Help! I’ve Fallen (out of my healthy habits) And I Can’t Get Up! – Part 4

Practical Steps you can do right now…here we go!

1. Get up and do 1 healthy action. NOW! Drink some water, go for a 5m walk, pack tomorrow’s lunch. We build inertia with our choices so let’s get it going in a direction that’s helpful.
2. Plan to replace 1 unhealthy action with a healthy one today. Instead of getting caught in after dinner snacking go for a short walk or stretch while watching TV. Instead of eating all the junk that gets brought into the break room at work keep a stash of cut up veggies/fruit with you….every time you see the junk it’ll be a reminder to get a serving of produce in today!
3. Schedule it! Want to find time to work out? Then get it on the calendar! Keep running out of time to make a grocery list? Get it on the calendar! We get done what we PLAN to get done. Don’t believe me? How many times do we run out of time and just not eat all day? Never…because it’s a priority and we make time for it.
4. Plan some treats! A sustainable, enjoyable healthy life involves occasional treats that are thoroughly enjoyed (not mindlessly inhaled). Buy your favorite sweet treat in 1oz servings and plan to enjoy 1 piece each day. Get a date night on the calendar when you know you’ll enjoy a rare treat with someone you love. Extreme restriction just breeds desire, so work in times to enjoy those foods that are worth it to you in moderation.
5. Identify activities that help to restart your brain. Take a bath or a nap, go for a walk/run, read a book…whatever it is that gets you out of the cycle of poor choices and puts you in the right frame of mind to start again.
6. Take a serious look at our environment. Most of us are more tempted to make unhealthy choices in certain situations. Why is that? Because we have different cues in different situations. Bread might not tempt you at home, but sitting in a basket in front of you at a restaurant it’s overwhelming. Half eaten food from a friend’s plate isn’t too enticing, but your kids leftovers all end up as part of your meal. The fact that we have different reactions to the same food shows that we are highly influenced by our surroundings, which gives us a clue as to how to break the chain that leads to unhelpful choices.