20 Amazing Strategies for Getting Healthy
Many people ask me to post about health psychology and
after a long review on health I found these tips are helpful.
While most people want to lose weight, get fitter, get
healthier … it can be tough forming the habits.
It took me many starts and frustrations before I learned
how to live a healthier lifestyle. In 2005, I was 70 lbs. heavier, a smoker,
addicted to junk food, sedentary, couldn’t exercise for more than a few days
without quitting.
Today, I am much healthier, leaner, fitter. I eat healthily
most of the time (with regular indulgences) and I’m able to stick to a meal
plan if I want, and avoid junk food most of the time.
How did I change? I learned a few simple strategies.
These aren’t for everyone, so pick and choose the ones that might fit in your
life, and give them a try!
1.
Toss out the junk food. Having junk food in your house or
workplace makes it too hard to stick to a healthy diet. If at all possible,
toss everything out that’s sugary, fatty, greasy, salty. The best strategy is
not having it around. Clean out your pantry and fridge!
2.
Find some healthy recipes and buy the ingredients.
There are thousands online. Find one or two to start with, easy ones that don’t
take an hour to prepare, and go buy the ingredients today.
3.
Cook in bulk. I find it easiest to stick to a healthy
meal plan if I prepare things in advance. So cook big batches of veggie chili
or soup, or tofu veggie stir fry, and put the bulk of it in containers in the
fridge or freezer. I like to divide things into meal-sized containers so I just
heat things up when it’s mealtime.
4.
Stock up on healthy snacks. When you’re hungry for a snack, what
will you eat? Have healthy things to munch on at home, at work, and for the
road. Fresh fruits, chopped veggies, raw nuts, dried fruits are some of my
favorites.
5.
Socialize in healthier ways. Instead of going out to bars or
unhealthy restaurants, can you get together for tea, or a game of basketball,
or a walk in the park? Or find a healthy restaurant to eat at?
6.
Find a workout partner. Get your spouse or good friend or
coworker to go on walks or runs with you, or meet you at the gym or a workout
class. Having someone do it with you makes it fun and easier, and you’re more
likely to show up if you have an appointment to meet someone.
7.
Use social media for motivation. You can use Facebook,
Twitter, Google+, or your favorite online forums for motivation and
accountability. Publicly announce 2-week or month-long health challenges, and
have people keep you accountable. Try Fitocracy
— it’s a social fitness game that can make getting fit fun.
8.
Play outside. It’s important to go outside every day and
get some fresh air and sunshine. Move around, take the kids out and play, find
a friend and take a walk or throw or kick a ball around.
9.
Find healthy options for eating out. Instead of eating at fast
food or chain restaurants where everything is deep fried, can you find more
local restaurants where there are some healthy options? Make a list, and go to
those places when you go out.
10.
Make water & tea your default drink. Many people drink soda or
sugar coffee drinks all day. This is not necessary for a healthy or enjoyable
life. Water can become your favorite drink, and (unsweetened) tea can be very
healthy. I love a mindful green tea ritual once a day.
11.
Schedule active breaks. If you’re on the computer all day,
schedule short breaks every 30-60 minutes where you stretch, walk around, maybe
do some squats or pushups, drink some water. Exercise doesn’t have to be just
once a day.
12.
Get your spouse on board. It’s hard to make changes if your
significant other is resistant. So early on in the process (read: right now),
share your thinking, share your reading materials, and ask them to help you get
healthy. Don’t ever force them to change, but see if they can be on your team.
13.
Start small — don’t overdo it. Big changes tend to be
hard to sustain. Make one small change on this list, and then try another, then
another. Each step along the way, you’ll get used it and it will become your
new normal. No step needs to be very difficult.
14.
Have fun exercising. Create challenges for yourself, and your
friends. Find sports you like to play. Use running as a form of meditation.
Exercising doesn’t need to be boring or hard — it can be one of the best parts
of your day.
15.
Drink red wine. One or two glasses of red wine can be very
healthy, and can add some pleasure to your new healthy lifestyle. I’m a
believer in making a healthy lifestyle one that you enjoy, so add healthy foods
you love, activities you enjoy, a mindful tea ritual, and an end-of-the-day
wine ritual.
16.
Explore berries, kale, raw almonds and walnuts, avocado, flaxseeds, quinoa,
tofu, tempeh. These are foods that many people don’t eat
on a regular basis, and some people have never tried some of these. One by one,
explore these foods, as I find them to be very healthy. Some of them take some
time to acquire the taste, and others (like tofu and tempeh) just need the
right seasonings — they don’t have to be bland!
17.
Add healthy ingredients to your meals. If you don’t want to
change your entire diet, start adding some healthy stuff to your usual meals.
For example, if you normally eat spaghetti, try ground turkey or meatless
grounds instead of beef. Add some finely-diced kale and carrots, and some
flaxseeds. You can do this to many recipes.
18.
Try new ethnic foods. Don’t look at changing your diet as a
sacrifice. Think of it as a joyous adventure. Want to try going meatless a few
days a week? Try some healthy dishes from India, Japan, Thailand, the
Mediterranean. It can be a lot of fun, even for the whole family.
19.
Stop smoking. OK, this isn’t the easiest strategy, but it
is one of the most important.
20.
Diet before exercise. One of the easiest ways to start getting
healthier is to start improving your diet — it’s fairly easy to add some fruits
and veggies, for example, and maybe cut back on some of the sweets. Starting
exercise takes a bit more focus, and doesn’t always get results as quickly. On
the flip side, if you start exercising, don’t let that be an excuse to eat
whatever you want — it’s easy to negate the benefits of your morning run with a
donut and sugary and fatty coffee drink.
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