These days we hear a lot of talk about healthy eating, from the internet, advertisements and perhaps from family and friends. We also hear how it has helped countless people reach their weight goals as well as clearing some underlined health problems such as high blood pressure, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and much more as well as promoting overall better health.
Now, with all this information crowding your daily life, it can be quite confusing to know where to start from and what’s the best approach to take in implementing and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
The good news is if you keep reading this article, I will tell you just that, psst… it’s simpler than you think!
Step one, we must get to the why before the how. Ask yourself, why would I like to start living a healthier lifestyle? At this point a few questions might be dancing around your brain such as, would it be to lose weight, to feel more energetic, to look better in my favourite clothes, or to feel good in my skin, Or maybe it’s all of the above. Next you need to ask yourself what are my goals? Short term or long term we need to have goals as it’s important to keep track of where you’re going and not running in circles. At this point it would also be a good idea to draw up a checklist of what you need for example:
• A schedule to workout
• A nutritional plan
• Accountability plan
• A shopping list
• A short-term goal
• An overall end goal
Step two, now what about the food side of things I hear you ask. Let’s have a look. You see it’s not just as simple as a caloric surplus to gain weight/muscle or a deficit to lose weight/tone up. Instead, we need to be eating the right kind of foods. Healthy foods are wholesome foods that can sustain the body without the need to snack during meals, this alone, with adding an evening walk into your daily routine and you’re well on your way to a healthier way of living.
Now some people may have told you that it’s all about tracking macronutrients (carbs, fats, and protein) and counting calories. “Sure, how am I meant to enjoy myself” you may hear yourself say? Eating health doesn’t have to be boring or bland at all and you can still enjoy your favourite meals.
However, you do need to lay the foundations of what’s to come. After all, ‘You have to crawl before you can walk’ and this is no different. The good news is the benefits you will gain from eating cleaner and moving your body is second to none.
Psychology
Psychologically speaking these healthy choices will improve one’s mood and promote a cascade of healthier choices. Starting something new will always require a lot of cognitive function initially, as you progress into a healthier lifestyle however, things slowly become habit. These new habits simply override the bad habits, the best thing about habits is it requires virtually no cognitive function to do so! A great example of this phenomenon would be: Have you ever driven your car to your job or home only to get there and ask yourself ‘how did I get here’? that’s because it’s a hardwired habit that requires virtually no cognitive interaction, a bit like being on autopilot. Now wouldn’t you like to be healthier on autopilot! it’s as simple as a lifestyle choice. Schedule your time and meals in advance, get to the gym and start living the life you always wanted.
Choosing a healthier lifestyle may not be for you but instead for that special someone in your life I say this because I often see people choosing a healthier lifestyle not for themselves but for others, for example grandparents will want to be healthier so they can be there to play with their grandchildren and to be able run after them when they run off! Many people have also witnessed that choosing a healthier lifestyle has an additional impact on our loved ones, as they see us training and eating healthy, we act as a role model for others, because let’s face it who doesn’t want to be healthier.
Nutrition
Nutrition is not a complex beast that’s here to trip you up or stop you from your favourite meals. Nutrition is simple, for example, don’t eat anything that contains more than five ingredients listed on the back of the pack, why? Because it’s classed as a processed food and processed food still needs to be unprocessed into its constituent parts, in order to be used by the body as energy. I understand that food choices are a very personal thing, and this can be a tough topic to talk about for most, therefore talking to a professional in terms of nutritional guidelines could be beneficial if you just don’t know where to start.
The Best Way Forward
Knowing your bodyfat percentage can be another great start, as seeing yourself not as you do, but as others do is a great way to get motivated to change. A Styku scan for example can show you a 3D image of your body in real time, this gives you a better visualisation of your current physique. Better than this a trained Styku coach can break it all down for you in minutes and help you kickstart your fitness journey. Here at Farrell Fitness Performance Centre, we have just that, our staff are all fully trained with Styku. Staff are all highly educated professionals who can help you get started and provide you with a framework that will help you maintain your new healthier New Year’s resolution, your days of trying are over, your fitness journey starts here.
Farrell Fitness is here in New Ross, you can find us at 27, Woodbine Business Park, New Ross, Co. Wexford
We always love meeting new people, why not come down for a chat, just reference this article when you arrive, we will grab you a coffee and a seat. 😊