Making healthy lifestyle changes can seem overwhelming and difficult. Many people give up when the going gets tough and never reap the benefits which come with a healthy lifestyle! Though some can just jump right in and embrace their new life, others need to take many small steps to get there!
Here are six tips to help you along the way!
1. Research and Read! It is so important you really understand what you are getting into! There are many self-help books out there, fitness, food, natural hygiene, etc., so go and do some reading! I read The 80-10-10 Diet, The Thrive Diet, and The Plant Powered Diet when transitioning to a vegan diet. I also studied vegan/raw food/acid-alkaline food with The University Of Natural Health. I wanted to be sure I understood my new diet & lifestyle! Become an expert!!
2. Get online and make new friends!! If you are adding fitness or changing your diet, the internet can be a great place for support! Facebook has thousands of groups to join, with people on a similar journey as you! I followed The Banana Girl Diet page, Freelee The Banana Girl, Raw Til 4, FoodNSport, and FullyRaw! It is a wonderful way to socialize with people living a similar lifestyle!
3. Commit!! You must make a commitment to make the change happen! If you continue to make excuses for your old habits and bad behaviors, you will not succeed, focus on the new! I made a commitment to follow a vegan lifestyle, though it wasn't always perfect, I focused on my commitment and didn't look back!
4. Set goals! If you have a diet goal(vegan, raw food, vegetarian), weight goal, running goal, or muscle building goal, make sure it is realistic. Give yourself an appropriate amount of time to reach it and keep track of your progress. If you are not sure what a realistic goal is, meet with a Personal Trainer or Health Coach to help you!
5. Give yourself a high five :) What I mean is, be kind to yourself and praise all of your hard work and effort!!! We usually focus on what we didn't do and forget to celebrate what we did do!! Every goal you've reached, every little step you've taken deserves a high five :)
6. Don't quit after one slip up! It is not easy making huge (or small) changes in your life. You may even slip up...it happens, we are all human! I remember the first time I drank a latte with a dairy base, I didn't panic or quit my new diet completely. Fuck it-what's the point now!?!? is not a healthy attitude to have and it will get you NO WHERE! Focus on the rest of the day, making the BEST choices you can! If you skipped a workout...well, tomorrow is a new day and another opportunity, don't give up because you slipped up!
Life is full of opportunities and new adventures, go out there and discover how you can make some wonderful changes in your life! Change is great, it can up your eyes to a whole new world and possibly bring positive health improvement in your life!!
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