As you renovate your health, especially if you’re following a weight loss plan, you will be faced with some challenges. If you’re less healthy than you could be (and most of us are), chances are good that certain habits are to blame. So, in order to get healthier, you will be confronted with the task of breaking those habits. The road to better health is always paved with better choices.
But of course, breaking bad habits isn’t so easy. Otherwise you would have succeeded already! Experts will offer a variety of methods to help you change your patterns, and most of these strategies do indeed have some merit. But one thing we know for sure is that the best way to change your habits is by replacing old, unhealthy behaviors with new, better ones.
In particular, we would urge you to address the following five unhealthy habits, as you follow your weight loss plan and fight against age-related diseases:
Smoking . You know it already; smoking increases your risk of serious diseases and shortens your life span.
Smartphone use. We’re all more addicted to these devices than ever, and some evidence has demonstrated that it’s bad for our brains. At the very least, frequent smartphone use encourages a couch potato lifestyle!
Binge-watching TV. Yes, it’s fun to watch multiple episodes of your newest fave TV show. But doing so can increase loneliness, anxiety, and depression, and frequently engaging in the habit will obviously decrease heart-healthy activity.
Snacking when you’re bored. It’s nearly impossible to stick to a weight loss plan if you snack when you’re bored, lonely, sad, or tired.
Procrastination. You have so much to do, that you avoid your to-do list altogether. This is no way to reach your goals!
We have good news: There is one easy way to tackle all of these bad habits (and probably others as well). Get up and go for a walk! When you feel the urge to engage in an unhealthy habit, simply get up and walk away from it. Get outside, get your heart rate up, and enjoy a few minutes of sunshine. It doesn’t take long to switch your thinking from “indulgence” to “self care”, and after a few weeks you’ll find it so much easier to literally walk away from the habits that are holding you back.
For further guidance as you pursue a weight loss plan, give us a call. We can help you set manageable goals and offer the encouragement you need along the way.
