Simple Tips for Sticking to Healthy Habits
The following article was written by Heinen’s Chief Dietitian, Melanie Jatsek RD, LD. Click here to learn more about Mel’s personalized nutrition coaching services.
I have a magnet on my refrigerator that says: “Live today like you want tomorrow to be.” It seems simple enough, doesn’t it? If I want to be healthy tomorrow, I should make healthy choices today.
Making healthy food choices isn’t so hard. Just visit your local Heinen’s and load your cart with Fx™-approved foods like berries, broccoli, beans, and Brussels sprouts. Of course, you must also eat said nutritious foods, but again, that’s the easy part!
So if it’s really that simple, why is it so hard to stick to our goals? Because it’s all too easy to slip back into our old habits without even realizing it.
Old Habits are Strong, Stubborn, and Comfortable
We all have a favorite pair of sweatpants or lounge wear. Mine are hideously plaid, kitty-imprinted and oh so soft and snuggly. In fact, the second I get home from work, I head straight to the bedroom like Clark Kent and in less than a minute, I’m transformed into Lounge Lady! My point is, we are attracted to comfort, and there’s nothing more comfortable than old familiar habits.
If your current habits are working for you and your health is exactly what you want it to be, then there’s no need to change. But if you’re like most of us, there’s always room for improvement.
Before you throw in the towel over past failed attempts at building healthy habits, let’s explore some features of old habits.
It helps to think of old habits as individual bricks piled on top of each other, forming a giant wall. If we had it our way, we’d knock the wall down like King Kong with one mighty kick. In a way, that’s what we do whenever we make a positive change in our eating habits, but we forget that the old habits are still alive and bubbling within us. They don’t just crumble because we’ve decided to eat kale! Take a closer look at that wall and you’ll notice the bricks are fastened together by mortar, a thick substance that hardens to create a strong bond between them.
Similarly, our old habits are very strong and must slowly be dismantled if we ever hope to be free of them.
Dismantling Old Habits and Making Room for New
The real process of change is found in slowly breaking down the wall of old habits so that our new healthy habits can bear fruit, brick by brick.
I’d like to offer you four pieces of wisdom I’ve learned over the years that have personally helped me in my never-ending pursuit of wellbeing in body, mind and spirit.
- Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Change is uncomfortable, and that’s a good thing. Think about a time in your life when you accomplished something you were proud of. I’ll bet the road to get there was a bit bumpy and uncomfortable, wasn’t it? It helps to keep in mind that these feelings aren’t felt in vain, they mean that something beautiful is about to bloom.
- Be patient with yourself. Dismantling old habits and forming new ones is a process, so please remember to practice kindness and patience with yourself, just like you would a precious baby who is learning to walk.
- Forgive yourself. So you messed up… who cares! When you think of these little slipups as part of the process, you’ll discover they are a necessary part of your success story. Don’t reprimand, rejoice!
- Keep showing up! Some days will be easier than others. Monday may have gone without a hitch and choosing the apple over apple pie was as easy as, well, pie. Then Tuesday rolled around, and the temptations were so strong you wondered if you were even the same person. No matter what, keep showing up! It may not feel like it, but every time you make the decision to show up, you wear a path to the new habit and send a strong message to your subconscious that says: “This girl/guy doesn’t give up!”
Key Takeaway
Each night before bed, I like to check-in with myself by asking: “Am I a better person today than I was yesterday?” A better caregiver for my body? A better human being to others? Did I love a little more than yesterday? I seem to sleep more soundly when the answer is yes.
I invite you to give it a try for yourself. But please remember, “better” doesn’t have to mean by leaps and bounds. If you are even a mustard seed-size better than you were yesterday, that is enough to keep the momentum going long enough to see the fruits of your labor.
Heinen’s Wellness Consultants are standing by to help you pave the way to healthy habits that stick! Stop by the Wellness Department and introduce yourself, or even better, schedule a free Club Fx™ Store Tour to discover new healthy foods for your journey.
