Are you struggling to find the motivation to live a healthy lifestyle? Whether you're too tired or just aren't enjoying the journey, there are ways to keep your focus and embrace it. Here's where to get started.
1) Make Small Daily Changes
Instead of big, aggressive goals, break them down into small daily changes. Schedule your go-to ambitious workout a few days a week, but take a walk or get in some stretches the rest of the time.
The same approach goes for what you eat. If you're white-knuckling it by giving up french fries or chips, cut back instead. You can still eat your favorite foods in moderation while focusing on adding more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and nuts to your diet with a quality multivitamin or organic green supplement.
2) Focus on Health and Movement
Living a healthy lifestyle is about moving your body, eating better, and embracing well-being. Although seeing muscle gains or weight loss is often a perk of healthier eating, it's not the end-all goal. Instead, make your healthy lifestyle about living your best life physically and mentally to increase energy, focus, and endurance.
3) Redefine Your Goals
Think about what your goals are for your healthy lifestyle and how they impact your life. Simply wanting to look "skinner" or "more cut" is a problematic and often a toxic goal to stick to without some kind of balance in place.
Instead, redefine your goals to think about the big picture. Do you want your clothes to fit better? Be more comfortable in your own skin? More energy to keep up with your kids? An improved bill of health during your next physical? Write out your goals in more detail so you can see them, live them, and embrace them on your healthy lifestyle journey.
4) Rethink Your Rewards System
How do you build-in rewards for a challenge well-met? If it's all based around food or binging on a movie marathon and buttery popcorn, rethink how you reward yourself.
Take a day trip and hike, take up a new hobby, or indulge in a healthy lunch at your favorite restaurant with a friend. The idea is to find new, healthy ways to celebrate your successes instead of making choices that can derail your progress.
5) Accept Your Challenges for What they Are
Challenges aren't a sign that you need to give up on your healthy lifestyle changes and fall back into your old ways. They're simply opportunities to find new ways to cope, rethink how you approach your healthy lifestyle, and keep going.
Remember that challenges will happen in your healthy diet and fitness routine, just like anything else you're tackling in life. Practice patience with yourself and self-care as you navigate the bumps in the road.
6) Embrace What You Enjoy
Living a healthier lifestyle takes time, and you may need to stretch outside your comfort zone to learn to enjoy it. But if you can't stand jogging and feel peer pressure to join your friend group, find something you love doing instead. Join a gym with a pool to swim laps or invest in a dance class to get moving.
Exploring new foods is a good idea, but you can still focus on what you already like. Food texture can make or break your experience, so start with crunchy, smooth, or soft sensations that satisfies your natural preferences.
7) Pay Attention to Your Triggers
It's normal to fall back into bad habits or indulge in processed foods or too much screen time in favor of exercise. But it doesn't come out of nowhere. There are usually triggers that compel negative behavior.
Take note of when you want to over-indulge the most. Stress at work, a disagreement with a loved one, lack of sleep, and feeling overwhelmed are all standard triggers that can cause disruptions in your healthy lifestyle. Over time, you can intervene with more beneficial coping mechanisms before your progress derails.
8) Get a Support System
An accountability buddy can help you stick to your goals and support you when days are hard. If you don't have someone to lean on, consider joining a gym or fitness program. Beyond offering high-quality supplements, WAYT Nutrition also provides tone and focus programs, fat loss courses, and immune boosting help to help you reach your goals. Browse all of our support programs here.
9) Pack in the Sleep
You may know sleep is integral to a healthy lifestyle, but a lack of rest can also negatively impact your progress. Researchers found that over 14 days, weight loss from fat dropped by 55%, even if the subjects' calories stayed equal and nothing else changed. Instead, they were hungrier and experienced less energy.
Everyone's sleep needs vary, but experts recommend at least seven to nine hours every night. Otherwise, you could struggle with food cravings and finding the energy to get your body moving.
10) Appreciate Where You Are in Your Journey
Your life, interests, needs, strengths, and challenges are unique, and so is your healthy lifestyle journey. Appreciate who you are right now, whether you're just getting started or feel like a seasoned pro. The only person in your life you need to compete with is yourself, so make sure you give yourself the support and care you need to reach your goals.
Ready to start living a healthier lifestyle? Start shopping our supplements or comprehensive health programs to pick up organic greens, multivitamins, probiotics, and more.