Many of us, at the beginning of the New Year, resolve to eat better, exercise more, and try to get healthier. We set big goals, make great plans, and have lots of enthusiasm in the beginning. A few weeks into our new program, we begin to lose interest and eventually we go back to our old ways. I think the problem lies in trying to do too much at once. It’s hard to make new habits stick if you are trying to establish too many at once.
Several years ago I started modifying my approach to getting healthy. I began implementing small changes to my nutrition and fitness, a couple at a time, and it really paid off for me. I found that by implementing small changes, it added up to a more positive attitude and that helped me accomplish larger health changes.
One of the basic things I did was to try to put extra steps into my daily life. Instead of doing the convenient thing every time, I now do things that add extra movement to my routine. I deliberately park farther away from where I am going and I make myself walk – no more up and down the mall parking lot for the closest spot! At home, when I am upstairs I use the bathroom downstairs and vice versa. I also ignore the convenience of elevators and escalators and use the stairs. Even things like bringing groceries in, I have turned it into an opportunity to take extra steps by bringing a couple of bags in at a time instead of trying to load myself down with all of them.
This added movement made me feel better and it encouraged me to join a gym. I now do exercise and it is completely part of my normal routine. I am flexible about what days I do it, but I do commit to 5 days of cardio or strength training each week. I alternate activities so I don’t get bored and I work different muscles. I have a much stronger, leaner, and toned body now.
The other area where small changes paid off is with my nutrition. I started by trying to break my soda habit. I went from regular soda to diet soda. When I adjusted to that, I incorporated more water and reduced my soda consumption. Now I drink mostly plain or flavored water. With food, I started incorporating more fish and reduced the amount of red meat. Then I began shifting away from meals heavy with carbohydrates like rice, pasta, and potatoes. When I reduced those carbohydrates, I substituted more veggies.
I did all of this gradually. One of the biggest “slow” changes I made was to learn to cook. I had to find healthy recipes that were easy to make and that had lots of flavor. It was surprising to me to find that I liked to cook! I found a whole world of new ingredients and spices/herbs that I like.
All of these small changes in my diet and exercise that I made over 2 years led to very big changes in my outlook on life. I am a different person. I am 48 years old and I feel better than I ever have. I am always looking for new small changes to try to improve my health. Do you have any suggestions?