How many times have you resolved to get healthy and stay healthy when making your New Year resolutions? But then, do you usually stay motivated long enough to realize your weight loss, fitness, and healthy lifestyle ambitions? If you are like most of us, the decision to start exercising and lose those few extra pounds and the resolve to eat healthy to maintain a lean and fit figure is an elusive dream that is just too slippery to turn into a reality. If you are looking for simple yet effective tricks on how to get and keep your motivation to stay healthy, you have come to the right place. Read on to find out.
1. Start small and make small strides
Overhauling your entire lifestyle, schedule, and diet overnight would just make it very difficult for you to stick to your determination to be and live healthily. It is best to set small but measurable goals that you can follow through one at a time to achieve your overall larger goals. For instance, instead of changing your entire diet, start by incorporating healthy vegetables into three meals a week and cutting down on junk food to once a week.
Adding more veggies to your meals will help keep you healthy. Picture from smh.com.au
2. Keep an exercise and food journal
It is easier to track your progress and stay motivated when your write down your small achievements. When you can track how much you are eating, how long and intensely you exercise, and what progresses you are making here and there, they all add up and will play a role in keeping you focused on the big picture. You can keep a traditional book journal or use an app to record and store your journal on your smartphone or computer for easy analysis and comparison.
Pick exercise you enjoy, and it becomes easier to do. Picture from TheCanvasFactory
3. Always feel good about yourself
There is no better way to encourage your body to embrace change than feeling wonderful about yourself. To achieve this, be sure that you surround yourself with people that make you feel good about you, associate with other health enthusiasts who will encourage and support you and let go of friends and associations that encourage you to overeat, drink too much, or smoke. If you are going to change your life, you may need to start by changing your friends.A big secret to getting and staying healthy is to eat small amounts of foods more frequently rather than two or three huge meals in a day. To keep the temptation to revert to junk foods and processed carbs every time your stomach growls, keep healthy snacks such as nuts and fresh fruits in your refrigerator. These ready to eat foods should be rich in lean proteins, complex carbs, and healthy fats to help you stay on track with your goals.
Image credit – http://motivationintohabit.tumblr.com/
4. Try new things and different foods
Make your transformation fun and adventurous by engaging in totally new activities and creating new experiences in the process. You can take up hobbies such as hiking or now and then walk to work if you live close by. You can also make your transformation fun by trying new healthy foods that you never tested before. This trick will get you excited every time you think of engaging in a fun sport or trying out a new recipe you downloaded on the internet.
5. Keep healthy nutritious foods on hand
A big secret to getting and staying healthy is to eat small amounts of foods more frequently rather than two or three huge meals in a day. To keep the temptation to revert to junk foods and processed carbs every time your stomach growls, keep healthy snacks such as nuts and fresh fruits in your refrigerator. These ready to eat foods should be rich in lean proteins, complex carbs, and healthy fats to help you stay on track with your goals.
6. Start small and make small strides
Overhauling your entire lifestyle, schedule, and diet overnight would just make it very difficult for you to stick to your determination to be and live healthily. It is best to set small but measurable goals that you can follow through one at a time to achieve your overall larger goals. For instance, instead of changing your entire diet, start by incorporating healthy vegetables into three meals a week and cutting down on junk food to once a week.
These six simple tricks could play a significant role in helping you overcome the temptation to fall back on your old habits and instead keep you motivated to attain your fitness and health goals without too much strain. Remember, sharing is caring, so if you have a friend or family member who is also stuck in an unhealthy rut, these six tips may be just what they need to get out of it.
