Proper diet and daily exercise is the best way to lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Here are some tips to help you get started on a weight loss journey the healthy way.
Maintain healthy habits. The reason willpower doesn’t work well for most people is because we usually use willpower to get themselves NOT to do something. An example: “I will not drink soda anymore.” Or: “I will not eat sweets anymore.”
Our brains aren’t geared toward focusing on what NOT to do. If someone tells you not to think about the something — that’s the first thing you think of. The more you think of what you shouldn’t do, the more power you give that very thing.
Remember: Willpower is about WILL, not won’t. To make a resolution that really works, stay positive and focus on what you will do and what you choose to do rather than thinking of what you should not do. An example: “I will drink water in place of soda.” Or: “I will eat a piece of fruit in place of dessert after dinner.”
If you want to change an unhealthy habit, it’s important to investigate why you do that habit. Learning why you do the things you do is essential to changing that behavior. Most people actually gain some sort of benefit from bad habits. Bad habits give immediate benefits but often cause long-term harm. You can’t unlearn a bad habit, but you can replace it with a good habit. Good habits give immediate benefit AND long term benefits.
Replacing unhealthy behaviors with healthier behaviors is key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
These tips and more are available from the Intermountain Weigh to Health Program.
Maintain healthy habits. The reason willpower doesn’t work well for most people is because we usually use willpower to get themselves NOT to do something. An example: “I will not drink soda anymore.” Or: “I will not eat sweets anymore.”
Our brains aren’t geared toward focusing on what NOT to do. If someone tells you not to think about the something — that’s the first thing you think of. The more you think of what you shouldn’t do, the more power you give that very thing.
Remember: Willpower is about WILL, not won’t. To make a resolution that really works, stay positive and focus on what you will do and what you choose to do rather than thinking of what you should not do. An example: “I will drink water in place of soda.” Or: “I will eat a piece of fruit in place of dessert after dinner.”
If you want to change an unhealthy habit, it’s important to investigate why you do that habit. Learning why you do the things you do is essential to changing that behavior. Most people actually gain some sort of benefit from bad habits. Bad habits give immediate benefits but often cause long-term harm. You can’t unlearn a bad habit, but you can replace it with a good habit. Good habits give immediate benefit AND long term benefits.
RELATED POST: Tips for losing weight and getting long-term results
Try these ways to learn new habits:
- Change your environment. For example, make your kitchen and pantry an environment of yes. Clean out tempting foods and replace them with healthy foods you like.
- Value healthier habits over unhealthy habits. Bad habits tend to be valued more than good habits. For example, prioritize an exercise session like you would a hair appointment.
- Replace a bad habit with a good habit.
- Use repetition. Continue repeating the new, healthier habit until it becomes an unconscious part of your lifestyle. Remember the old joke: How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice. That works with proper nutrition and exercise, too.
- Practice observation. Observe and learn from others who maintain the healthy habits you want.
- Use imagery. Imagine yourself doing and living your new healthy habit.
Replacing unhealthy behaviors with healthier behaviors is key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
These tips and more are available from the Intermountain Weigh to Health Program.