How to Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle

Learning how to maintain a healthy lifestyle begins with the recognition that healthful behavior begins in the mind. The right mindset makes a considerable difference in successfully adopting healthier habits.

Healthy habits offer a lifetime of rewards.

Mind-Body Connection

The mind-body connection is a significant factor to consider as you develop new patterns of habit that include following healthy eating guidelines as well as adopting regular regular exercise. Behavior is a manifestation of thought. When you begin to change your patterns of thought, your behaviors naturally follow.

Unhealthy Thought Patterns

Harmful patterns of thought can have a direct impact on your progress. Unhealthy fad diets are prime examples of programs that reflect some of the damaging theories about weight loss and lifestyle habits. Some thinking patterns that can interfere with healthful decisions include:

1. Diets are temporary. A diet, by definition is a way of life. The term comes from the Latin diatea, literally meaning "manner of living". Dietary changes should involve permanent changes in lifestyle in order to ensure proper maintenance.
2. The desire to lose weight quickly can be detrimental because the process feeds into the cycle of overeating and under-eating. The cycle is harmful on a physical and on a psychological level.
3. Unhealthy foods are good. While processed, sugary and fatty foods can be delicious, they can lead to health problems if you eat too many of them.
4. Unhealthy foods are bad. No food is inherently good or bad. Denying yourself an occasional treat is unrealistic and it can lead to binge eating in some cases.
5. Too many changes at once can ultimately lead to failure.

How to Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle may require change. With the right strategy, you can make the necessary changes. Some strategies take a little time to develop but you may be dealing with habits that have been in place for many years.

Goals and Objectives

Set realistic goals and objectives organized in small steps. Behavioral changes are difficult, especially when habits have been practiced for a considerable time. It helps to have short-term goals that lead to a primary objective. For example, instead of focusing on losing 50 pounds, you can focus on losing 2 pounds per week.

Small increments are more tolerable than great leaps. Breaking tasks down into small, doable steps leads to accomplishments that build on one another until you reach your main objective. Consider some small changes in lifestyle that can help.

• Activity
  • Use the stairs instead of the elevator
  • Park you car father away from stores, offices or other buildings you visit
  • Take a brisk walk around the block after dinner
  • Play outside with children
  • Start your day with a long stretch and a deep breath
• Dietary
  • Replace afternoon coffee or soda with green tea
  • Add more vegetables and less meat to you favorite dinner recipes
  • Put your eating utensil down after each bite
  • Have dinner salad on a large plate and the main course on a small plate
  • Prepare quick, healthy snacks in advance
  • Use mustard instead of mayonnaise
  • Drink a glass of water before each meal

Small changes can make a considerable difference over time. The simple changes are not difficult, making them more likely to be adopted into your daily life. Gradually introduce goals that are more challenging into the strategy.

Listen to Your Body

Learning how to maintain a healthy lifestyle begins with learning how to listen to your body. Many people spend their lives developing the difficult skill of ignoring their bodies' signals. Many tend to eat when they are not hungry, planning meals according to the clock rather than according to the signs of hunger.

Ways to listen to your body include:

• Rate hunger and fullness on a scale from 1 to 10, with 1 being ravenous and 10 being overstuffed. Try to eat when you feel hunger coming on and stop when you begin to feel full. On the scale, when you reach between 3 and 4 on the scale and stop when you are between 6 and 7. Your body is distressed if you feel bloated or very full.
• Give yourself time to process food intake. Feelings of fullness take a few moments to register.
• Eat slowly, chewing food thoroughly to promote digestion.
• Don't ignore hunger or cravings. The body craves foods for a reason and when you assess the craving, you may find that a bowl of fruit or some crunchy vegetables will satisfy the urges. If nothing but chocolate will do, have a bite or two.
• Take a moment to assess whether you are hungry or thirsty.

Thirst is of particular concern because the signal for thirst may be confuse with hunger. Proper hydration helps create a satiated feeling and it helps the body's systems to function properly.

Get Support

Surround yourself with supportive friends who have healthy habits you admire. Arrange exercise sessions with people who share your fitness goals. Limit time with people who sabotage your efforts. The right support system can make a considerable difference in your attempts to create a healthier lifestyle that is simple to adopt over time.

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