10 Essential Tips for a Successful Healthy Lifestyle Transition

Once you’ve decided to start making healthy changes to your lifestyle, reassessing how you approach this switch in mindset can make the difference in maintaining progress. Here are 10 tips to help you achieve a long-term healthy lifestyle.

1. Keep a Record: Keep a diary of what you’re eating and how you’re feeling as it makes you accountable to yourself. Download our self-reflection journal to write down what you ate and how you feel about it. Remember, it’s not a food diary where you should track calories and no one needs to see it. It’s just a reference for you to look back on.

2. Know Your Triggers: Everybody is different. Think about what makes you reach for unhealthy food. When you phone for the takeaway or reach for the packet of crisps, do you know what your emotions or feelings were at the time? If you can understand why you normally gravitate towards unhealthy meals and snacks you’ll be able to recognise typical triggers. Obviously, everyone will have the occasional setback but forgive yourself and try to not let this deter you from moving forward.

3. Think About Your Environment: Is there a theme when it comes to times and places when you’re eating unhealthy meals or snacks? Do you tend to buy takeaways when you’re working from the office? Perhaps you go to the fish and chips shop because that’s what you always do on a Friday? If this is the case, think about whether you need to go to these places. If you can’t avoid going to a particular place, consider what healthier meal options are available instead.

4. Be Prepared: I’m a huge advocate of being prepared when it comes to meal planning. If you know where you’re going to be and what you are going to eat mistakes are less likely to happen. Take some time at the beginning of each week to figure out where you’re going to be and what you are going to be eating using our handy meal planner. Don’t let unhealthy food be an accident.

5. Take Your Time: Consider making mealtimes a special time for you. Relax, chill, turn the telly off, sit down at a table, and enjoy what you’re eating to make each meal a pleasurable moment during your day.

6. Every Meal is Important: Breakfast, lunch and dinner are all key meals to be eaten throughout the day. Using healthy ingredients for each meal helps make sure you have a balanced diet with sufficient nutrients. Don’t skip any meals as this may make you more likely to snack throughout the day. It’s important not to skip meals thinking it earns a reward in the form of sweet treats or alcohol. This thought process also applies to exercise as it should be done alongside healthy eating as part of a balanced lifestyle. Remember, make sure everything is done in moderation.

7. Build a Support Network: Get your friends and your family onside by telling them what it is you are doing to make sure they understand and can be supportive. If you haven’t already, join the GreggWallace.Health’s Facebook group and get all the support you can from our friendly community.

8. Confront Change: We all find change a little scary but it’s good to prove to yourself that you can change things for the better. If you are struggling try changing something that doesn’t involve food. Maybe try a different route to work or increase your step count in small increments. Making a decision to change something in your life is the first step. Consider everything after as additional small steps. You just need to prove to yourself that you are in control.

9. Small Changes: It’s unlikely that any of us can make huge changes to our lifestyle overnight. First, we need to make small changes as little and often as we feel comfortable with. Over time the small changes add up to something much bigger, and this will help you achieve a healthier lifestyle. If you’re ever struggling with motivation, remember it only takes 30 days to break and change a bad habit. Lots of little bad habits being changed regularly will eventually result in an incredible overhaul of your weight, fitness and mindset. If you need help building new healthy habits watch Kat’s talk to start thinking about how you can positively change your lifestyle through small and manageable steps.

10. Get Excited: What you’re trying to achieve is exciting, don’t be scared! Instead, celebrate the fact that you are on the road to a healthier and happier you. You’ve already made a big decision and you are well on your way. Everyone is right behind you and cheering you on. Well done. Remember to start with a few small changes to your daily routine before gradually increasing the positive steps you’re taking to achieve a healthier lifestyle. Let us know if you’ve found any of these tips helpful.

Key Takeaways:

1.Keeping a record of your eating habits and feelings can help you stay accountable to yourself;

2. Understanding your triggers can help you avoid unhealthy food choices; and

3. Making small, manageable changes to your lifestyle can lead to significant improvements over time.