Healthy Lifestyle Choices and the Tools to Succeed – 1

Guest Writer; Amber Platt

stackingapplesasiancouple Many individuals are seeking to lose weight and often turn to fads to try to lose the desired amount of weight in an unrealistic timeframe. Dieting is not just about losing weight, rather it is healthy lifestyle choices which need to be learned while bad habits need to be unlearned in order for an individual to become successful in their weight loss. The main keys to success in losing and maintaining weight loss are support, motivation, healthy lifestyle choices, being realistic, patience, and forgiveness.

Support

Regardless if an individual’s support network is comprised of family, friends, or other individuals with a like-minded goal, success will be more forthcoming if an individual creates a support network to praise them, help them in need, provide advice, and redirect them should they waiver in their commitment to their goal. Individuals need to have others who will support their decision for their life change, remain positive, constructive, and assist in areas the individual may be faltering. An individual’s goals may be undermined and sabotaged if individuals in their network are negative, malicious, belittling, and unforgiving. These types of actions and attitudes can break an individual’s stride in the success of their goal if they begin to believe the negativity someone in their network is showcasing.

Motivation

In order for an individual to begin their commitment to a goal such as weight loss, the individual needs to become motivated. Individuals can become motivated by setting goals to attain either individually or with another individual who is seeking to achieve the same outcome. An example of becoming and remaining motivated is for an individual to start a healthy lifestyle change with a partner so they can support each other, provide productive criticism, and celebrate with each other when they reach the little goals leading up to the final goal. It is far easier to keep one’s eye on the goal when you have someone at your side facing the same struggles and obstacles, taking them head on, and working in a cohesive manner to help each other achieve the desired result. Individuals who create a workout or eating plan involving others have more success in their achievements than an individual who attempts to work out alone or create an eating plan that is solely meant to benefit them and no one else.

Healthy Lifestyle Choices

Eating Habits

womaneatincereal In today’s fast paced world, it is often difficult for individuals to find healthy lifestyle choices while contending with work, children, household chores, appointments, and spending quality time with family. For many, the convenience of fast food outweighs the desire for a home cooked meal, since time is of the essence. Individuals can make sound decisions when they are eating out at restaurants, fast food eateries, work, and other people’s homes if they take a moment to remember moderation is key to the success of their weight loss plan, they need to minimize rich foods, simple carbohydrates, and other sugars, while increasing their vegetable and fruit intake.

A majority of businesses now provide detailed caloric and nutritional information for any food they serve, which provides an opportunity for individuals to make a sound decision of what they want to eat, the amount they want to eat, and if the food and beverages they are consuming have any nutritional value. The biggest mistake individuals make regarding weight loss is denying oneself a particular type of food; this creates an opportunity for an individual to crave this particular food and when they finally give into their cravings, instead of eating and enjoying the food in moderation, they find they have eaten the food in surplus amounts, thus sabotaging their efforts. The key is moderation and all types of foods can be enjoyed, regardless of an individual’s weight goals.

Exercising

Finding a moment of peace is often a miracle, thus many individuals struggle to find adequate time in their schedule to reap the benefits of exercise. Many individuals have the notion in order for exercise to be beneficial, one must attend a gym for several hours a day; a majority of individuals don’t have this type of time, many don’t have the funds to go to a gym, many individuals are intimidated by others working out in a gym who appear to be slimmer or more fit than they are, and many individuals are put off by the idea of having to work out so hard. The benefits of exercise do not need to occur in one time period, but rather, can become flexible to the needs and availability of the individual who is pursuing an exercise regimen.

In order for individuals to benefit from exercise, they need to find a minimum of 30 minutes throughout the day to work out. This can be broken up into three 10 minute exercise regimens, two 15 minute regimens, six five minute regimens, or however the time needs to be broken up so an individual can implement a type of exercise activity in their hectic schedule. Good exercises to perform are walking, jogging, running, aerobics, yoga, pilates, kick boxing, any type of karate, jump roping, swimming, or any other activity which can exert energy and be beneficial for the body. Individuals can also sign up for a work related or school related sport, through the local YMCA or other organizational clubs, or create a fun exercising atmosphere with friends or family such as volleyball, tennis, basketball, or football.

Individuals can also implement small amounts of exercise into their schedule by rearranging their current activities. For instance, an individual can walk up and down the stairs rather than take the elevator, can park further away from their destination in order to get some walking in, allow a portion of their lunch hour for a walk around the building, getting up and talking to a coworker rather than sending an email with the request; the options are limitless and an individual can find various ways to make their sedentary work style become more active.