Congratulations!
After several months and long hours logged in the gym, you’ve done it! You’ve successfully transformed yourself into a healthy person. People are going to be all over your rock hard abs, pecs, and biceps. They’re going to notice how drastic your physical change was from a big, chunk of flesh to a svelte figure. Say goodbye to getting sick easily and having to buy medicine for fever regularly. No more name-calling from your friends like, “fatso”, “chubby”, or “fatty face”. Now you’re going to be known as “The Health Buff”, “The Fit Person”, or “The Brad Pitt”. Maybe not the last one, but you get the picture.
As you’ve experienced, maintaining a healthy lifestyle is hard. Oftentimes, you may experience the temptation to slip back into your past life…the unhealthy life, that is. Oh how wonderful it would be to sink your teeth into that cholesterol-filled cheeseburger or that heavenly piece of grilled pork chops, says a voice in your head. But another one says, Don’t do it! You’ll lose everything you’ve worked hard for.
Listen to the second voice. You’re in much better shape now than you were before. Even when you’re healthy, the temptation will be there. But there are ways on how to fight it. Here’re 6 tips on how to not miss your unhealthy lifestyle.
Tip #1: Train your brain
Learning to say “No” is one of the best ways to prevent yourself from giving in to temptation. Research says that saying the phrase “I don’t” instead of saying “I can’t” sends a positive loop to your brain that you are in control. It’ll distract you from your bad habits and reinforce the good ones you’ve established.
So the next time someone offers you a slice of sugar-rich cake, you can simply say, “No, thank you. I don’t eat that anymore.”
Tip #2: What you eat isn’t your body’s master. You are.
In line with the first tip, remember that you are in control. Yes, you. With the discipline you’ve gained from your strict regimen of exercise and diet, you can tell your brain what to eat and what not to eat.
Tip #3: Avoid tempting situations
If you don’t want to miss your unhealthy lifestyle, stay away from anything that reminds you of it. That means steering clear from places that offer grilled pork and fast food joints.
Tip #4: Healthy lifestyle = fun lifestyle
Let’s be honest, you’re in a much better place right now with the new friends you gained from going to the gym, attending fun runs, jogging, and all the other wholesome activities you’ve participated in. That’s much better than watching TV all day, eating chips, and chugging down huge amounts of soda or beer.
Tip #5: Have your cake and eat it too
Nowhere does it say that you have to completely wipe out all the unhealthy food from your life. Remember: everything in moderation. You can have ice cream, cake, and all the sweet stuff, but regulate how much of it you eat and when. Give yourself a binge day, like Saturday and Sunday. Those are the best times to indulge, since it’s the weekend.
Tip #6: Get lots of sleep
Research has proven that getting 7-9 hours of sleep a day is the key to empowering your self-control. Good sleep enables you to make better health choices and prevents you from slipping back to your unhealthy lifestyle.
Do you have other tips on how you can prevent yourself from falling back to your unhealthy lifestyle? Feel free to share them in the comments section below.