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Editor's note: Fairfield resident Linda Soper-Kolton is the owner and chef of GreenGourmetToGo,a vegetarian caterering and educational center in Bridgeport. Below she shares some advice about living healthfully.
Making changes is hard. Making them stick is even harder. If you are considering changing some unhealthy behaviors and replacing them with better choices, good for you! Wanting to do it is the first step.
Two of the most important building blocks in the foundation of wellness are diet and exercise. Ironically, these are two of the most difficult things to change if you have gotten off track, or were never quite on track with them.
To change a "bad" habit into "good" or healthy habit, it takes desire, consistency and forgiveness. First, you have to want to make the changes. No amount of someone else's pleading will make you internalize the desire to do it. Consistency means that you can't expect to get into your skinny jeans after the first healthy meal. A great start begins with that first healthy meal, but try to commit to one week. Once you have the consistency of a week under your slightly tighter belt, you should be inspired to begin the next week. If you slip in the first week, that's where forgiveness comes into the picture. Don't beat yourself up because you get weak-kneed outside Dairy Queen and ate your way through an entire Blizzard without taking a breath. Forgive yourself and don't let that misstep derail your long-term plans. Too many people give up on themselves after making a poor choice. Recognize there will be bumps along the way but that you are committed to your healthiest future.
The same applies for exercise. Commit to a day, then a week, then another week and allow yourself some days "off" so that you don't burn out too early. If you miss more than your planned day off, let it go but then get right back into the groove again. Here, consistency and routine are important. Try to get your workout in at roughly the same time each day, that way, you won't have to think about whether or not you can fit it into your schedule. Carve that time out and honor that appointment you have made with yourself.
No one said it would be easy to change, but if you start one step at a time, your healthy habits can last a lifetime.
Do you have any advice for those who are embarking on a new wellness regimen? Let me know here.
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