What's the one thing that has made the biggest difference to your health?

[stripeyronnie]

Feel like I'm stuck in a health rut, a stone or two overweight, drinking a bit more than I would like, not sleeping well, not finding time for exercise, flipping between just about coping with 3 kids/ work/ dog/ house and then reaching a point of almost burnout and getting ill and having to rest before getting back into it all again. I do try to make better choices- I eat gluten free as I feel better on it, get out with the kids on bikes/ with the dog but it's just so bloody hard isn't it to prioritise self care when there's so much going on? I'd love to know what one thing you introduced to your life which has made a noticeable difference to your health?
For me it was losing the mindset that I had to clear my plate/ eat at set times regardless of hunger- since I've tuned into my hunger levels I have definitely been eating less and my weight has been the most stable it has for years. However any attempts I make to drink more water/ take a vitamin/ exercise more/ meditate- I don't keep up consistently as I either don't see an immediate benefit or it becomes too hard to fit into life.

And I keep my vitamins next to the tea bags so I don’t forget to take them.

With exercise I started to notice a difference three weeks in to exercising every day (nothing very strenuous, just 20 minutes on the cross trainer). If you could commit to do it for three weeks every day you might see changes that encourage you to keep going. Don't give up after a week though.

Putting a big bottle of water beside the bed and a basket of multivits/my hrt patches/my medication beside it. Now at bedtime (which is when I remember) I have no excuse to not take everything. The bottle is only used for nightly bits, so only need to refill it not that regularly. Has increased my vit and medication compliance from about 10% to about 80% .

Getting up early - 5am

Going to bed early - 9pm

Exercise - running, walking, strength training

Whole food diet - limit sugar - drink lots of water - no caffeine after midday

Fasting - no food from 5pm until breakfast at 8am

Limit time of phone

Reading

Gardening

I know that's more then one thing

Finding an exercise I enjoyed (peloton) that also fitted in with my life at the right time. It’s been a revelation - knock on effects have been eating better, drinking less alcohol, sleeping better and just generally happier.

Starting a team sport.

Got fitter, made friends so it's been great for mental and physical health.

18:6 intermittent fasting
HRT
Eating more whole foods and fresh fruit and veg

I suspect it isn't what you want to hear, but a combination of things make me feel so much better. For me:

• gave up alcohol
• minimise processed food
• lots of veg, love yoghurt, kefir etc
• regular exercise
• hrt

I do think the biggest thing was giving up alcohol - it makes such a difference to sleep which in turn impacts energy levels and means eg more energy for exercise. But I can't imagine eating lots of processed food any more either.

@Sammysquiz whats an example of your at home weights routine, how often do you do it and what changes have you seen or noticed?

I gave up alcohol four years ago and it just made me feel so much better. I had noticed my drinking was more than usual and was feeling awful the day after with terrible hangxiety! Mental health much improved since.

Last year I gave up caffeine and just have a caffeinated coffee in the morning. My sleep is so much improved now. This also automatically meant I gave up drinking things like Coke zero which I'm sure has benefitted me.

Taking calcium - my mum has osteoporosis and I've been taking calcium for several years - my nails have never been stronger!

Prioritising eight hours good quality sleep has made the biggest difference to my mental health. I burnt out last year at work alongside anxiety and depression. Was in a very sad, dark place and my sleep was wrecked. GP suggested talking therapy but also wanted me to address my sleep hygiene.
I have a strict bedtime routine now which I look forward to every night. Each step is a form of mindfulness of unwinding. I’m in bed and asleep by 10pm almost every night now and wake up at 6am (even without an alarm) feeling good.

This single goal of improving my sleep has led to other changes, so for example I learnt that even having one drink in the evening affected the quality of my sleep so now I am virtually tee total. Giving up booze has had an amazing consequential effect on my skin.

Likewise if I get in some regular exercise I sleep better. Finding an exercise which I enjoy and therefore can happily commit to was a bit of a project but I’ve settled on brisk walking 5k at least 3 times a week and some kettlebell exercise videos on YouTube. So I’m fitter and stronger.

Because I’m sleeping better I was able to think more clearly and feel more in control of other things in my life like my job (have changed jobs so my stress levels are much improved) and my diet (reduced UPF) leading to some weight loss.

All of these big and small changes feed back into getting better quality sleep which in turn makes me feel more able to make lifestyle changes to improve my health, which in turn improves my sleep.

So yeah, sleep. Sleep is the absolute best.

