Figuring out how to create healthy habits is not something that came to me naturally. Would you believe it if I told you that in 2004 my favorite breakfast combo was a bowl of fruit loops and a large Dr Pepper? Or that more often than not my dinner was mac and cheese? Also to note that I rarely workout out and didn’t take vitamins? Now 18 years later my life looks completely different and so do my habits. This is how I did it.
How To Create Healthy Habits
Set goals: Before you create healthy habits you have to decide WHICH healthy habits you want to have. Do you want to eat healthy foods more? Do you want to exercise 4-5 days a week? Do you want to drink more water? Etc. So decide what your personal healthy habit goals are.
Be realistic: You can’t DO ALL THE THINGS so be realistic. Don’t say my goal is to lose 50 lbs in 2 months. Maybe say I want to lose 50 lbs and I am going to be healthy and do that in however long it takes. I lost 75 lbs after Liam was born and 78 after Charlotte. It took me nearly a year both times. Don’t force yourself to go to the gym every day if you haven’t ever worked out before. Just ease into it.
Don’t do everything at once: You can’t do all the things right away. Maybe focus on 1-2 healthy habits at a time.
Start slow: If you want to work out more just start by going. Then go the next day or maybe for a beginner go every other day. Do a little cardio and experiment with weights. Or try a new class. Maybe you will find that Zumba or Barre is your thing and you will want to go every day! If you want to drink more water see what you naturally drink in a day and gradually increase it.
Introduce One Thing At A Time: Like I have said don’t try doing everything at once. I remember when I started my healthy living journey I started by switching out a lot of crap processed foods for whole foods. Then I started working out more, then I started drinking green smoothies. Then I got really into my water intake. Then meditating. Then I switched to clean beauty and clean products. It can’t all happen at once.
Decide what makes sense for you: Not everything will make sense for YOUR life. So you have to decide what makes sense for you, what you want etc. This goes back to goals. Not everyone wants to use only clean beauty and not everyone wants to follow an 80/20 rule for eating.
Prioritize Healthy Living: If you want to create healthy habits you have to prioritize it. You have to prioritize a healthy life. That may mean scheduling workouts, not going out and eating a huge dinner with friends, not having that drink every night, etc. You have to prioritize the things you want.
I would love to know how you create healthy habits.
This post was originally published in 2018 and has been updated for 2022.
These are very good tips, Neely! 🙂 I think starting one thing at a time is a key factor for me when I take on more healthy habits. It’s so easy to overwhelm ourselves when we try too many things at once. I also always keep myself accountable by telling lots of people around me my plans. It really helps keep me going when I’m craving that dang donut! 😀
This is something that is very hard for me, because I want to make all the changes at once and expect results quickly! I agree, it has to be one (maybe 2) at a time, or this won’t work. Thanks for sharing your tips!
Great tips on healthy habits! I kinda do what you do, especially the one that says ‘don’t do everything at once’. Baby steps are better than no steps at all, right? 🙂
Deciding ehat makes sense to you is a big one. We all have different lifestyles., the days of one-size-fits-all have long gone, so we need to reevaluate what makes sense and what works for us in the long run!
I totally agree that it’s important to approach fitness goals gradually. I think if you attempt to do too much at once, you are setting yourself up for failure.
These are awesome tips. Sometimes we get so overwhelmed, we freeze. I really connect with “Introduce one thing at a time.” That’s always my philology. First things first.
These are excellent! I think we need constant reminders that good healthy living is at the base of our well being. Taking care of our bodies and minds is so important. Thank you for sharing those!
This post came at the perfect time for me. I have known for quite some time that I need to change some of my unhealthy habits but have yet to take any steps in the right direction. Thank you for the reminder that it’s the little things that count and that I don’t have to change everything at once.
Great goal setting tips. I try my best to stay healthy through various means, mostly through meal choices. It is having a regular exercise routine that I should really work on.
This is just great advice. I agree that setting realistic goals is the way to go. It’s so much better to be modest with your targets and get motivated when you exceed them, rather than be too ambitious and lose interest when you don’t achieve something that wasn’t realistic in the first place.
Thank you so much for all of these tips, I will take a lot of them to heart. I really want to start being more healthy but it is very difficult. I think setting myself goals would be a great way to keep me motivated 😊
It’s so hard to take things slow sometimes. We all want instant results. But I’ve done the same, started with cutting out most processed foods and slowly working on incorporating more fruits and vegetables into our diets.
I need to get better at the one thing at a time! I took on too much in September and I am paying for it now in October. But hopefully in a few months it will have balanced out and I’ll be back stronger!
I have changed my lifestyle a few months ago and whilst it was very hard at the beginning, now I have no problem in choosing the healthy options. It is all about what is important for you, and how important it is. Cause if it’s not really, you won’t make the effort to change anything.
These are such great tips for creating more healthy habits. I think for all of us…most of us…we could all stand to be a little healthier in some area or the other. I think the wisest of them all is to not try to do so many changes at once. I know for me, that’s a clear road to losing success because I get overwhelmed. Thanks!
These are great tips! I love that you included being realistic, because I think this is something a lot of people struggle with. I know I’m guilty of failing to change things in my life because the goals I set are just impossible. It is a work in progress.
I love how you mentioned deciding on what makes sense to you. There are so many people out there trying to fit a mold. You really shouldn’t. There’s no need to be anyone else if you’re unique.
I try to eat pretty healthy and I think I am successful because I do some of the things listed. Loved the other points you made, like setting goals, Ill definitely try that. thanks!
Making goals that are measurable is so helpful if you want to create healthy habits. Also make sure to keep track of your progress along the way helps as well.
