Over the last several weeks, I have posted quite a bit about getting fit. Getting fit requires a lot of dedication and hard work, but what happens once you reach your goal weight? Being fit is about maintaining healthy lifestyle habits and being conscious of the fact that fitness is an ongoing journey. Being fit does not mean skinny. Everyone has a different body type, and no matter what society says, we do not all want to be a size 2. However, when you put in the work to lose weight, you want to make sure you are in it for the long haul. We do this by changing our lifestyles and developing routines that work for us. To help you along the way, here are some habits that will make you fit for the long term.
Habits That Will Make You Fit for the Long Term
Stop Stressing Over Losing Weight
Keeping a low level of stress is my number one tip for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Stress does insane things to our bodies. It increases our production of cortisol, which is one of the main culprits of excess belly fat. In many cases, we stress ourselves out with trying to become what we believe we should be based on societal norms. When it comes to your fitness journey, read this and say it with me, screw what society thinks. Do not put pressure on yourself, be proactive, hold yourself accountable, and stick with your workout plan.
I am not a fan of those detox vitamins and systems, but what I have found is that Green Tea is excellent for burning fat, which can help you along your path to living a healthy lifestyle. I try to drink it a couple of times a week, especially in times of high stress.
Check out this article about the impact of stress to learn more.
Keep Moving
In addition to working out consistently, try to keep your body moving. One of my healthy lifestyle habits is opting to walk short distances instead of driving. If I am running out for lunch during the workday, I try to walk instead of getting in the car. The dry cleaner is a short distance from my home, so I’ll take a quick walk to pick up my clothes.
If you find yourself with limited time, and you must drive, try to park further away from your office and walk back. The goal is to keep your body moving as much as possible because if movement helps us maintain our weight, being stagnant makes us gain more weight.
Bike riding is another great way to get your body moving. I feel like a hypocrite as I write this because fun fact, I do not know how to ride a bike (that’s a story for another day).
Find healthy habits that require you to get up and do something. Go for a hike, a long walk, play catch if you have children. You will notice that the more active you are, the easier it is to maintain a healthy body weight. Incorporating these healthy lifestyle habits into your life is the difference between keeping your goal weight easily and struggling to stay fit.
Don’t Make Excuses
Taking a no-excuses approach is a habit that will make you fit for the long-term. We can all relate to the struggle of feeling like we do not have enough hours in our days. “I would go to the gym, but I’m tired,” “I would pack lunch, but it takes to much effort.”
To be successful at anything, you must plan. While these excuse may actually be valid, there is always a way around them.
If you do not have time to go to the gym, workout out home, and guess what?! I’ve got you covered with a full week of workouts you can do at home.
Take the time on Sunday to plan what you want to eat for the week, and pack your lunch. Planning ahead will save you time during the week (extra time to work out), and money.
Perpetually fit people do not make excuses. We find the time to make ourselves a priority even when there seems not to be enough.
Whenever you feel like you do not have enough time, consider how you spend your days. What are the things you must do? What are some things that you could cut a bit short to allow enough time for working out and meal prepping?
Use these productivity hacks to help you find more ways to stay organized when you are busy.
Make sure you get enough sleep
Do not discount the importance of getting a good night of rest. When we sleep, it gives our bodies a chance to shut down and replenish from the day.
Sleep is essential when you are working out and lifting weights. Our bodies are not machines, so we require time to rest and recover to maintain a fitness routine.
If you are someone who struggles with weight and functions on little to no sleep, this may be hindering your ability to lose weight.
Getting seven to eight hours of rest per night is vital because when we do not rest enough, our cortisol levels elevate, and our bodies retain excess fat.
Eat Your Veggies
I know that everyone does not love vegetables, but they are an essential part of practicing healthy lifestyle habits. I really enjoy vegetables, but they must be flavorful, or else I do not want them.
Vegetables are full of so many nutrients that our bodies need, and their fiber content helps your body feel full faster ( say that 3 times fast).
If you are someone who does not like veggies, try to spice things up by trying some of the following ideas.
Baked brussels sprouts and red onions. I toss mine in a little bit of coconut oil, season with garlic and onion powder, and bake them until they are nice and crispy.
I also like to make a quick arugula salad by slicing an avocado, tossing the avocado and greens in olive oil, salt, pepper, and lemon juice.
If you are a meat eater, you can add a lean chicken breast or a piece of fish to the mix, and voila, dinner is done.
It is ok to have a cheat day
So, don’t go crazy and have a burger, pizza, fries, and ice cream. But, do allow yourself to have the things you love from time to time.
I love chocolate, but I know that I cannot eat it every day. However, there are times where I really want it, and I allow myself to have it.
Part of living a healthy lifestyle and staying fit is doing things in moderation. I try to live by the 85/15 rule (for most it is 80/20, but this is what works for me). I eat healthy meals most of the time, and I allow myself to have cheat meals a small amount of the time.
What this looks like for me is healthy meals all week, healthy breakfast on the weekend, and a cheat meal for dinner. By doing this, I am balancing what is going into my body, but I am also allowing myself to indulge in things I love because, besides my husband, tacos are bae.
Plan Ahead
Because I try to lead a mostly vegan lifestyle (I say mostly, because sometimes cheese calls my name), I always have to look at restaurant menus ahead of time to make sure there is food that I can eat.
This approach can be incorporated into your life even if you are not vegetarian or vegan. The benefit of planning is that you will know what you can and cannot eat, which will keep you on track.
I have found that incorporating this habit into my lifestyle keeps me on track with staying fit.
In addition to checking the menu ahead of time, I have learned that sometimes you will have to make substitutions with your meals. Making subs probably applies more when you have a restrictive diet like mine, but it can also work when you are trying to maintain a healthy weight.
You can make subs by asking for your dressing on the side, replacing bread with lettuce for sandwiches and tacos, and opting to skip cream-based dishes.
Recognize bad eating habits
Are you a person that tends to overeat when you are stressed out? Take a step back and consider whether or not you are actually hungry.
If you are someone who has foods that trigger you to eat too much, do not keep them in the house. I love chips and chocolate, and I know that if I keep those things in the house there will be a fight between us, and they will lose.
For this reason, I try not to keep many snacks in my home. Typically, I will buy snacks if guests are coming over, but whatever is left must go home with them.
Avoid taking the bowl of popcorn or snacks to the couch when you are relaxing and watching TV. Watching television can be a very focused experience, and putting your hand in the snack bowl over and over can contribute to eating too much and pushing you off the healthy lifestyle track.
Don’t overdo it on exercising
You are probably looking at your screen like “what is she talking about.” But, as part of the habits that make you fit for the long-term, you must find balance.
Remember above when I mentioned the importance of sleep? It is possible to overdo it at the gym and hurt yourself. While we want to maintain a balance of eating well and working out, we want to give our bodies time to recuperate.
The perpetually fit and healthy take rest days between workouts to give themselves adequate time to recover. Do not be afraid to give yourself a day off between your workouts.
Snack Smart
Part of a healthy lifestyle is knowing the right way to snack. Eating healthy snacks is a great way to keep your metabolism going, and keep your hunger levels steady throughout the day.
I try to snack on things like almonds and walnuts. I tend to pack them in my lunch bag every day, which forces me to make healthy food choices. When you have your snacks with you, you are not forced to search for things to eat, which helps to keep you on the right track.
Final Thoughts
When you are working to lose weight and stay fit, you must think not just for today, but also for tomorrow. By incorporating these lifestyle changes into your life, you will be able to maintain habits that will make you fit for the long term instead of yo-yoing back and forth with your weight.
I hope you found this post useful, and don’t forget to pin it for later on Pinterest!
