5 Health Changes You Can Do Today

Are you feeling overwhelmed? Is the idea of losing weight too big in your mind? I’ve been there.  Trying to change a lifetime of bad habits isn’t going to happen overnight, so don’t put so much pressure on yourself.  If you missed my series on how to lose weight, you can catch up on it here:

How to Lose Weight Series: 

Week One, Week One Check In

Week Two , Week Two Check In

Week Three

Week Four

Week Five

If you’re not quite ready to take on a huge undertaking like losing a lot of weight, why not try doing something small? Instead of overwhelming yourself with a huge goal, try doing one or two things each day or each week to get you started on your path to better health.

5 Health Changes You Can Do Today

1) Stop drinking your calories. 

Are you aware of how many liquid calories you consume in one day? Before I decided to lose the weight I had no idea. Tallying up those liquid calories was shocking to me. It’s so easy to grab a soda several times a day and before you know it, you’ve consumed hundreds of calories.

If you drink your calories on a frequent basis, try swapping the calorie-laden fluids with something else. Start transitioning to diet soda. Try sparkling water with lemon (my favorite). What about Crystal Lite? It tastes pretty good and is only 5 calories or so. Unsweetened iced tea is also good. Find what works for you.

2) Go for a walk. Just move your body in any way. Walk, yoga, do some squats in your cubicle at work.

Don’t put such high expectations on yourself. If you haven’t exercised in years, you’re not going to be able to run a marathon in a month. When I started swimming I was slow and always out of breathe. I had to rest after each length of the pool and there were times when I wasn’t sure I’d make it to the other side. It took time and perseverance but it got easier.

3) Drink more water.

I’ve been making a conscious choice to drink more water than I have been drinking because I know I do not drink enough. Water also helps curb the hunger.

4) Have a snack of fruits or veggies. You can make them fun!

Maybe try growing your own fruits and veggies. I have to say that having my own veggie garden last summer was a huge motivator for eating more veggies. I had so much stuff that I couldn’t even eat it all!

5) Smile.

I firmly believe that a lot of sadness, grumpiness and unhappiness can be reversed with positive thinking. Kind of a “fake it til you make it” thing. Don’t get sucked into that black hole of depression–try smiling until it gets better.

QUESTION: What do you think? What is one small change you can do to get yourself on the path to healthy change?