Creating Healthy Habits

Weight loss and healthy living are two of the most made and broken New Year’s resolutions. As we embark into the middle of January, it can be easier to slip back into unhealthy ways. The biggest key to healthy living is creating healthy habits. This doesn’t necessarily mean having to stick to that stingy diet you started with. While dieting is great for weight loss, once you’ve hit your loss goal, it is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle. We have some tips and tricks that will help you stay in top shape through 2019 and beyond!

• Eat Off a Plate: This may seem obvious, but seeing how much food your eating helps you with portion control! When eating out of a bag, box, or other container, it is difficult to comprehend how much you’ve actually ate. When you put the food you’re eating into a bowl or onto a plate, not only does it allow you to portion your food, it helps your mind visualize how much you’ve eaten.
• Stay Hydrated: Drinking water is such an important part of healthy living that many people neglect. Many health experts recommend that you drink half to one ounce of water for every pound you weigh i.e. if you weigh 140 pounds, you should drink between 70 and 140 ounces of water. Drinking water can help boost your metabolism and stave off hunger.
• Healthy Food Substitutions: Living healthy doesn’t have to mean eating less. It could be as simple as getting a side salad instead of fries or getting a water with dinner instead of a soda or beer.
• Exercise Substitutions: To encourage a healthy lifestyle, you don’t have to go to the gym for an hour a day for six days a week. While going to the gym can help, there are other ways to get some brief, but brisk, exercise in. Park further away when you get to work or take the stairs instead of the elevator. Need to grab something from the store? If possible, ride your bike or even walk there. For those who live in areas where it gets cold in the winter, you can be active inside. Try stretching or doing yoga while watching television.
• Reduce Stress: Stress can have a lot of negative effects on the body. It can impede weight loss, cause headaches, create wrinkles, and even raise your blood pressure. Make sure you are taking a step back and allowing yourself to relax. Go for a leisurely stroll, get a massage, light a candle, or find a  unique habit that helps you relax. Stress relief is different for each person.
• Get More Sleep: One part of healthy living is to make sure you get enough sleep each night. A person should, on average, get between six and eight hours of sleep. Sleeping allows your body to recover from a hard day of work or re-energize for the next day. If you can, upgrade your mattress to something that fits your sleeping style better. Mattresses can be a bit pricey to upgrade, so if you can’t do that, upgrade your pillow. A better pillow allows for better neck and head support. Avoid waking up with a kink in your neck by trying out both hard and firm pillows.