How To Prevent Your Health Kicks From Failing

Many people want to be healthy, but actually making it happen is difficult in today’s modern world. There are so many obstacles that can get in the way, and a lot of people wind up failing. 

 

But what is it specifically that’s making your health kick-sfair, and why can’t you achieve the health goals that you want? Why is it always so difficult, and why do every New Year’s resolution end in disappointment? That’s what we’re going to explore in this post, and what you can do to prevent it from happening again.

 

Stop chasing the perfect day

 

The first thing you want to do is stop chasing the perfect day. Even if something goes wrong on any particular day, that’s no reason you can’t get back on the bandwagon immediately or even the next day. When you say to yourself that every day has to be perfect, you create a high-pressure environment, and that becomes unsustainable. If you mess up on Tuesday, you blame yourself and you feel guilty. So you’re less likely to want to keep going on Wednesday because you’ll think that you already blew it. 

 

The best way around this is to lean into health changes. Instead of trying to be perfect, try to be a little bit better. Make one or two changes and look and be consistent. If you mess up with something, forget about it and just move on. Don’t start calling yourself names or say that you’re lazy, because you’re probably not.

 

Use the “add, don’t subtract” rule

 

Another great strategy is to use the “add, don’t subtract” rule. The idea here is that you’re adding new foods to your diet instead of taking away the ones that you’re not allowed. Let’s say, for example, that you want to change to a plant-based diet. Instead of saying to yourself that you’re going to take away meat and cream, tell yourself that you’re going to add new foods like hummus and wholemeal bread. When you do this, it reduces the risk of falling into a deprivation mindset that can lead to bingeing. All you do is focus on what’s on your plate instead of what’s not. When you do this, you’ll find it is psychologically easier to get through the day and to really enjoy yourself.

 

Aim for a B minus when it comes to effort

Unsplash – CC0 licence

 

When it comes to effort, you want to put in the same effort that you might to get a B-. You’re not trying hard every second of the day, but you are doing things here and there to make the change happen. You’ll find that this approach is much gentler on your nervous system, and you’re able to form habits more easily. It’s actually something that nutrition coaches often recommend. They will often tell their clients to make small changes at first and then create new habits that allow them to manage even larger changes in the future. 

 

This can also be useful when you’re going to the gym. If you feel like you have to complete your full 60-minute workout every time, but for some reason you run out of time on a Tuesday, you won’t even attempt to do 30 minutes, even if that would be completely possible. Therefore, focus on doing what you can when you can instead of making every single session perfect. When it comes to health and fitness, you don’t have to be a perfectionist. Just getting into a routine and making something happen can mean all the difference in the world.

 

Fix your environment

 

Instead of using willpower to make your health kick sustainable, fix your environment. Don’t allow your home to become a source of temptation. You should only have healthy food on offer instead of relying on being strong. To do this, curate your environment to be healthy:

• Keep your gym shoes by the door
• Put a fruit bowl on the counter
• Remove any trigger foods from your home and replace them with healthy snacks instead
• Make it difficult to go out to the store or order takeaway by blocking apps on your phone
• Don’t order food late at night, but instead have some go-to recipes that you can use to cook up a delicious meal quickly that will satisfy you

Ultimately, even if the home-cooked food you’re cooking seems unhealthy, it’s usually much better for you than take-out food. Studies show that it contains less salt, fat, and other additives that can disrupt your microbiome.

 

Audit why you want to look and feel good

 

If you want to prevent your health kicks from failing, it’s also a good idea to audit yourself and ask why you want to improve your well-being. For many people, it’s about aesthetics, and they want to look good for specific events like weddings. However, this sort of motivation will usually evaporate. Instead, connect your health kick to something more functional, for example, maybe you want to focus better at work, play more with the kids, or avoid feeling sluggish in the afternoon. These rewards are something that you can remind yourself of daily, every time you’re putting in the work in the gym.

 

Think about what your minimum effective dose is

 

Lastly, it’s a good idea to think about your minimum effective dose when you’re trying to prevent a health kick from failing. When life gets chaotic and things get in the way, it can be difficult for you to sustain your health habits indefinitely. Therefore, identify the things that are non-negotiable to you and stick with them. Make sure that they become a habit. For example, you might say that drinking 2 litres of water and hitting 8,000 steps a day is the minimum effective dose for you. What’s great about this approach is that it helps you maintain your momentum even if you’re not doing your full exercise or training routine. You’re still doing something that you know can have a powerful impact on your well-being.

 

So there you have it, some of the ways you can prevent your health kicks from failing.