How to make those healthy habits stick

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed if you’re following so-called fitness influencers online and are looking to start healthier habits in your life. Bupa dietitian, Anthony, is a health coach that supports customers make lifestyle changes that stick and ultimately benefit their ongoing health.

He’s sharing his insights and top tips with us.

Your Building Blocks

When it comes to making a new habit stick, forget the fads and focus on being consistent.

Research shows, no matter how enthusiastic you are at the start, if change everything in one go, you’re more likely to have a ‘behaviour relapse’ from too much change, too fast. Slow and steady wins the race.

Much of the work you’ll find yourself doing is in your head. If you can find the right headspace, change will be a lot easier, and more likely to stick for the long haul.

Start with Your "Why"

This looks different for everyone. You might want to move more easily, live longer or feel better in your body.

It's important to understand your ‘why’, because when you’re a few weeks into your new healthy eating or exercise programme, that ‘why’ will help keep you on track with some real perspective and motivation.

We all find barriers along the way – the key to success is working out how to get around them. If it does go wrong, my advice would be to forgive yourself, start small again and build up.

Back to Basics

Be selective in the advice you seek and take on board. That goes for social media as well.

Forget the green cleanse – cleanse your social feed instead.

Think about unfollowing accounts that make you feel guilty or bad about yourself.

Ditch the guilt and surround yourself with your own cheer squad, virtually or in real life.

Plan, Prepare, and Keep It Simple

Think about all the things you can eat, rather than what you should avoid.

New habits are easier with a little preparation. Have a think about what you can realistically do in the next week. It might be prepping your food or a realistic exercise plan that can help you stay on track.

• Meals and snacks: Know how much you want to spend on food and avoid certain aisles at the shop, for instance, the confectionary or biscuit aisles.
• Healthy snacks at hand: Try and keep simple, healthy snacks at your fingertips. I like to have nuts, dried fruits like sultanas, and fruits like apples or bananas that are easy to keep with you on the go.
• Prep meals in advance: Make healthy meals in bulk. This saves both time and money and takes away temptation as it’s all ready to go.

A shopping list of healthy foods that are budget-friendly also helps.

• Bulk buy foods like beans, lentils, oats, and rice.
• Vegetables: Focus on colourful, fibre-rich vegetables. They’re low in calories but packed with nutrients and antioxidants.
• Mediterranean-style meals: Incorporate whole grains, legumes, olive oil, and lean proteins. These foods are affordable and have long-term health benefits.
• Seasonal produce: Eating fruits and vegetables that are in season is usually cheaper and fresher.

Progress, Not Perfection

It’s easy to get discouraged when you slip up or don’t see immediate results. It takes time for these changes to take shape, so focus on all the smaller things that you’re doing well. If want to increase your movement, gradually increase your steps each day, rather than a big goal for each day.

Building a habit isn’t about being rigid - it’s about creating balance. In the early days, focus on understanding the nutritional value of your food and it will get easier to make good food choices.

Everyone is going to fall off their plan at some point, but the key to success in the long term, is knowing how to get back on.

Reflect and Learn

I encourage you to reflect on how the week has been. What were your biggest wins, no matter how big or small? What was a challenge? Celebrate all the wins - it helps build self-confidence and you’ll soon become your own health expert.

You’ll begin to understand what works best for your body, what motivates you, and how to adapt when challenges arise.

Take it one step at a time, enjoy the journey and be proud of the gift you’re giving yourself of a healthier lifestyle.