Ten Habits To Healthy Weight

With the rise in overweight and obesity, media reports that seem to imply no one can keep weight off, coupled with the diet de jour and people looking for the quick fix it’s a wonder that anyone manages to achieve and/or maintain a healthy weight! Perhaps the key lies in “healthy weight” instead of reaching for unrealistic ultimate weight loss as well as unrealistic weekly weight loss. What are the habits of people who live with a healthy weight?

Realistic and concrete goals about what a healthy weight looks like. It’s not a number on the scale, rather it’s what we associate with the number. For example, if your goal is to weigh 10 pounds less so that you have more energy, less joint aches, decreased cholesterol, and to be more active. What happens if you lose 10 pounds on the diet de jour and you have achieved the scale goal, and nothing else? What happens if you lose 7 pounds and achieve all of these goals and more? Research is overwhelming that 7% weight loss leads to significant improvements in health and quality of life, i.e. energy.

Take small steps. The quick fix will restrict your favorite foods, will restrict the healthy foods vital to achieving your goal and also set up unrealistic expectation that you can turn your life upside down and maintain the chaos! Every small step you make leads to a big change over time. The journey is part of the destination!

Be Active Daily. Yes, that’s right daily. To be energized and lead an active lifestyle, how can we also be a couch potato? It is important to have both purposeful exercise as well looking for opportunities to have lots of movement throughout the day. Are you honestly so busy that you can’t find 15 - 60 minutes somewhere in your day for your health and quality of life? Even the President of the United States has time to exercise daily, as did the last 3 Presidents. It’s impossible to have healthy weight if you aren’t moving!

Be adventurous with your food. Expand your palate. You are no longer the kid rebelling against your parents about eating vegetables, you’re now an adult. It’s time to branch out a little! We have become spoiled in the availability of almost any foods year round. People tend to choose only their “favorite” foods. Try adding some of the foods that are “okay”, but maybe not your favorite to have a healthy weight with healthy foods. Remember, healthy food is flavorful, colorful, with many textures stimulating all of your senses so you end a meal with a smile instead of looking for more. Add spices, take a cooking class, and look for ways to add the healthy foods to your meals and snacks vs. being deprived and focusing on what you need to take away. It’s much more fun and you see better results!

Flexibility for life. Having structure in your daily food choices and exercise is ideal, however opportunities come up to allow people to visit with friends, vacation, as well as holidays, etc. Having your plan in place for the non-structured events is vital to navigate through with ease.

Positivity is uplifting. Enjoy your food, enjoy your bodies ability to move, enjoy. There are many choices that you make on a daily basis that are healthy and nurturing for your mind, body and spirit. Focus on these and do more of them. Focus on your attributes vs. your flaws. Build up your attributes, highlight them to your self and others daily. Appreciate what your fortunes.

Listen to the intuitive voice. Often we eat with our eyes, our nose, our mind. This allows portions to be much larger than we need and much larger than are comfortable. The main change in our country over the past thirty years is the amount of food. People who maintain a healthy weight eat enough to be satisfied, neither hungry or over full. We do not need to eat until you are “stuffed”. That actually takes away some of the pleasure and enjoyment of the meal. 

Fun with Fitness. Find ways to put recreation in your routine and fun in the activities you do. Bike with friends, take yoga with your friends, join a tennis team, go for a hike, pick seasonal fruit, you get the picture. What are ways you can add fun to your life?

Persistent people achieve their goals. Remember, many small steps lead to your journey’s end. There will always be temptations, life events, and desires. The fact that you may “give in” doesn’t mean that you failed. The fact that you gained a few pounds on vacation doesn’t mean that you undid the rest of your positives. Your goals are important, you don’t have to give up.

Patience is golden. Give yourself a break, you did not gain weight over night, you did not develop a chronic disease over night, give yourself realistic time to turn your routine around.

To learn how to put these tips in your everyday life check our our many options at NutriWell Coaching & Yoga.