Long Term Weight loss habits

It's very hard to change old habits.  I think that could be the hardest part for people when wanting to start a new fitness program or diet.  When you get in your comfort zone, it's hard to change.  But, are your habits helping you? Do you have good habits? Are you happy with your fitness and nutrition at this point? Or do changes NEED to be made? If you've done well in the past with starting a new fitness program but only stuck to it short term....old habits always come back to rule! It's time to start making new habits and make them stick for a lifetime!

                   

You need to figure out how to change your old habits!

The best place to start is:
1. Eat Whole foods- try to start incorporating more whole foods into your diet.  No more processed junk and refined sugar.  Stick to lean proteins, Fruits and Veggies, Nuts/Seeds and Whole Grains. When with family or out to eat look for the Best option with what is given.  Try to stay away from all the sauces.

2. Exercise Each day! Walk, Jog, Bike, Swim, At home Workout Videos, Weights or body weight exercises, or try something fun like Zumba or Crossfit.  You will want to start to incorporate High Intensity workouts at least a few times a week. Start to make exercise a habit.  You want to be active daily, but also learn when you need to take it easy every few days.

What you do depends on what you like and what level you are at. What specific foods you eat depends on what you like. But, sticking to whole foods that aren't fried and don't have sauces will make a huge difference.

Forming those Habits! 

The trick is sticking to it long enough that it becomes automatic. Your old habits make making New habits harder...so you are going to have to get out of your comfort zone!

*Make a habit plan*
"We are what we repeatedly do." -aristotle.

1. Pick one habit to replace an old habit.  Starting with one habit at a time sometimes makes it more likely to stick.  Instead of snacking on chips or sweets in the afternoon, snack on veggies and hummus or fruit and almond butter.  If you normally check facebook right when you wake up, go for a 5 minute brisk walk instead.  Replace that old habit with a new one!

2. Keep the habit small.  It's ok not to tackle all your habits at once.  We tend to be over ambitious sometimes in the beginining and eventually that leads to us feeling like a failure. It's ok to start small if you need to. Walk for 5 minutes in the morning and eventually make it longer....work up to 10 minutes of running and so on. Make that one habit better. If you want that habit to stick, keep it small in the beginning and only tackle one habit at a time.

3. Focus on the Enjoyment- if the habit feels like a sacrifice, you won't do it for long.  Instead of thinking "I have to do this." Start thinking "I get to do this!" Pretty soon the habit itself becomes the reward.

4.  Have some accountability.  Statistics show that having people to workout with and eat healthy with, having that support in a group on facebook or others will help you be successful in the long run. Commit to doing a habit to your support system.  They can help keep you accountable. Give it some extra spice and fun by saying you'll do something embarrassing if you don't stick to your habit, or something like that! Get creative and make it fun!

This will help you stick to a small habit for long enough that it becomes a part of your lifestyle! Do this over and over again with new habits.  Starting a new habit every 30 days is reasonable.
You can start adding more veggies, getting adequate exercise, drinking water instead of juices and soda, start doing pushups and body weight squats every day, then adding veggies to every lunch and every dinner, replace your cereal in the mornings with a smoothie or eggs and oats.  Whatever it is...build upon that and soon you will have exactly what works for you! Habits will be created and you will have a full lifestyle change! That's what works!