Top 5 Tips for Establishing Healthy New Habits

Have you ever noticed that most day-to-day behaviors are actually habits? What we eat and drink, how we manage stress, what we do when we come home from work, when and what we do before we go to bed -- these, and many other behaviors, are well-established habits. Clearly, successful long-term weight management depends on establishing healthy habits. 


So, how long do you think it takes to establish a new habit? I've had many students in my online weight loss class tell me they think it'll take anywhere from seven to twenty-one days to change up their behavior permanently. Unfortunately, research begs to differ: Scientists have found that making new behavior a habit can take anywhere from four to six months. So, what can you do to encourage success as you establish new habits? Give these tips a try:


Donna's Top 5 Tips for Establishing Healthy Habits

1. Although it takes time to create change, it's easier to make change happen by starting with short-term goals. Depending on the goal, you may want to make your goal as short as one day, or as long as a week or two. As you're planning your goal...
2. Think back to times when you've tried to make change. What got in your way? Think ahead to challenges you may encounter, and plan ahead for those challenges. But don't make the challenges your focus...
3. Keep your focus on your goal. Falling short of your goal is nothing more than an obstacle. Don't dwell on it, or let it keep you from trying again. Learn from what happened, re-establish your goals based on your new self-knowledge, and then...
4. Celebrate all of your successes, no matter how small. Remember, change isn't easy. In fact, just being willing to change is a big step, one worthy of celebrating. Treat yourself to a little tangible non-food reward, tell a friend, or praise yourself. But don't stop at celebrating...
5. Plan ahead for establishing your next goal, and stick with this for at least six months. Put the day and time in your calendar, and keep your appointment with yourself. Because you're connecting many short-term goals together, following through is critical.

Don't be shy about using other skills and tools for establishing healthy new habits, like the power of positive self-talk and affirmations to reach your goals. At the end of the day, though, developing short-term goals, enjoying success, and gradually connecting one short-term goal to the next, until the behaviors are habits, is the path to creating lasting behavior change.

"I Want": The Power of Positive Self-Talk

Have you ever said to yourself, "I can do this!" I know I have. One of my running routes ends in a short-but-steep incline, and for years, I would think, or even say aloud, "I can do this! I can do this!" as I ran up the hill.

There's nothing inherently wrong with this kind of self-coaching, but even when I made it to the top of the hill, I didn't find my self-talk especially useful. It almost seemed as though my self-talk made the run more uncomfortable, rather than less.

We talked last week about using self-determination theory, which is based on the belief that people don't like to be told what to do. As I thought about how true that premise is, and my "I can do this!" mantra, it occurred to me that "I can do this!" focuses only on whether or not I can do something, not on my motivation for doing it. And, as I'm fond of telling my children, "Just because you can, doesn't mean you should!" Little wonder, then, that saying "I can do this!" wasn't all that motivating.

So, I changed up "I can do this!" for "I want this!" -- and the change was remarkable. I had no problem thinking of reasons I wanted to run up that hill, from "I want to build my glutes and hamstrings, so belly dance is easier!" to "I want to burn off all that fruitcake and eggnog I ate over the Christmas season!" to "I want to be healthy and fit!"

"I want" worked beautifully with physical activity, so I tried it out in other areas, too. I quickly discovered it's an easy way to counter negative self-talk. Here are some examples of ways you could use "I want" to motivate you:

• I don't feel like walking today...but I want to be healthy
• I hate drinking water! -- but I want to make sure I'm really hungry, not thirsty
• It's been a horrible day and I really deserve a treat...but I want to stay on track with healthy eating

Now it's your turn! Think about what you're finding most challenging as you follow through on your plans for a lifetime of health and happiness. Next, identify your negative thoughts. How can you change those negative thoughts that are holding you back into "I want" statements? Post below, and let us know what you experiment with, and how it goes! :)