Lifestyle Changes: How to Get Started

No matter the circumstance, change is always hard and we’ve all experienced it. It can vary from moving to a new place, changing jobs, or leaving old habits behind. When it comes to making healthier choices, there are many factors that can push us toward these lifestyle changes and while the initial rush of motivation can be a good jumpstart to our journey, it’s not always enough when we encounter the first obstacles.

Most of us take the new year as a starting point for these new, healthy changes, but did you know that 80% of those resolutions[1] are abandoned by the time February rolls around? This can be frustrating to many and although they want to reach their goals and be healthy, this can be a determining factor for pausing or abandoning any lifestyle changes. At LIMARP®, we consider it important that our patients reach their goals and we provide several services at our Tijuana clinic to ensure that they have all the necessary tools and assistance.

In this article, we will talk about the changes you can make to start leading a healthy lifestyle, along with several tips on how to achieve them. As part of our integrative program, we offer nutritional and psychological guidance because we understand that lifestyle changes encompass all aspects of your well-being, not only physical changes. And while we also understand that most goals revolve around weight loss or any body composition change, we want to encourage a holistic approach to those goals by highlighting the importance of mindfulness and healthy nutrition.

Getting Started

First of all, we want to remind you that you don’t have to wait until the end or the beginning of each year to start any lifestyle change. Any day is the perfect day to start and although motivation can come and go, it’s important to seize those moments to implement healthy changes in your life. However, our first recommendation is to start small; we understand that when you hype yourself to do something, you want to get it right immediately, but visible progress takes time and coming to terms with that can prevent you from giving up too quickly.

A lifestyle change consists in modifying your behavior or implementing changes that have positive and healthy impacts on your life. These changes are encouraged when you start a wellness program or as part of a recovery process following any type of surgery. If this change was instructed by your doctor, they will probably give you a set of instructions and a timeline of when you can start or retake certain activities that will set you on a healthier path.

However, if you start that health journey on your own, it’s important that you set short-term goals. According to the American Psychological Association[2], it’s best to start “small, focusing on one behavior at a time and support from others can help you achieve your exercise or other health-related goals”. Some of the habits that people tend to focus on are the following: sleeping patterns, physical activity, eating tendencies, water intake, and stress management.

Changing these habits can create lasting and positive effects on your well-being. You may think that the food you consume only affects your weight, but it’s been proven that it can also have a healthy impact on your mental health. A good amount of sleep is also important for a healthier lifestyle because its benefits go beyond being well-rested, it can also improve your concentration and help you see better results if you’re working out.

As is the case with exercise, you should keep up with these lifestyle changes in order for them to feel or become part of your natural routine, and that usually takes about a month. If you’re unsure on how to start, we recommend that you determine a clear, initial goal or life aspect where you want to see noticeable change, whether it be psychological, dietary, or behavioral. This implies changes to your attitude and the way you manage stress; altering your sleeping habits and increasing your activity level, or making healthy changes to your diet that allow you lose weight and balance your hormone levels.

Steps You Can Take

Plan it out. Once you decide to make any lifestyle change, it’s important to have a specific plan and to stick to it. If your focus is on exercising more, look up workout routines that can help you reach your goals and dedicate certain days of the week to carry them out. It can also be helpful to write them down on a day planner or a whiteboard where you can see it everyday as a reminder.

Take it one day at a time. It’s not easy to let go of unhealthy behaviors and replacing them with healthy ones will take time. Pushing yourself to make way too many changes too fast can lead to exhaustion and frustration, so to ensure success it’s important to focus on one goal at a time until they become habits, not obligations.

Invite a friend. Everyone is different and while some may prefer to go on this journey alone, some benefit from having a partner with similar goals. It can be a friend or family member who is also trying to make lifestyle changes, whether it be exercising more or improving their diet. You can also keep each other motivated and be a source of support since you can share your struggles and milestones.

Contact Us to Learn More

If you’re looking to make some lifestyle changes and are looking for guidance, schedule an appointment with one of our doctors. We can help determine the right treatment for you. Contact us online anytime or give us a call at (619) 373-0229.