In this comprehensive guide, a health coach will walk you through how to make lasting lifestyle changes over the course of six months. This includes how to create healthy habits that are sustainable, aligning these healthy habits with your lifestyle, and evaluating your progress towards your wellness goals.
Discovering your “Why”
Let's kickstart your journey! In the first 30 days, let’s discover your “Why” for healthy habits, lifestyle shifts, and weight loss. Understand motivation flows—it's part of the ride. Your “Why” is as unique as you are. It'll refocus and fortify you through any challenge, old or new.
Understand your “Why” for weight loss and lifestyle changes. This could be anything from wanting to improve your health, feel more energized, move more easily, or something specific to you. Take time alone to write down a list of reasons that support your "Why." Once you are done, place this somewhere you will notice it daily. This can be on a fridge, mirror, or closet door - the goal is for you to visibly see this, so on your good days or challenging days, it serves as a gentle reminder to continue the changes you desire.
Here are some other patients' “Why” quotes that may resonate and help you find yours:
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“I realized I wanted to live longer, have more energy, and travel.”
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“I want to be able to keep up with my kids and experience life with them.”
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“I want to live independently for as long as I can.”
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“I don’t want to have to take multiple medications a day for my health; I want my body to be able to regulate this and be healthy.”
Setting concrete goals
Now that we've established your “Why,” it's time to dive into the concrete steps. Let's define the milestones you and your PlushCare doctor aim to conquer in the upcoming six months. These objectives may span from losing 15-20lbs, adopting healthy eating habits, reducing stress eating, tackling cravings, reducing stress levels, having a work-life balance, initiating an exercise regimen, or comprehending the underlying reasons for weight loss challenges - a puzzle that can be incredibly frustrating!
Having outlined your objectives for the next half-year, it's important to understand their alignment with your current routine and lifestyle. Take a candid look at your day-to-day schedule, obligations, and commitments. Do your goals sync with your established way of life? For instance, if you find yourself absorbed in a demanding profession while juggling responsibilities, dedicating several hours daily to different workouts may be unrealistic. Factor in the actual time you can devote each day or week towards these goals. Be conscientious of work hours, commutes, family duties, and other engagements.
Empowered Goal Setting: A Step-by-Step Guide to Your Health Journey
Let's dive into a patient's inspiring health journey. Their six-month goal was to maintain a weekly exercise routine split between 50% cardio and 50% strength training while reaching 150-200 minutes of exercise per week. Before reaching this point, they had to break down this goal into smaller obtainable goals, such as walking for 30-45 minutes 2-3 days a week and slowly building this routine to reach their 6-month goal. They knew after a long day of work, they wanted a moment of relaxation and enjoyment of a TV series while no longer overeating or turning to snacks during this time. They combined their enjoyment of watching TV and their health goal. Paired with a walking pad, they embarked on daily walks while watching episodes of their favorite show. This unique pairing allowed them to meet their exercise target and served as a stepping stone to elevate their fitness regimen to the next level while working toward the larger goal they wished to accomplish.
Aligning your health goals with your lifestyle
Once you've established smaller, achievable goals to seamlessly integrate into your lifestyle, dedicate the next 60 days to them. I know this sounds like a long time; however, remember there is no race, and we want to take our time diving into our goals to create sustainable routines and long-lasting lifestyle changes. When you touch base with your doctor, share your progress and take note of any challenges – past, present, or future. These challenges aren't roadblocks but speed bumps in your journey that are 100% normal!
If you veer off course from your current health goals, revisit your “Why.” What prompted you to recognize this? Whether it's a slip in your eating habits, a vacation, family/friends visiting, a missed exercise week, a wave of overwhelm, or mounting stress – your body will show cues. During this time, it is good to start being in a place to listen to your body cues. Embrace this as progress, where you are becoming in tune with yourself and what you need! It's an opportunity to regroup, recalibrate, and spend quality one-on-one time with yourself to realign your goals and continue ahead. You hold power, and you alone are what will help you succeed- you got this!
Embrace your healthy lifestyle journey like a mountain trail; don't fixate on the scale's peaks, but rather the steps of progress you take each day. As you climb, you'll reach new heights of well-being and vitality with every mindful choice. Celebrate you and your wins no matter how big or small.
Overcoming Plateaus: Let's Navigate This Journey Together!
Let’s check in!
As you reach the 60 to 90-day milestone, it's time for a self-check-in. How do I know I’m making progress? Take a moment to reflect on your journey. What are your highs? These are the moments of triumph, the progress you're making, and the small victories that fill you with pride. Celebrate even the seemingly minor achievements, like making your bed once this week. It's about acknowledging the small acts of self-care that bring you joy and contentment. Talk with yourself as you would with the love and care of a loved one, a child, or a best friend- someone you care deeply about. You, yourself, deserve that attention, devotion, love and respect.
On the flip side, let's address the lows. These are the challenges you've encountered, areas where you could use extra support, or the speed bumps that have lingered longer than anticipated. Make a note of these, and don't hesitate to share them with your doctor. They are there to provide you with the additional guidance and assistance you may need.
Conquering Challenges: Your Guide to Achieving Health Goals
Let's take a closer look at your progress. Reflecting on your highs and lows over the past 60 days, which goals have you successfully incorporated and maintained? Are there areas where you need to reassess or introduce a new plan? It's essential to evaluate your consistency in meeting your health goals. Suppose you have yet to observe positive shifts like improved blood pressure, a modest reduction in weight, an overall sense of well-being, better sleep, or heightened energy levels. In that case, it might be a good time to reconsider your current goals. In these moments, return to your “Why.” Take dedicated time, and embark on a fresh, smaller plan. As you start your day, infuse it with your “Why” and establish a routine for achieving your health objective. Speak to yourself with the same kindness and encouragement you would offer to a good friend or loved one. Remember, you're making incredible strides and fully capable of achieving your goals!
Reviewing your progress
We are now approaching 3-6 months; cheers to you! Now, it is time to look at all you have accomplished, big or small. Let’s break this area into three essential parts.
1. Review your goals and accomplishments: Reflect on your successes and challenges. If you have any questions, it may be a good time to write them down to ask your doctor during your next check-in.
2. Are you on track to meeting your health goals, or have you met your health goals? If you have not met your goal yet and are close to your 5-6 month mark, continue to work toward achieving it- don’t give up; you are so close to this milestone! Let’s start to think about any roadblocks causing interference with accomplishing your goals, if any, that we worked on during your last check-in.
3. Lastly, think about staying motivated while you are nearing the end of this first phase and moving on to the second part of the next six months. Let’s find ways to stay motivated with strategies that work best for you:
Igniting and Sustaining Motivation: Your Personal Guide
Read more about healthy lifestyle changes:
Sources
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Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Healthy Living Guide 2022-2023. Accessed on September 14, 2023 at https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/2023/01/04/healthy-living-guide-2022-2023/.
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National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). Changing Habits for Better Health. Accessed on September 14, 2023 at https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diet-nutrition/changing-habits-better-health.
