How adhering to healthy lifestyle behaviors can help in losing weight

Weight-loss resolutions are becoming so hard to follow that the topic is the base for hundreds of memes lately. What makes adhering to weight-loss routines so difficult? Why do people avoid continuing the routine even after understanding the pros of following healthy habits? Are cutting down on sugar and introducing exercise regimes impossible goals? If so, try following these simple lifestyle habits purely based on multiple researches on social science and health behavior theories, and make your weight loss endeavor a grand success.

Lifestyle behaviors and ways to lose weight

A healthy weight loss requires a disciplined lifestyle behavior. From cutting down on processed foods to implementing a new exercise regime; it can take a toll on your entire routine and ultimately lead to unwanted stress. Hence, any change in the routines need careful introspection on how that may affect your day-to-day activities and how you would be able to cope up with the aftermath. The whole idea of following a healthy lifestyle would be possible only if you introduce lifestyle changes gradually and without causing sudden interruption in the routine, you were following until now. And in order to make these slight changes follow the helpful tips mentioned in the subsequent section.

Top eight tips to follow a healthy weight loss regime

As the quote goes, “Only I can change my life, no one can do it for me”, talks about the negative thoughts demotivating you from adapting to a healthy life. Go slow, pick up a healthy habit one by one, and gradually make it a lifelong commitment. Follow these simple tips and make your life easier.

Avoid negative impact

Negative influences like stress and societal norms are difficult to handle, making your new lifestyle routine too tedious to follow. Therefore, when you pick up a new habit, ensure that you have full control over these impacts. The next time when your favorite family member comes with an unhealthy breakfast, try postponing that to a full mealtime or ask them gently to honor your decision of choosing a strict diet regime. Follow an exercise routine involving practices of meditation or mindfulness to reduce the work or family related stress.

Change routine one at a time

Picking up a healthy lifestyle behavior means making changes to multiple habits at a time like quitting smoking, eating less oily foods , early to bed and multiple other things . These multiple changes can be extremely overwhelming and you may find it difficult to sustain new habits and gradually fall back to old behaviors. Hence, imbibe changes in your routine systematically. For example, cut down your sugar intake by reducing your dessert consumption after one meal initially. Later on, increase the rate of reduction. This method can help you to reduce your stress as well.

What motivates you to change your lifestyle behavior

It is crucial to identify the factor that motivates you to accept a new lifestyle routine. For some it may be the annoying health troubles, while for some others it may be the desire to look young and fit. Whatever the reason be, a strong motivation is essential for making a successful behavior change according to theories of social cognitive theory and health belief models. Hence, identify what benefits you would like to see towards the successful incorporation of a healthy lifestyle.

Acquire the required knowledge

The health behavior theories establish that knowledge is a key factor that convinces an individual to accept a healthy routine. So do proper research either by consulting your doctor or by reading journals and other scientific sources and understand the benefits. A superior knowledge motivates you to adopt a proper behavior and sustain it as well.

Sustaining a lifestyle behavior can take time

Adopting a new lifestyle routine requires passing through five stages of change that involves: pre-contemplation, analyzing negative impacts, consulting doctors and peers, preparing for change and finally sustaining the change. The process might require months together to establish. Hence, be patient as you develop critical motivation & skills for the change.

Accept help

Studies have established that receiving social encouragement and appreciation are great motivating factors for people to accept lifestyle behavior changes. Whether it is seeking help for following a low-carb diet, or to accompany you for new exercise routines, accepting help from your loved ones can be extremely motivating and successful as well.

Change the environment

Kicking a bad habit might require a slight change in your routine environment. So when you are in your new lifestyle try changing old habits like replacing your candy jar with healthy snacks or keeping your yoga mat close enough and create an environment that promotes healthy habits. Engage yourself in challenges such as social media challenges that promote healthy behaviors and avoid close association with people engaged in unhealthy behaviors like smoking.

Bringing about change to your normal routine is challenging and even more difficult is to sustain those changes. If ever you are successful in your endeavors, make sure that you celebrate your small successes appropriately.

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