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Five Tips For Building Healthy Habits
Health | May 25, 2015
As I’ve said before, motivation might give us the initial helpful push, but habits are what keep us moving forward regardless of how fast or slow we progress. As with anything good and beneficial, trying to have healthy habits can be a huge challenge, but I believe the following tips can help anyone in developing them.
Discipline
Discipline can sound like a harsh word. It makes us think about nuns and drill sergeants. However, discipline can be a very good thing when it keeps us on track. Often when we are at our lowest emotionally, mentally or physically our defenses against unhealthy cravings and general laziness begin to fail. A healthy amount of discipline keeps us focused keeps our defenses strong. Rather than abandoning our goals for the sake of instant gratification or, worse, a bad case of ‘giveupitis’ discipline can actually guide us out of our negative moods and back on to the path of healthier habits. The Stanford Marshmallow Experiment is a funny, but important study that demonstrated just how valuable discipline and self-control are in the pursuit of success.
Be Accountable, But Be Gentle
If you slip up in trying to form healthier habits, be aware of why you did so and don’t brush it off as nothing. Often when we chase comfort there are deeper issues at hand that we are not addressing. For example, you’re a week into your low-carb diet when you suddenly find yourself three donuts deep into a box of a dozen that ‘magically appeared’ in your kitchen. You also got into a pretty heated argument with your boyfriend last night. That’s pretty much a no-brainer as to why you’re chomping down on that maple bar at the moment. Don’t take your slip-up as an invitation to give up though! Acknowledge the mistake and just move forward.
Be Patient
When trying anything new and challenging and forming it into a habit, patience is required. We simply can’t tell ourselves that from today on forward I will exercise everyday or eat healthy if we haven’t done these things before. “All good things to those who wait” is an annoying, but very true statement :). A study published in the European Journal of Social Psychology suggests that it takes roughly 66 days to form a habit. That’s a fairly long time, but nothing we can’t handle if we remain patient with our goals and our progress.
Consistency
This is a no-brainer and one that I will always bring up. You cannot conquer a mountain by constantly climbing up a little then climbing back down. You have to keep climbing and climbing until you reach the top. The same goes for forming habits, especially ones that relate to diet and fitness. Whether it’s losing weight or being healthier the habits we form must be consistent otherwise we are cheating ourselves and ruining the hard work we put in.
Lower Your Expectations
Don’t suddenly tell yourself that you must do everything all at once immediately. That’s a recipe for burning out quickly and it’s definitely not how to form a habit. I’ve witnessed too many people who want to get in shape immediately begin to starve themselves and run five miles for a week straight. That’s crazy and far from any real idea of fitness and wellbeing as habits. If you’re just starting out with me at the ZGYM there’s no harm in taking it slow. I’d much rather you workout consistently three times a week over the next year than try to workout with me seven times a week for two months and quit.
I hope these tips help! Let me know how you’re doing with your healthy habits :).
Private Member |
lodz, poland
Zu, one of my healthy habits is following your Zchef recipes:)))
Will you keep them going in?
Pretty please 🙂
Private Member |
la valette-du-var, france
The last one she made makes me salivate hahaha
Private Member |
lodz, poland
oh yessssss, I love it.
Too bad it’s so simple and easy to make, because I already know I will make it waaaaay to often.
hahahaha:D
Private Member |
la valette-du-var, france
Hahahaha ! Yes, it can get easily uncontrollable 😀
Private Member |
kraków, poland
My new habit since the beginning of the month it get up early and workout. It’s really do me cheerful and I can’t already otherwise. And also my weekend starts early. Nothing invigorates as well as the training Zuzka. 🙂
And then cooking for the whole day me and my boyfriend.
Private Member |
After I started to follow you, Zuzka, I have no any problems to think junk food, candies and other those stuff. I can’t even explain it, but some how it just happened. I used to be very very things for myself and I count all my food, but not anymore. And now I’m better shape I was before – so, it’s all thanks to you and your effective workouts. I got the body I always wanted – because of you and your workouts! <3
Private Member |
Ahhh, healthy habbits. I’m realy good with eating during the week but the weekends…. ahh 🙁
I’m struggling with my sugar addiction. I’m not having sugar for a while but then I just need to eat something sweet.
Then I feel bad with myself and don’t feel good overall.
I’m realy trying but it’s not easy.
I would like to ask how can I add my profile picture?
Thanks xxx
Private Member |
la valette-du-var, france
The less you eat sugar, the less you actually want it 🙂 but yeah it’s a pain in the ass to get over it, I feel you 😀
If you want to upload a profile picture you have to go to gravatar.com and your picture will appear on every website on which the function is available.
Private Member |
Thank you for that xxx
Private Member |
la valette-du-var, france
I’m glad you did, you look gorgeous 😀
Private Member |
That’s so nice of you 🙂 Thank you xxx
Private Member |
cambridgeshire, england, uk
I made a promise to myself 4 weeks ago that I would eat healthily and exercise, since then I have been doing your workouts daily, I follow a similar diet to yours (I think), I haven’t touched sugar since reading your articles and other articles about it and I also haven’t touched alcohol. I have to say I find the food really easy to stick to, as there is a wide variety of foods you can eat and they are tasty. I also make sure I drink at least 2L water per day. I’ve never felt better, my skin is so much better and I have tons of energy. The only expectation I have of myself is to keep on track with eating healthy and exercising and if I just so happen to see a six pack appearing well then that’s just a very welcome bonus 🙂
Just wanted to say thank u Zuzka for being a great role model and helping us accomplish our goals every day!
P.s I also struggle with something a little sweet, always on a Friday night, I have a chocolate R protein bar as my end of week treat! Not sure if that’s the best thing to eat at night, any other suggestions would be great?? 🙂
Private Member |
la valette-du-var, france
You’re doing so great Amanda 😀 I’m glad you’re happy with your new lifestyle 🙂 I’d say for your end of week treat : Zuzka’s last recipe, it has chocolate in it so you won’t be disappointed 😀 plus if you earned it with your workout, no guilt at all !!!
Private Member |
cambridgeshire, england, uk
Thanks manon I’ll definitely give it a try! However, I usually do my workouts in the afternoon between 1-3pm and don’t crave something sweet til around 8pm! maybe if I eat a post workout treat in the afternoon my craving will be gone by the evening 🙂
Private Member |
la valette-du-var, france
Hehehe, try and let me know 😀
Private Member |
My habit is tracking each time I workout! If I don’t work out that day I but “rest day” just for a way to see how many times I missed my workout then I try to lower that amount every three months! But I always right down the workout I did and the date!!
Private Member |
québec, canada
I have no trouble staying consistent with your trainings, they are so inventive and fun. 🙂
It’s another tip for staying in shape; loving what you do!