Tips for Staying on the Healthy Bandwagon

By Joanne Poh −

It can be difficult to stay on the path to good health. With the holidays coming up, tempting food and drink abound, and it can be particularly difficult to ensure that you eat healthily and get regular exercise and enough rest. Thankfully, sticking with a healthy lifestyle doesn’t have to mean suffering and deprivation. Here are some tips that will help you stay on the healthy bandwagon with ease.

Find an exercise you love

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It’s difficult to force yourself to exercise when you don’t enjoy it, and finding an exercise you do because you love it rather than because you feel obliged to will greatly increase the chances that you’ll stick with it. Instead of dragging yourself to the gym when you hate running on the treadmill, experiment until you find an exercise or sport you enjoy. Take ballet classes, get a tennis coach or explore scenic trails if these are activities that strike your fancy.

Eat in moderation

Instead of putting yourself on a strict diet that makes you feel deprived all the time, eat in moderation. Allow yourself small quantities of foods that you love, and eat healthy foods that you enjoy in larger quantities. Give yourself permission to have a small portion of Christmas cake. Dr Ken Wong of Central Coast Surgery told us ‘Weight is something you need to take seriously. Far better deal with it in the early stages than leave it till I need to operate on you to save your life.’

Maintain a varied diet

Rather than eating the same boring meals every day, experiment in the kitchen and come up with a varied, interesting diet that will have you looking forward to mealtimes. If you look forward to healthy meals, you are much more likely to stick with a healthy diet than if you’re sick and tired of eating the same old thing each day.

Plan in advance

Lots of unhealthy choices can be prevented simply by planning ahead. Packing your lunch the night before will ensure that you don’t end up grabbing a burger at McDonald’s before heading back to the office. Stocking up on healthy snacks such as almonds and fruit will prevent you from buying that candy bar from the vending machine when you get hungry in between meals.

Show some persistence

It takes thirty days to form a new habit. This means that if you manage to stick with a healthy lifestyle for thirty days, it will get much easier thereafter. Telling your friends and family of your intention to live more healthily will make you accountable and therefore more likely to stick with your new habits. Stick post-its in conspicuous places such as your bathroom mirror so you won’t forget about your commitment to good health.

Reward yourself

Rather than punishing yourself whenever you stray off the path, reward yourself when you stay on it instead. For instance, as a reward for exercising regularly, treat yourself to a class in a sport you’ve always wanted to learn. This will motivate you to continue living healthily.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle really isn’t all that difficult, even in the long run. The above tips will require only small changes to your daily routine but can ensure that you stay on the healthy bandwagon for the long haul.

Joanne Poh is a freelance writer and commercial copywriter whose work has been published in a variety of print and digital media, including newspapers and mobile applications. Her clients include Dr Ken Wong of Central Coast Weight Loss Surgery. She has a keen interest in health and fitness and loves researching and writing for the industry.

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Tips for Staying on the Healthy Bandwagon
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