Developing a healthy lifestyle: newbies and veterans

Many newbies and a lot of us aspiring veterans frequently get confused and frustrated by the process of creating a new lifestyle based on healthy choices. The reason being: there are so many decisions to make, with many decisions directly contradicting or confounding other decisions. It seems that around every corner someone is criticizing the decisions you make or the “truths” you decide are correct.

I would like to make a few suggestions on how to change your lifestyle to be healthier. I have grouped these into 4 areas that are important in the development of a healthy person.

Mental:
1. Learn to develop a tough mental attitude. You will get frustrated, but don’t quit.
2. Do not fall into the trap of MFP being about a diet. A diet holds the connotation of restricting your eating habits rather than restructuring your eating habits.
3. Focus on becoming fit rather than losing weight. When the scale stops moving, realize you are still becoming more fit.
4. Recognize you will not always be on target. However, keep making adjustments to get on target and reach your goals. A missile is always adjusting its course, because it is rarely on target. However, it hits its target, because it is a goal seeking device.
5. Become a student of your health. Fitness and nutrition are not simple straightforward fields. You don’t have to become an expert, but learn about your health. A good place to start is doing what you are doing right now, read things here on MFP. Become an informed consumer… you will need it in the grocery store.

Spiritual:
1. Believe in something bigger than yourself. I personally believe in Jesus Christ. You may believe in God, Allah, Mishna, Buddha, Gaia, Man, Goodness, Energy or whatever, but you need something bigger than yourself to have faith in. Because there will be times when you will lose faith in yourself, and need to look to something bigger to keep you going.
2. In necessary things we have unity, in debatable things we have freedom, and in all things we have charity. This is a paraphrase of a saying often attributed to St. Augustine. I believe that it is perfect for the MFP community. We need unity in the battle to become fit and healthy. In debates about how to reach those goals, we need to have individual freedom to make our own decisions. But in all things, we need to be charitable. That means that we need to be patient, loving, and accepting.

Social:
1. Humans are social creatures and MFP is a community. Reach out and make friends here on MFP. There will be times when it seems you are alone in this change to your lifestyle. Your friends here on MFP will cheer you on and motivate you.
2. Become a cheerleader. It may seem that you are repeating yourself at times, but keep on cheering your friends to be successful. It helps motivate them, and it helps improve your mental attitude.
3. Ask for help. If you have questions, doubts or struggles, ask your MFP community for answers or support. You will get it. The community truly does care about you and your success.

Physical:
1. Get a copy of the food pyramid and begin eating toward the food pyramid. Remember to adjust the food pyramid for your caloric intake (i.e. if you are eating a 1500 calorie daily, adjust by 75% of the suggested servings).
2. Drink water, drink water, drink water. Dehydration is serious a health epidemic; just as is obesity. How do you know if you are dehydrated? As a thumb rule, if your pee is yellow. The more yellow it is, the more dehydrated you are.
3. Begin watching for saturated fats, transfats, hydrogenated fats, sodium, and cholesterol. Try go get these components of your diet under control, but they are not easy to control.
4. Begin eliminating the processed foods from your diet. In the spirit of Jamie Oliver (The Naked Chef): learn to cook, using fresh ingredients. This helps with the previous point.
5. Begin an exercise regimen. There is one exercise regimen that is free, low impact, and effective: walking.


Hopefully these suggestions will help as we all develop our own healthy lifestyle.