Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is so important to long-term weight loss. Here's how!

Brenda Braslow, MS, RDN, LDN, CDCES - Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES)

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle requires self-discipline, awareness, and planning. Let's face it, in our modern society filled with conveniences, temptations, and luxuries, we need strategies to keep us on track to meet our personal health goals.

Why maintaining a healthy lifestyle is the key to your long-term weight loss goals!

Healthy living requires self-discipline, awareness, and planning. A strategy is often defined as a plan chosen to bring about a desired result, such as achieving a goal or solution to a problem. Strategies may be the answer you're looking for to keep you on track to meet your health goals.

A short-term plan might include following the latest fad diet that hands you strategies such as eating only certain foods according to a defined meal schedule. Someone has already planned it out for you and given you the methods. But, what happens when those strategies, created by someone else, do not fit into your lifestyle? You might feel burdened running all over town to find the recommended foods or you might feel as if you are choking down the prescribed foods. So, you gradually find yourself moving away from the plan.

A better approach for maintaining a healthy lifestyle includes personalized strategies that work for you and awareness that your plan may need to change over time. Take the time to step off the rollercoaster of life and develop a game plan. Before you know it, with time, you will have simple strategies in place that keep you focused on your health goals. And remember, keep it uncomplicated and reasonable so it lasts.

10 ways to maintain a healthy lifestyle so you can feel healthy for life!

1. Keep a pair of sneakers in the office, car, or by the door so you can go for a quick walk at lunch or break or whenever the mood strikes you.
2. Suggest a walking meeting with a coworker or plan social walks with neighbors. Walk instead of driving whenever it is reasonable.
3. Make hiking or walking dates with friends instead of lunches.
4. Schedule and prioritize exercise on your calendar just like any other important event.
5. Keep a set of hand weights in the office to do arm exercises while on speakerphone or using a headset. Keep weights by the couch to use while watching TV.
6. Portion out snacks at home for both eating at home and taking with you. Use smaller bowls, saucers, containers, and bags for snacks.
7. When traveling, pack healthy single-serving snacks so you are not tempted to buy expensive, oversized snacks.
8. Fill a large water bottle at the start of your day and refill it at lunch. Drink water and skip beverages with calories.
9. Keep a running grocery list on the kitchen counter so you stay stocked with healthy foods from a variety of food groups.
10. Plan out how many home-cooked meals and restaurant meals you will have each week.

Of course, these are just suggestions. Come up with your own personal strategies for maintaining a healthy lifestyle for long-term success.

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