30 Tips to Achieve the Health You Desire

30 Tips to Achieve the Health You Desire by Dawn Maclaughlin #TheWellnessUniverse #WUVIP #HealthYouDesire
Another article with weight loss tips? What makes this one different?

As an Eating Psychology Coach, I am not interested in helping you lose weight. I am interested in helping you achieve the health you desire – in body and mind. I’m interested in helping you create a healthy, peaceful relationship with food. In doing so, any weight loss you may experience is a side effect. By changing your health from the inside out, you build habits that will last.

These 30 tips will get you started on the journey of achieving the health you desire:
  1. Ditch the diet. Diets are a leading predictor of weight gain, so if you are on a diet, do yourself a favor and stop.
  2. Stop weighing yourself – get rid of your scale altogether.
  3. Drink more water.
  4. Eat more vegetables.
  5. Spice it up – flavor promotes pleasure, which promotes satisfaction.
  6. Avoid foods with ingredients you cannot pronounce.
  7. Slow down.
  8. Chew your food thoroughly.
  9. Put your fork down between bites, and don’t pick it up again until your mouth is empty.
  10. Breathe deeply. Especially before you sit down to eat.
  11. Sit down to eat.
  12. Eat when you are hungry.
  13. Stop eating when you are satisfied. Ask yourself, “If I were to walk away from this meal now, would I be ok until the next one?” If yes, then stop.
  14. If you are wanting to eat, but you aren’t really hungry, pause and ask yourself, what are you hungry for?
  15. Pay attention to your food, that is, avoid multitasking while you eat. You’ll absorb more nutrients and be more satisfied.
  16. Have some healthy fat at every meal.
  17. Look for little ways to get more movement in your day. Park far away. Walk the perimeter of the store before you shop.
  18. If you have a desk job, set yourself a timer to get up and stretch every hour. Try working in 10 squats and/or 10 wall pushups.
  19. Meditate. There are lots of tools to support you in starting a meditation practice. Try it for 30 days. Start with 5 minutes, then see where that goes.
  20. Breathe deeply. Yes, I’m repeating myself. It’s important.
  21. Journal at night: What 3 things are you grateful for? What 3 things went well today?
  22. Journal in the morning: What insights do you have about yesterday? What is your intention for the day?
  23. Be reflective and curious, but not judgmental, about your choices. What are you learning about yourself?
  24. Exercise in ways that give you pleasure. Make your exercise routine an “I get to” rather than an “I have to”.
  25. Go on a 3-month “diet” from numbers. Stop counting calories, macronutrient grams, steps, etc.
  26. Develop a strong connection to your body by checking in regularly to connect with how you feel. What’s your energy level? Are you hungry or thirsty? Do you need to stretch or move? Any aches and pains? What, if anything, does your body want?
  27. Get adequate, regular sleep. If you are waking up tired, some adjustment is needed.
  28. Sleep tip: Create a power-down hour. One hour before you want to be in bed sleeping, put away electronics and begin transitioning into sleep mode.
  29. Sleep tip: If you are a person who has trouble falling asleep because your mind just keeps going, write your thoughts down before you go to bed. This could be tomorrows to-do list and whatever else is on your mind that feels unresolved.
  30. Breathe deeply. Yes, it’s that important.

Did you notice that these tips aren’t all about what you eat, or even how you move? That’s because body weight is not just about calories in/calories out. It’s affected by stress, sleep, our thoughts and beliefs and mood, and more. If you are interested in exploring a holistic, mind-body approach to transforming your health, I invite you to schedule a free Breakthrough Session. We’ll explore what it is you really want, clarify your goals, and outline a plan to get you there. One simple phone call really can change your life!