These are very good tips, Neely! 🙂 I think starting one thing at a time is a key factor for me when I take on more healthy habits. It’s so easy to overwhelm ourselves when we try too many things at once. I also always keep myself accountable by telling lots of people around me my plans. It really helps keep me going when I’m craving that dang donut! 😀
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
This was the post I really needed to read. Thank you and I’ll be trying out some of the points! Keep up the good work (:
I like the part about not doing everything once! At times we are so impatient with the “journey” and then want to jump in with legs and tails.
I try to set goals and then reward myself on my wins. It’s motivating lol!
Great post and I love your website.
This is something that is very hard for me, because I want to make all the changes at once and expect results quickly! I agree, it has to be one (maybe 2) at a time, or this won’t work. Thanks for sharing your tips!
This a great, easy-to-follow list. The best advice “set goals”, “don’t do everything at once”, how true those are!
Could not say it any better. Very good tips.
Great tips on healthy habits! I kinda do what you do, especially the one that says ‘don’t do everything at once’. Baby steps are better than no steps at all, right? 🙂
Deciding ehat makes sense to you is a big one. We all have different lifestyles., the days of one-size-fits-all have long gone, so we need to reevaluate what makes sense and what works for us in the long run!
I totally agree that it’s important to approach fitness goals gradually. I think if you attempt to do too much at once, you are setting yourself up for failure.
These are really great tips, I will definitely be taking note!
These are awesome tips. Sometimes we get so overwhelmed, we freeze. I really connect with “Introduce one thing at a time.” That’s always my philology. First things first.
These are excellent! I think we need constant reminders that good healthy living is at the base of our well being. Taking care of our bodies and minds is so important. Thank you for sharing those!
This post came at the perfect time for me. I have known for quite some time that I need to change some of my unhealthy habits but have yet to take any steps in the right direction. Thank you for the reminder that it’s the little things that count and that I don’t have to change everything at once.
Great goal setting tips. I try my best to stay healthy through various means, mostly through meal choices. It is having a regular exercise routine that I should really work on.
This is just great advice. I agree that setting realistic goals is the way to go. It’s so much better to be modest with your targets and get motivated when you exceed them, rather than be too ambitious and lose interest when you don’t achieve something that wasn’t realistic in the first place.
Thank you so much for all of these tips, I will take a lot of them to heart. I really want to start being more healthy but it is very difficult. I think setting myself goals would be a great way to keep me motivated 😊
We’re currently in the middle of the ‘one thing at a time’. Right now we’re experimenting with Asian noodles and veggies. Working good so far!
It’s so hard to take things slow sometimes. We all want instant results. But I’ve done the same, started with cutting out most processed foods and slowly working on incorporating more fruits and vegetables into our diets.
These are great tips! Agreed that setting attainable goal is important . Putting things in priorities are essentials to healthy living.
I need to get better at the one thing at a time! I took on too much in September and I am paying for it now in October. But hopefully in a few months it will have balanced out and I’ll be back stronger!
These are such great tips – I’ve certainly let my healthy habits slip a bit lately, so this is a really helpful reminder!
Amazing tips! I’ve been getting more realistic with my goals recently and it feels so good to work on them!
Great habits to live by! I try to follow those habits in my daily life and enjoy my time so much more as a result.
This is really good and informative. You have created the article very well. Many will be benefitted from it.
I have changed my lifestyle a few months ago and whilst it was very hard at the beginning, now I have no problem in choosing the healthy options. It is all about what is important for you, and how important it is. Cause if it’s not really, you won’t make the effort to change anything.
Smart tips. It’s a good plan for a successful journey.
I needed these tips! I think I do set my targets too high and expect too much too early so thank you for these tips!
These are such great tips for creating more healthy habits. I think for all of us…most of us…we could all stand to be a little healthier in some area or the other. I think the wisest of them all is to not try to do so many changes at once. I know for me, that’s a clear road to losing success because I get overwhelmed. Thanks!
I am working making changes and incorporating healthy habits. These are some good tips. Change takes time.
Setting realistic goals is so important! The sense of accomplishment you feel when you reach the initial goal will motivate you to keep going.
These are great tips! I love that you included being realistic, because I think this is something a lot of people struggle with. I know I’m guilty of failing to change things in my life because the goals I set are just impossible. It is a work in progress.
I have to agree with you on how it takes time and you really shouldn’t rush the process. Slowly but surely, things begin to fall into place.
I love how you mentioned deciding on what makes sense to you. There are so many people out there trying to fit a mold. You really shouldn’t. There’s no need to be anyone else if you’re unique.
I try to eat pretty healthy and I think I am successful because I do some of the things listed. Loved the other points you made, like setting goals, Ill definitely try that. thanks!
I don’t really have a daily healthy habit. But this is something that I need. Thank you for posting this and allowing us to start our day right.
Love this post! I try to create healthy habits by making sure that I spend time enjoying what I am doing, that way I’m more likely to stick with it.
Eme xo
http://www.peoniesandpassionfruit.com
It is so difficult to stick to healthy habits! I need a lot of motivation to get me going! Discipline is important.
These are great tips, I think starting slow and not trying to introduce too many things at once if best for me!
The bowl with avocado looks fabulous! I am really working creating better healthy habits, great tips!
Making goals that are measurable is so helpful if you want to create healthy habits. Also make sure to keep track of your progress along the way helps as well.
I like all your tips. now I need to find the motivation to follow them. Love the pictures of breakfast. so yumm
You’ve shared some really great tips here, Neely. I’ve pinned your post so I can remind myself to create my own healthy habits 🙂
Louise x