How can I maintain my lifestyle choices?
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Dr. Dean Ornish answered:When people address their emotional and spiritual aspects, then they are more likely to make and to maintain lifestyle choices that are life enhancing rather than ones that are self-destructive. Even on a physical level, they show greater improvements than if they only worked on changing their behaviors.
Their waistline improves. Their heart improves. But at that point, those improvements - as important as they are - often mean less to them than their emotional and spiritual growth. Patients often say, “I may have started the lifestyle program because I wanted to lose weight, or to unclog my arteries, but what’s kept me in it is that my heart and soul are opening in ways that are more difficult to measure but ultimately are much more meaningful to me.”
Find out more about this book: Eat More, Weigh Less: Dr. Dean Ornish's Life Choice Program for Losing Weig...
When people address their emotional and spiritual aspects, then they are more likely to make and to maintain lifestyle choices that are life enhancing rather than ones that are self-destructive. Even on a physical level, they show greater... More -
To maintain lifestyle choices those choices should fit into what you value. When those choices are attached to your values you have more buy-in and are more likely to maintain those lifestyle choices. For example, if you value health then it would make sense that you take care of your health through a good diet and exercise.To maintain lifestyle choices those choices should fit into what you value. When those choices are attached to your values you have more buy-in and are more likely to maintain those lifestyle choices. For example, if you value health then... More -
Yogi Cameron Alborzian answered:Many of us want to change our lifestyle to be one that helps us to be more healthy and content. We may buy a book, go to a workshop, or even take a class in something on a regular basis. It can be very difficult, though, to sustain that change over time. How can we decide to not just want a new lifestyle, but to actually maintain it?
One way that you may be able to help yourself maintain a new lifestyle is to take very small steps toward the ultimate goal. You may wish to practice an hour of yoga postures a day, but can instead start out with ten minutes and build up from there. You may want to begin eating natural foods instead of packaged ones, but begin by switching out one packaged food for its natural alternative each week for several months.
Working on an incremental basis like this will give you very small goals that are manageable. Over time, you'll gradually shift into a totally different lifestyle, but you'll have a much smaller chance of ever being overwhelmed by it.
Many of us want to change our lifestyle to be one that helps us to be more healthy and content. We may buy a book, go to a workshop, or even take a class in something on a regular basis. It can be very difficult, though, to sustain that change over... More -
Robert DeVito answered:The answer that Dr. Michelle Cleere provided creates insight into your value system. In a nutshell, if the new lifestyle is important enough to you, you will maintain it.
I believe this to be true as well, however, having coached thousands of people that do value their healthy lifestyle, I have seen many people get confused by marketing and gimmicks. These normally incredibly intelligent people fall prey to "the next new best thing" due to a loss of focus on our goals and mental fatigue.
Life can hit hard at times. To maintain what we work so hard for I find it vital to consistently coach ourselves to focus on 3 simple points.
Stay Positive. There is no point to being critical of others or ourselves. We cannot undo something since it is done. We simply can move forward and do something differently the next time we face a similar situation or circumstance. Staying Positive allows you to live in the present and not continually relive past mistakes or to avoid the "woe is me" attitude that tends to creep in our mindset from time to time.Plan Ahead. Having a plan for your day or for your week allows you to remain in control of your choices and is empowering. Most people who falter in their quest for maintenance very simply cease doing what got them success in the first place. By Planning Ahead you continue the habits that helped you.
Rebound from Setbacks. Inevitably, you will face unforeseen situations and circumstances. Life does not move in a straight arrow direction, rather it moves as a series of simultaneous processes intertwined. At some point (usually daily) you will face challenges. Understanding that there will be challenges and that things will go wrong in your planning and your life will allow you to remain calm enough to recover your mindset and make better choices.
Understand your values and make continual effort to consciously remind yourself of what you are doing, why you are doing it and how you are doing it.
Stay Positive, Plan ahead and Rebound from Setbacks.
The answer that Dr. Michelle Cleere provided creates insight into your value system. In a nutshell, if the new lifestyle is important enough to you, you will maintain it. I believe this to be true as well, however, having coached thousands of... More -
Kate Myerson answered:First ask yourself, is this a change that I can and want to maintain for the rest of my life? If so, develop a routine where these new habits become ingrained in daily life. This of course does not happen overnight but by practicing these behaviors again and again. If the answer to the question was no or unsure, try breaking that lifestyle choice into smaller steps or trying other changes first that seem easier. We cannot make too many drastic changes at once because it is hard to maintain. But breaking them down into easier more manageable steps will help you maintain the lifestyle choices you want to continue.
First ask yourself, is this a change that I can and want to maintain for the rest of my life? If so, develop a routine where these new habits become ingrained in daily life. This of course does not happen overnight but by practicing these behaviors... More
