1. Set Goals: If you try to change everything all at once you will feel overwhelmed and deprived. So set small goals. So maybe this week your goal is to make sure you drink the recommended amount of water. Then next week your goal is to have no fried foods, etc. Adding these small goals is helpful to prevent that overwhelming feeling you get when trying to make a healthy habit stick. Also you want to make your goals public. Share them with someone who will hold you accountable. Another great thing to do is write them down and post them where you can see them such as on the fridge or the snack cabinet. Keep a list of your goals and when you achieve one cross it off to feel the sense of completion and success at meeting your goals.
2. Have Realistic Expectations: You need to set up your healthy eating around your lifestyle. Most importantly your budget and your time. If you're not sticking to your budget you won't be able to stick to your healthy eating plan. There are plenty of healthy and clean options for all different budgets. You also need to understand your schedule. You need to cook when you have time so you are prepared. This means allowing extra time to cook or prepackaging your meals. Don't worry if you hit obstacles... that's part of life. They will happen but don't get discouraged just get back on track.
3. Be Proactive: Make a list of healthy foods you enjoy for each meal of the day, plus snacks. Think of things that are portable that you can have at work or in the car. Create your menus based on where you will be at different times of the day. Always keep healthy foods on hand so you don't have an excuse to grab that donut in the break room. Know when you are available to plan your weekly menu, to cook, to shop and then plan accordingly.
4. Consistency is Key: Plan to eat around the same times everyday and plan to take in the same caloric intake at each meal. This keeps your body's metabolism revving and it makes it easier on you. Once you know your routine it will become second nature. t is easy to sabotage yourself by grabbing nasty snacks when you get uncontrolled cravings.
5. Be Flexible: Of course, even the best plans fall short at times. Life can sometimes get the best of all of us. Sometimes your eating routines need to change. Where you can, try to plan ahead for these events and have items on hand you can take with you when you’re in a rush or are eating out. Example: Bag of almonds, protein bars and shakes, fresh fruit. Also educate yourself on nutrition through the internet, books, and magazines. You can use this knowledge to help you improvise and find foods that are compatible with your diet, for example if you are out with friends or stuck with no time to cook. Find items that are less time consuming that you can take with you in a pinch. If you know you will be going out to eat look the menu and nutrition information up online beforehand so you can make a choice you are proud of.
6. Don't Be So Hard on Yourself: Nobody is perfect all the time. If you mess up, miss a few meals, or even have a bad couple of days, just pick yourself up and get back on track. You’re doing this for you, and the added stress of not living up to your own expectations can lead to a total diet derailment. Being healthy and eating healthy does not mean you can’t enjoy foods not on your meal plan. So don’t be so hard on yourself. YOU CAN DO IT!
7. Stick With Your Plan: It takes time to develop healthy behaviors. After about a month of eating better consistently, you will have developed a habits. You will find that everything you initially may have had a hard time doing becomes more effortless and be a normal part of your day to day life.
8. Have Fun: Eating right takes dedication, commitment and sacrifice. Don’t stress yourself out over small bumps in the road. You have the power to change any negative into a positive, and you have the choice to have a positive outlook regarding any situation you find yourself in. Find fun ways to keep yourself motivated. Get friends and family involved. Set challenges at home, with friends, or at work to start eating healthier. Take the time to cook and try new and interesting recipes. You are making change for the better, so why not make it enjoyable.
9. Give Yourself Praise: You are not a dog so don’t reward yourself with treats. Realize that changing your eating habits can be a daunting task for anyone. Just think how long you have had your current habits and know that changing those habits will not happen overnight, but with time. Congratulate yourself on any healthy changes you make, you deserve the praise. Praise builds confidence and makes you feel good about the healthy choices you are making, and in turn help keep you on your path to betterment.
10. Don't Rush Into It: People always start with the best of intentions and will try and do everything at once. They get overwhelmed and quit before they really even started. Small changes add up and can make a huge difference. Work on one thing at a time and keep adding to it. Before you know it you will have many healthy habits that incorporate together to make a healthy lifestyle and a healthier and happier you.
11. Focus on the Journey and Not the Destination: To live a healthy lifestyle is never easy. In order to enjoy this lifestyle with all the ups and downs, we must enjoy the process and the journey on the way to our destination. Once we hit our destination we immediately look to the next mountain top and we either want more, or worst case scenario we think that we have accomplished all we need to and we relax on all of the things that got us there in the first place. Take pride in small victories along the way, they add up.
12. Measure Success and Set New Goals: Making successful changes means measuring your progress towards your goals and recognizing your accomplishments. As you meet short-term goals, you can plan the next steps with more confidence. Constantly re-strategizing your goals takes long-term visualization. That long-term vision needs to be broken down into doable steps.
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