…and another, each of them wreaking new havoc on our body and metabolism, making it harder to lose weight and sustain the results with every new try. There is hope in proper nutrition and consistency!
Nutrition is by far the most important step in a healthy lifestyle change or diet. Most people do not have proper nutrition because they do not know what it is. It is very common for the average person to understand what is good for them and what is not. Knowing what is best for you can be extremely difficult and our choices reflect on our outer being. Your body needs the right fuel for your hectic, stress-filled schedule. The best way to get what you need is to enjoy a wide variety of nutrient-rich foods that are packed with energy, protein, vitamins, and minerals. Our daily intake should consist mostly of fruits and vegetables (rainbow colors), whole grains, low-fat dairy, and lean proteins from meat, fish, or poultry.
High-fat, high-sugar foods and drinks, such as snack foods, candies, and sugary drinks, pose the biggest nutrition challenge for many. Eating smarter does not mean you have to immediately go sugar-free and fat-free. You can make a big difference in your calorie intake by just eating and drinking smaller portions and by making empty calorie choices less often. The key is to moderate, not eliminate. Watching portion sizes is an easy way to cut back without cutting out. If you want to cut back on sugar, drink water instead of sugary drinks and eat desserts less often. Focus on developing a conscious habit to choose foods packed with nutrients to nourish your body, maintain blood sugar levels, and rich in fiber to keep you full longer. By perfecting your nutrition, you can increase your chances of achieving weight loss goals and sustaining the pounds shed automatically.
RULE #3: STAY ACTIVE
Physical activity plays an essential role in ensuring health and well-being. Physical activity benefits many parts of the body—the heart, lungs, bones, kidneys, blood, digestive system, and immune system. By staying active, we improve our body’s ability to function properly and reduce risk factors such as decreasing blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, improving posture and balance, lowering body mass index and body fat, improving mental health, and decreasing stress. Despite our hectic day-to-day schedules, we must find time to exercise or maintain constant motion for better health.
Examples of physical activities to partake in include walking, stretching, yoga, strength training, biking, swimming, dancing, and running. Finding activities that interest you increases commitment and enjoyment of physical activities; do not partake in strenuous activities that might cause injury and serve as a chore to you. Those who start with small changes such as walking 20 to 30 minutes per day often end up able to make more and bigger changes to improve health and well-being, thus shedding the pounds and keeping them off. Maintain these three simple rules at the back of your mind each day to keep you on track during your healthy lifestyle transition and remember: CONSISTENCY IS KEY!
