There is a quote that states,  “My name is CONSISTENCY, I am related to SUCCESS. We should hangout more often than every once in a while.”

This quote explains most of our lives. We get really excited about the newest health goal or fitness trend in our lives and after a few days, weeks, months or even years, we lose sight of our goals. We decide that it takes too much time and effort to continue pursuing the healthy way of life that we originally adopted. A healthy lifestyle is not made by one decision on one day or even one decision made each day, but it consists of a change in the brain. We have to retrain our thinking. A healthy lifestyle is decided by each decision that you make.

What would happen if you decided to eat spinach instead of potatoes or decided to park in the back of the parking lot rather than trying to find the closest spot? How much healthier would you be if you decided to take 10 minutes, when you got home, to cook rather than eat out. We have to start off with consistent small choices and radical lifestyle changes will start to manifest.

Sometimes being healthy may seem like an inconvenience. There are many excuses that we could use but instead we will choose to be consistent:

• Even when it hurts

• Even when there is no time

• Even when we don’t feel like working out or eating healthy

• Even when others are asking us to do something else

• Even when we are just having a bad day.

What should we do in social situations or when we are just depressed? Most of the time when we arrive at social gatherings or go eat with coworkers, we accommodate everyone around us. Start speaking up about your preference in food choices. Ask restaurants if they can accommodate healthy choices or look to see if they have healthy substitutes as options on the menu. You may just help someone else realize the need for eating healthy. Share new information with coworkers and friends. If you have found new recipes or healthy food substitutes, share them with others.

Binge eating is something that happens all the time to people having a bad day. It is hard to leave the chips and ice cream alone, especially on rainy days or emotionally draining days. Instead of chips and ice cream, make the decision to substitute fruits or healthy chips, such as sweet potato chips, instead. Look for healthy alternatives to replace the unhealthy foods that you eat.

Here are some tips dedicated to sustaining a healthy lifestyle:

1. Prepare meals for the week. Decide during the weekend what you will have for supper each night and prepare part of the meal, if not all of the meal. Stews and soups are easy meal preps.

2. Decide to walk the long way to your destination rather than taking the short way. If you know you aren’t going to be able to make it to the gym, walk a couple of extra feet  or take a few minutes to stretch while you are busy throughout your day.

3. Get your kids involved in the workouts at home or play catch with them. While you are spending time with your children, remember to keep them active as well. IF they are being active, you will also be active.

4. You are the food preparer at your house. What you make, others will eat. Try to make healthy and delicious meals. Look for different websites dedicated to meal prepping and healthy eating.

5. Time management is a big key to being consistent. If you can’t find time to go to the gym then have a few solid exercises dedicated to working the entire body. You can do these exercises at home while you are spending time with your children or while you are waiting on laundry to dry. Be efficient with your time!

There are a few videos on YouTube to follow that will help you get a full body workout at home. Be creative and have fun with these. They may seem challenging at first but with time, they will be a great core group of exercises to have. Remember to ENJOY!