To ask for your best small changes to improve health and lifestyle?

[Tiamaria86]

I have been feeling so rubbish lately and really just want to start to be a bit healthier but whenever I have made changes in the past I think I have gone to big and just not been consistent.

So what are your best tips for small changes that I can be consistent with?

I also buy very dark chocolate and have a few squares of this when i need a bit of something sweet.

Yes! Me too.

And snack on nuts

I've managed to improve most of my habits.
I eat when I'm hungry and have small meals, happy to miss a meal if I'm not hungry and have a small snack later. This is huge for me I use to eat by the clock, head hungry all the time, not stomach hungry.
Daily walks, Spotify podcasts or audiobooks on my headphones. Wrapped up, sunglasses on and getting outside, it's my "me" time.
I drink more water now that I have an air up.

Another for drinking a glass of water before breakfast and also eating an apple (it seems to trick my body into thinking it’ll have a healthy day!)

Less screens and put away phone an hour before bed

more swimming/ dancing/ walking

stand in the garden and just enjoy the air (without looking at a phone- do you see where my issue was?!😅)

Read a book/ newspaper or magazine

phone a friend or relative

watch some comedy

edited to add don’t eat after 8/ instead snack on eg frozen grapes or frozen yoghurt as they take forever to get through!

if you feel guilty because you’re eating crap, just eat even a little less than usual/ half, then you can say you cut down!!

Get sleep where possible or at least rest your body

put your legs up every so often!!!

Plank every day

Cut out cheese and butter

Make a pinky promise with a friend to send them a WhatsApp about EVERYTHING you eat and drink, and I do mean everything.

If you're making dinner and pop a piece of cheese in your mouth, WhatsApp it, if your kid leaves half a cookie so you eat it, WhatsApp it.

You have to be brutally honest with yourself and them, and they don't need to criticise you for anything you eat, but just having to tell someone else about it makes eating a much more conscious act and you're unlikely to snack as much.

Make up little salad jars in advance. Ready to go at lunch without faff.

I got jars on Amazon then just layered stuff in so it doesn't go soggy. Absolute game changer for me as it means my lunch is healthy. I don't drift around snacking and grazing.

I have a massive sweet tooth and I make little balls with dates, coconut and nuts (bit of coconut oil) blended up. I freeze them and take 3 out in the fridge each day. Then I have them in between my meals. Nice treat to look forward to and keeps me off any other stuff as they are so sweet. Agree with water and walking 30 mins, plus exercise videos for 20-30 mins a few times a week.

Don't eat things that are obviously silly, like don't eat a large (£2 Cadbury style) chocolate bar, or a 6 pack of donuts, or a 2 pack of custard slices, or a whole share bag of crisps, or a whole packet of biscuits, or, or, or...!

Lost 2 stone simply just not eating silly things! 😄

Following for inspiration.

For me I feel better if I have a good few nights in a row off the booze. Then I spoil it again by drinking at the weekend.

Feel good for doing a good yoga class but alas never make time for it.

I'm like a broken record with that, but for me, the most impactful and yet, super easy thing I've been doing for several years is to leave my phone in another room at night.
It changed the way I fall asleep, the way I stay asleep or fall back asleep if I wake up at night, and overall, how I wake up.

Another thing, which is a bit more demanding, is to write in my journal everyday. It takes 20 mins every morning, but it's my favourite part of the day.

Last thing for me is to listen to music in the morning, rather than the radio, so I don't overwhelm my poor morning brain with news and noise.

Try to cut out U.P.Foods. It's hard but worth it. Look at what you eat and drink then cut out, say, fizzy drinks first, then biscuits. That kind of thing. I went vegan (whole foods whenever possible) That absolutely transformed me. I lost weight. A couple of medical problems cleared up. I feel so zen, so chill that I cant explain. It's like I'm on medication. But I realise veganism is difficult and actually a moral stance. So it's just a suggestion as I feel so good. But cutting back on ultra processed foods will be good too.

Eat beans and greens.

Smaller plate size = smaller meal looks just as big.

I have a rope-less 'skipping rope' in my hard floor kitchen (It is basically two handles with a small rope and weights on the end of each).
Every time I boil a kettle, wait for the toaster, or wait for the microwave etc, I skip.

I found this one a bit tough as I used to have tea or coffee for breakfast; but stop having a caffeinated drink on an empty stomach. It can trigger the release of stress hormones.

Eat nothing that comes out of a packet. So reduce your processed foods.

Sounds stupid but making the bed each morning. It’s always a better day. In health (energy levels or just even ability to ignore any ill health), happiness and productivity.

Sleep more
Walk more

If you crave sugar, have some fruit instead.

If you crave salt, have a one person pack of popcorn (44 calories).

They have the same effect as a huge bag of crisps or slab or chocolate but you don’t feel guilty after!

I’d also say walk more - get off the tube, train or bus a stop early. Little things like that make a huge difference

My small change is this: sky before screen. Get up, dressed, breakfast, outside before picking up your phone or looking at a screen.

I read the vital thing is to firmly establish the habit, then you can extend it. So do 5 mins per day everyday, then extend to 10 after a month, and on and on until you get to whatever you want.

If you start with 30 mins you skip a day, then two, then falter.

Fresh air. Every . Single. Day.

A short walk every day.

A hot shower or bath before bed.

Something calming to listen to in bed.

A cat or dog.

While waiting for deodorant to dry, pick an exercise and do 10 of them. Anything is better than nothing.

If you have old veg in the bottom of the fridge, make it into soup and have it for lunch.

Go alcohol-free.