Wherever you are in your journey to starting a healthy lifestyle, someone else has been there before. Remember, change doesn’t happen overnight; you will need to be dedicated to eating right and consistent with your fitness regime – you will have no trouble at all if you stick to the pointers in this seven-step guide.
So, we have compiled a list of the best advice from others that have been in the same position as you. In this article, we will discuss seven tips for starting a healthy lifestyle.
How to start a Healthy Lifestyle:
1. Set a date to start and your goals
How to live a healthy lifestyle – start from setting up a goal. So, you’ve finally chosen to make a change in your life and want to have a healthy lifestyle.
Whether your goal is to lose weight, tone-up or get healthier, you won’t be able to do so effectively without prior preparation. Trying to achieve your goals without a plan is more than likely to end in failure – or you are going to giving up.
The first step to the answer for how to be healthy is to decide when to start, and that means more than just changing how you eat. Once you have decided on a date, you would like to start the journey to a healthy life – set the date and then set your goals and targets.
2. Get rid of your fatty foods
To be able to achieve your healthy lifestyle goal and change your life for the better, you will need to be prepared. The average person eats more than double the recommended minimum amount of fat and sugar.
It’s time to look through your fridge and cupboards and throw away any of the super-unhealthy foods – especially those high in fat and sugar.
A scientific study has proven one healthy lifestyle fact that not being unable to see junk food will make you less likely to crave for it. So, it is time to give up on those tempting treats and toss them all away. It’ll be worth it in the long run.
3. Fill your cupboards with healthier foods
Eating healthy food does not have to be boring. Now you no longer have anything unhealthy in your cupboards, it’s time to refill them with healthier alternatives.
The majority of people think healthy food means simply more fruit and vegetables – through apples, bananas, carrots, tomatoes, and others are all great options you should definitely be adding to your cupboards. Also, you should consume some useful low carbohydrates foods which can help you with weight loss.
For making your healthy lifestyle goal fun and enjoyable, experiment with foods you have never tried before. From various fish and seafood to nuts and seeds there is a multitude of great alternatives for you to try out for yourself that are both tasty and healthy.
Related: 10 Healthy Low Carb Foods
4. Create and stick to a meal plan
Cooking is easy – planning what to eat is hard. You’ve found some ingredients you love, but now what? What can you do to ensure that your daily intake has all the nutrients and vitamins without going over any of the recommended limits in fat and sugar?
Making a meal plan, however, does not have to be complicated. You will need to start by deciding on a list of tasty and healthy meals and snacks you want to consume – then break down that list into an effective shopping list.
You will need to ensure that your meal plan has at least three meals a day, even if you are trying to lose weight. Remember, it’s quality, not quantity that counts when you are thinking of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
5. Pack your own lunch for work
Obesity rates in America and England are at an all-time high, and most dieticians and scientists blame this on the number of fast-food chains and shops selling ready-to-eat fatty snacks.
Not only are we influenced by fast food shops when out shopping – more and more of us are living and working in cities, and quick unhealthy snacks are more readily available than ever before. If you want a healthy lifestyle, then you just need to get rid off of all kind of fast food.
Instead of spending your lunch hour, out of work or school, by visiting one of these takeaways why not take a pre-packed lunch with you. That way you will be able to have full control of the content you eat, and you’ll have the confidence that you will achieve your targets and goals.
I know it can be tempting to grab a McDonalds once in a while – but you wouldn’t be reading this if you didn’t want to make a change in your life and you would probably only regret your impulse choice in the future.
6. Create your own exercise plan
If you thought changing the way you eat would be enough for you to be able to live a healthy lifestyle – you couldn’t have been any more wrong. Other than ensuring your food intake is proportional to your size and weight; you need to be making sure you are getting enough exercise too.
Exercising is very important if you are planning on losing weight, toning up or just trying to become healthier in general. Also, don’t forget that regular exercise has a positive impact on mental health.
One study states that exercise and physical activity can improve some symptoms of depression that are comparable to those of antidepressant treatments.
Whether you plan to exercise alone or in groups, there are an endless amount of activities for you as an individual or a team with a group of friends. You could go running, walking, hiking, football, rugby, tennis or go to the gym.
Whatever exercise for a healthy lifestyle you choose to do, as long as you are active will be good enough. Don’t think that you will have to spend hours a day to achieve your goal – for those starting out an hour of static exercise such as squats, dips, and planks and then walking or running one mile every day should be more than enough to help you meet your targets.
You will need to make a fitness plan, similar to your meal plan with a mixture of static, moving and team sports to keep you interested and motivated – never give up.
7. Be consistent and never give up
Consistency is the key to success – you will not see instant results whether you are trying to tone up or lose weight unless you are persistent in whatever you do.
You will not be able to stick to your meal plan or fitness targets unless you are enjoying what you do and like the taste of what you’re eating. Why not join a local sports team? From football to tennis, there will be something out there for everyone – no matter your country of residence, sex or age.
Most importantly, ironically, don’t forget to treat yourself once in a while with a sweet snack or a relaxing day. Overworking yourself will only lead to you hating what you’re trying to achieve, and you will struggle to be able to achieve your goal of living a healthy lifestyle.
Related: 7 Motivational Tips to Kick Start Your Summer Workout
Also, having proper sleep is important for achieving a healthy lifestyle. Also, beware of the night time bedtime mistakes which can cause you to gain weight.