Giving up alcohol.
It mean I didn’t feel as awful so I was then able to care for myself more and start exercising, paying attention to my diet, losing the excess weight.

500 mg magnesium oxide 9pm every night. No longer 5 pm. Sleep a solid 8 hours now 9 pm to 5am. I lose magnesium from my blood pressure meds plus it helps not just sleep but headaches/migraines.

No alcohol and exercise.

Sounds cheesy but being honest myself and accepting myself how I am has helped me do many of the things listed on here, sleep better, drink less, eat betterz generally take better care of myself.
So yeah journaling amd mediation, general reflection.

There are loads of 5/10 minute warm up
exercises on YouTube, things like dance fit which your dc might join in with.
I found having a big declutter frees up a lot of time, you aren't constantly shuffling stuff around and it's much quicker to clean.
Drink more water then you'll want less sugary drinks.

This.

Have lost 16kg over 18 weeks... Everything feels better, joints, sleep, snoring (apparently), I actually like the feeling of being just a little hungry all the time, and it might just be my imagination, but food even tastes better.

spend time outside - sounds like you already do this ( bikes, dog)
I second other PP who have said go to bed earlier. This made a huge difference to me especially in middle age and as a night owl it was against my instincts but huge improvement in mental stress from more rest.
maybe find a small interest or hobby? It can be hard with DC etc but even half an hour on reading or knitting or crossword or jigsaw or favourite music or once a week choir or something adds variety, mental stimulation different from running a family and can give sense of achievement.

Buying a dog. So i do a minimum twenty minute walk every day. I have several loops that are just over a mile. I often go twice or longer walks at the weekend eyc. But my absolute minimum is twenty mins.

Exercise and activity, I have turned into some kind of active lifestyle evangelist. I swear most people have health issues because they are so sedentary; we completely overestimate how active we are and underestimate how much activity we need for good health.

I now cycle to work (takes about an hour, so 30 mins each way) and my mental and physical state is so much better. I can’t remember the last time I couldn’t sleep - and I did exercise regularly before cycling everywhere. It’s low level regular activity that makes it for me.

Giving up alcohol and all soft drinks, only water, coffee and tea with milk in no sugar.

Try 10mins of Zen meditation before you get up everyday.

It's easy - set a timer. Close your eyes and do nothing. Don't think if you do push it away, dont scratch, dont sniffle, don't fidget. Do nothing. It's brilliant!

HRT. For peri-menopause symptoms at 43.

I only started 5 weeks ago! but such a massive difference in energy levels fairly quickly, stopped carving carbs, am sleeping through the night again, have started getting out for long walks and enjoying them, have the energy to make healthy meals again instead of having snacks and takeaways.

I’ve also signed up for a yoga course, been shopping and bought some new clothes, started a skincare routine and actually painted my nails and started drying my hair properly (instead of sticking it straight in a bun every day as couldn’t be bothered with faff of drying it 🙈).

I haven’t been doing any of that stuff for a a couple of years, I was so tired and just felt like I couldn’t be bothered with any of it, it was a vicious circle in a way.

Having lost a few pounds this month has also helped with my confidence, after spending a couple of years looking rather disheveled and feeling old and worn out, whilst desperately trying to lose and extra stone that was sitting on my stomach, and then eating rubbish as there didn’t seem to be any point.

I’m sure the rest of my health will keep improving as now I have enough energy and motivation to be healthier and to move more. I just wish I’d realised a couple of years ago that my hormone levels could be the issue.

Drinking water. Have a full litre bottle of water by my bed. Start drinking slowly as soon as I wake up ( before I even look at MN or social media )

Get through three litters, finish about 4pm, latest 6pm except for sips.

That's what got me started, a couple of years ago.

From there I looked at eating to keep my blood sugar stable. Eating high fat low carb does that for me, essentially substituting a wide range of green veg for beige food like bread, potatoes, rice, pasta. Great side effect of removing gluten from my diet without substituting UPF. Butter.

Limit alcohol to one glass of the good stuff, often a glass of champagne. This is no hardship

None of this food is what I typically associate with restriction or dieting. I feel really well or not. I eat this way because I feel better for it.

Weight melted and my interest in exercise grew correspondingly. Walking, yoga.

More space in my life for hobbies, so much less time spend slumped after a big meal.

Lovely clothes are easy to find again. Can go shopping , find loads of things that fit and still don't buy any of them, because I have plenty of lovely clothes. A little appreciate side effect of healthy living.

Love my life these days.