Health is simple, but it’s not necessarily easy! At every turn temptations try to lure you away. Food companies use food scientists to engineer delicious processed junk food that hijacks our brains; making food that’s addictive on a biochemical and psychological level. It’s going to take a toolbox full of tactics to avoid health pitfalls and stay the course.
Here are six ways to stick to your health goals!
Think of Your Future Self - Remember that each choice—including whether or not you should eat this cookie in front of you right now—has the power to determine your future. Now think about your choices and how every decision adds up to your future!
Plan, Plan Plan! - Every week, plan your meals (Pinterest is great). Go shopping, get what you need, and have things ready to go. Keep a clean kitchen, so you can launch into cooking without fretting over dirty pots and dishes.
Remember the 80/20 Rule - This coincides nicely with the previous tip. The 80/20 rule is a built-in “get out of jail free” card. It’s not an actual, literal card. It’s the formal acknowledgement that if you do the right (healthy) thing 80% of the time, you’ll be doing better than 95% of the population and garnering the majority of the benefits we can expect from living healthy.
Just Move! - One of the keys to being successful in the road to improving your health is to just keep moving! Whether it's joining a gym, going to exercise classes, starting a walking or running routine, or even just making simple lifestyle changes like taking the stairs or walking to run errands instead of driving, moving is key to maintaining your health. Try to move briskly for at least 30 mins, 4-5 times a week.
Find a Buddy - Getting a friend to join you in sticking with this new way of life is a simple and effective way to keep you engaged. The hardest part is breaking through the resistance and mustering the willpower to enlist the friend. Then, once you’ve both agreed to do the thing, you have to do it. Neither of you wants to let the other person down. As social animals, we value the input and opinions of others so we will usually do our best not to let them down.
No Such Thing as Perfect - Many people have the idea that becoming healthy is a life sentence of sacrifice and suffering. That’s a big misconception. Actually, these are just modes of eating, living, and being that help a lot of people get healthier, fitter, leaner, and happier. But it all exists on a spectrum. It isn’t “all or nothing.” It’s about making the guidelines work for you to push your health and happiness forward.
These are just a few of the ways to get yourself back on track so that you are living the healthiest and happiest life.