Changing habits can be very challenging, many of our habits have developed in our childhood so can be near impossible to change. 

Here are some tips to help you make long term changes to your lifestyle:

• Set realistic goals – Set both long and short term goals, but be sure they are achievable, and don’t set too many at once. Write them down, it can help to put them in places you will regularly read them, like on the back of the toilet door, or on the fridge.

• Change one thing at a time – If you try to make too many changes at once you will inevitably give up, the life change will be too dramatic and not something that can be easily stuck to. Just pick one thing, and work on that for at least 6 weeks, this makes the transition comfortable and it is more likely that the change will become habit and not something you need to be thinking about.

• Get support – Talking to other people who are attempting to make the same changes will make it more likely you are going to see things out; it makes it harder to give up when other people are encouraging you regularly.

• Don’t make it work – leading a healthy lifestyle should be something that is easy and happens naturally; be sure you are still giving yourself treats. Remember no food is evil; it can all be included in a healthy lifestyle as long as it is kept in moderation.

• Don’t put too much pressure on yourself – You can’t go from one extreme to another in a week, take your time making changes, and feel proud of your achievements. NEVER focus on what you have not achieved or failed at, it can be beneficial to write down at the end of every week what you have done well.

• Educate yourself – It can be easier to stick to healthier choices when you know the reasoning behind it, read up and learn what you can.

• Enjoy your food – Healthy doesn’t mean horrible, make tasty and healthy choices. Don’t go on a diet, lead a healthy lifestyle. 

• All activity is exercise – You don’t have to go to the gym, or go on long walks, you just need to keep active. Try and choose exercise you really enjoy, if you really hate exercise consider increasing your incidental activity. Gardening, dancing, cleaning, are all exercise.