4 tips to help you stick to healthy habits long-term.

Oh, deary, we’ve all been there. You set a goal to get healthy and fit, and then somehow, you end up sabotaging yourself before you even get in the swing of things. 🤦🏽‍♀️

You have good intentions, but somehow, you find yourself eating that pint of ice cream or skipping your workout for the fifth day in a row. Ugh, I’ve totally been there. 

But don’t worry. Keep reading for some super helpful tips to help you stop sabotaging your health goals… like, today.

[TLDR] If you don’t wanna read, and you’re anxious to get into action instead, click here to download my FREE workbook: 5 Healthy Habit Roadblocks to Avoid.

 

First things first, let’s talk about your mindset. 

If you keep telling yourself that you can’t do it, guess what? You won’t do it. Our thoughts become our reality, so start by shifting your mindset. 

I know it’s totally easier said than done, but if you start practicing thought and language changes, it WILL get easier. Instead of saying, “I can’t do this,” try saying, “I am capable of achieving my health goals.”

I know it might sound and feel cheesy. But say it again: “I am capable of achieving my health goals.” Doesn’t it also feel better!?

This tip is first because it’s truly the most important one. Even if we achieve a goal (like weight loss, for example) if our mindset is stuck in negative body image… that goal weight is NOT going to make us happy.

So let go of that “once I do X, then I’ll feel Y” attitude. We need to start working on feeling “Y” (sexy, confident, lovable, attractive, good enough, successful) NOW!!

Next up, let’s talk about goal setting. 

It’s essential to set realistic and achievable goals. If you set goals that are too lofty, you’re setting yourself up for failure. Start small and work your way up. I’m talking, really small. Minute. Mini!

For example, if you’ve never run a mile in your life, don’t set a goal to run a marathon in a month. Start by running a quarter mile and work your way up. Or walk a mile and jog for 1min at a time. 

I’ve built up my running routine in the past with the “5K Runner” app and it gives you a day by day training plan with interval timers during your workouts. You go on a run and it tells you when to run, when to walk, and builds the running time nice and slow. 

It’s important to think about your end goal, such as running a marathon, working out 5 days a week, being toned, meal prepping 4 days a week, whatever is YOUR big goal. 

But then your starting place needs to be habits and action steps so small, you feel like you should be doing more… but big enough that you are making progress.

Now, let’s talk about accountability. 

Find someone who can hold you accountable. An accountabilibuddy, if you will. 

It could be a friend, family member, coach or personal trainer. When you have someone checking in on you on a regular basis, it’s much harder to make excuses and skip your workouts. 

Another form of accountability would be to sign up for a group exercise class. Usually if you cancel, there’s a fee, which is an incentive to get your tushy there. 

Also, if you go regularly, you might start to get to know people in the class, and when you miss a week, they might start to ask “where were you”. We don’t want to let our workout buddies down!

Speaking of workouts, let’s talk about doing exercise you actually enjoy. If you hate running, 🙋🏽‍♀️ don’t force yourself to run. Try different types of exercise until you find something that you actually look forward to doing. 

Maybe it’s dancing, yoga, or swimming. Whatever it is, find something that makes you feel good. This is important because it increases our motivation and consistency when we actually look forward to how a workout makes us feel! 

If it’s a tough HIIT class… we might complain in the middle, say “this sucks” lol or want it to stop. But it’s that endorphin rush when we’re finished that makes it all worth it. 

Lastly, let’s talk about nutrition. 

You don’t have to give up all your favorite foods, but you do need to make healthier choices. Instead of depriving yourself of everything you love, try swapping out unhealthy snacks for healthier options. 

For example, swap out chips for veggie chips, or freeze dried veggies like Kale chips or peas. 

You can also try carrots and hummus or another crunchy veggie to satisfy that texture craving. 

This is another area where it’s important to ENJOY yourself. If you’re too restrictive and create too many rules about what you’re “not allowed to eat” anymore… it will surely backfire. 

The more it’s running through our mind “I can’t eat donuts, cookies or chips”, the more our mind just registers “donuts, cookies and chips” and actually wants those things more than if you just ate the real thing every once in a while when you were truly craving it!

It truly is about everything in moderation. I recommend giving yourself small switches with nutrition, and focussing on changing 1-2 meals first. Maybe that looks like “I have one healthy snack every day” or “I eat a healthy breakfast at least 4 days a week”. 

An approach like this will totally help you ditch self-sabotage, and magically get to a place where you can say “Dang! It’s been almost a year and I’ve consistently been adding to my healthy habits. It’s doable. I feel great. I’ve allowed for life to happen and have needed to maintain or take a step back, but… I haven’t given up!”

So, there you have it, love. These tips will help you stop sabotaging your health goals and start living your best life. Remember, it’s not about being perfect, it’s about progress. Every step you take towards a healthier lifestyle is a step in the right direction. You’ve totally got this!

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If you found these tips helpful, and you want more details on how to stop sabotaging and start goaling… download my FREE workbook: 5 Healthy Habit Roadblocks to Avoid – and what to do instead!