5 top healthy habits for weight loss

By Sophia McDermott, Lifestyle Coach & Fitness Expert. 

Wouldn't it be great if we could all lead the healthiest lifestyles, mind, body and soul? WIth the craziness of our hectic schedules and raising kids and juggling work, this can be a challenge. Making changes to be healthier or to embark on a fitness or weight loss routine is awesome, but it takes discipline and application, at least in the first month or two to get comfortable with these changes. It's very hard to consistently stick to things if they aren't part of your lifestyle. Remembering all the time, not to mention having the willpower to do it, if it's something that you don't usually do takes so much effort. 

The best way to be healthy and trim and fit and toned (or whatever your specific health goal is) is to adopt it into your lifestyle so that it is part of what you do, day in and day out. The likelihood of success is so much greater if it's part of you, part of your life. 

So how do you get to the point where something new becomes part of your life? 

The answer is repetition. Generally speaking if you repeat something diligently for about a month, it should be ingrained enough for it to start to become a habit. 

So rather than trying to always remember, my suggestion is to be completely focused and super diligent for a month or so, to create that new habit so that you won't need to remember or you won’t have to use huge amounts of will power to be able to do it. 

Here are some examples of lifestyle changes that I deal with all the time while working with clients as a Lifestyle Coach on their health and weight loss journeys in their personalized programs that might resonate with you. 

Eating breakfast.

Skipping breakfast is a regular issue that I see with my clients who I am working with for their weight loss programs.

I see clients who have lifestyles where they rush out the door on an empty stomach  and then have an afternoon crash after splurging on a huge lunch. 

If this resonates with you, your lifestyle goal is to start the day off with a healthy breakfast. 

Daily health & weight loss habit until it becomes part of your life:

Set your alarm every morning to get up earlier and prepare a healthy breakfast before stepping out of the house. If you start work early, prep it the night before.

Working out.

Skipping workouts is another issue I see a lot. I work with my clients in their weight loss programs to create a weekly workout schedule that is achievable. I see clients who are tied up with work and family and there just isn't the time. 

If this resonates with you, your lifestyle goal is to schedule in your workouts like they are a business appointment. 

Daily health & weight loss habit until it becomes part of your life:

Schedule your workout like it is a business appointment. "Or even better, schedule your workouts as if it is the hottest date you've ever been on. Except this is a date with yourself."

Dining out. 

Everyone loves to eat out with friends, but does a night out blow your diet for the entire week? Working with my clients in their weight loss programs I find that eating out can result in a 3 -4 pound weight gain especially if there is alcohol involved. So it's like two steps forward and one step back all the time. So how do enjoy eating out and stick to your diet plan and stay on track in your weight loss routine? 

If this resonates with you, your lifestyle goal is to make healthier choices when eating out.

Daily health & weight loss habit until it becomes part of your life:

Grab my free 7 day meal plan here or join my membership if you need guidance to know what to choose when eating out. 

My BBS program also has a free ebook that guides you with healthy choices while eating out 

https://www.sophiamcdermott.com/bbs

https://www.sophiamcdermott.com/membership

https://www.sophiamcdermott.com/membership/live

If you already know what to order to maintain your weight loss plan, then make a pertinent decision to stick to it. Listen to your body and stop eating when you are feeling full. Ask for a 'to go' box and close your meal up once you are full so it's not sitting in font of you to pick at until your plate is empty.

Negative self talk.

It's all in the mind. Our outlook and attitude determines everything. So when you are working on self improvement and or a health and weight loss plan, having an optimistic and determined mindset is imperative. Transformation should be joyous, not arduous, because you are changing yourself for the better! However I hear my clients tell me they can't or they are too tired or they don't think they can achieve that, or they don’t think they deserve it…. The list goes on. 

If this resonates with you then your lifestyle goal is to create positive affirmations daily.

Daily health & weight loss habit until it becomes part of your life:

Create positive affirmations about yourself and your health and weight loss journey. Have them written and posted around the house and make a mindful note to tell yourself these affirmations daily. 

There are many other things we can look at that are important for creating a healthier lifestyle, however these are just a few main ones that come my way often when working with my clients and Body By Sophia members (add link)

Regardless of what aspects exactly you would like to improve on, the point is to be super diligent about it on a daily basis and do it every day for the next 30 days or so to make a habit  of it. Once it is a habit, it is part of your lifestyle and once it's part of your lifestyle, you are set. It really is that simple.  So get started. Stay diligent for the next 30 days and reap the long term rewards of weight loss and feelings of health and vitality.