So many people dream of losing weight or being healthier, but for a multitude of reasons they fear that it just isn’t possible. Some people just don’t have time to devote a part of their day to exercise. Let’s be realistic-working full time, taking care of a family, and still trying to find time for yourself is difficult in itself without having to set aside an hour for the gym. And then there are those who have time for exercise and have tried many times to stick to a workout plan, but because they don’t enjoy it, it affects their emotional well being or causes them to quickly give it up. If these scenarios sound familiar to you or you have had some other setbacks in living a healthy lifestyle, the truth is that there are small, simple things you can do to achieve results. The most common mistake people make when choosing to move toward a healthier lifestyle is to make drastic changes to their diets and exercise routines. This can be extremely discouraging, and the truth is that it’s really unnecessary for achieving those long-term results.

If you try to completely change your eating habits overnight, you are really setting yourself up for failure. Instead, try making a list of things you could do to eat healthier, and implement those changes gradually over time. For example, you could cook with olive oil instead of butter, eat a salad with dinner, or drink iced tea instead of soda. Additionally, completely giving up the foods you love will only make it harder. You can still have your favorite foods, as long as you limit your portions. If you have a hard time finding the will power to do this, try pre-portioning these foods ahead of time. For example, if you like potato chips for snacking, put separate small portions into baggies right when you get home from the store. Then, when you want to have a snack, you will only have a limited amount as opposed to the entire bag to reach into. The key is to avoid binge eating or consuming overly large meals. Instead of having two large meals each day, try to break your eating up into five small meals. This will keep you from becoming too hungry, which is what causes overeating.

We all know that drinking water is an important part of healthy living; however, this is one of the easiest things for people to neglect. It’s so important to make water a part of your diet, though, because it helps to cleanse your system and keep your energy levels up. It’s also easy to mistake thirst for hunger sometimes, so you may find that drinking more water throughout the day will help you to eat less. Different sources recommend different amounts of water to drink daily, but most will agree that you should try to drink at least eight glasses per day.

As for exercising, the key is to start slowly and to find activities that you enjoy doing. If you aren’t currently exercising, then jumping into a full-fledged workout routine can be intimidating. But the truth is that a little will go a long way. Instead of forcing yourself to go to the gym or do crazy fitness routines led by a mad man on a DVD, start slowly with activities that simply keep you moving. If you have a dog, take it for a 15-minute walk in the evening every day. If you have kids, play tag or hopscotch in the back yard after dinner. Also look for small things you can do each day to encourage movement, like taking the stairs instead of the elevator or parking farther away from your work building or the store so that you have to walk a bit farther.

If you start out following some of this advice, a healthier lifestyle is easily within your reach. Watch your portions, make healthy food choices, drink plenty of water, and keep yourself moving.

Peg Smith is a lifestyle expert who is able to offer advice and insight on a multitude of topics, including those pertaining to health.

Peg Smith is a lifestyle expert who is able to offer advice and insight on a multitude of topics, including those pertaining to http://www.healthgrades.com/group-directory/pennsylvania-pa/wayne/laser-spine-institute-9961d422 health.

Author Bio: Peg Smith is a lifestyle expert who is able to offer advice and insight on a multitude of topics, including those pertaining to health.

Category: Wellness, Fitness and Diet
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