7 Habit Hacks to for Sustainable Weight Loss!

Have you ever felt as though attempting to live a healthy lifestyle required as much work as a second job? Between the meal prep, the hours of exercise, waking up early, counting calories, getting 7 hours of sleep, it can be exhausting!

We, simply by human nature, are creatures of habit. Everything from how we style our hair to the meal we cook when we forgot to plan dinner, is done out of routine. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, habits are defined as “A settled tendency, or usual manner or behavior; an acquired mode of behavior that has become nearly or completely involuntary.” (1) You know which word sticks out to me most in that definition? Involuntary. The fact that our habits are actions we just DO, not actions we have to think about doing.

An easy way to simplify your health and fitness journey and cultivate a fat loss lifestyle is to create HABITS that align with the final goal you’re striving to reach.

No matter the goal, here are 7 Hacks to Automate your Healthy Lifestyle so you can spend less brain power thinking about what to do and more time crushing goals and living life!

1. Create a staple breakfast!

A delicious well-balanced meal you look forward to eating every morning that is packed full of nutrients to keep you satiated and energized. Keep this meal simple (Protein, carb, veggie, and healthy fat) with a ton of flavor. This way you have one less meal to prep for, and you’re not scrambling to get out of the door relying on a granola bar and coffee to get you through the morning.

2. Follow a fitness program tailored to YOU!

Enough of the long days spending 2 hours on the cardio machine or spending the first half of your workout simply trying to figure out which exercises to string together. Automating your routine is about efficiency. If you’re not experienced in exercise programming, find a coach/trainer who can help you with this. Proper programming is especially vital for those short on time and need to make every session count.

3. Plan/prep your meals for the week ahead of time.

When it comes to meal prep, the easiest way to simplify the process is through utilizing the Rule of 2’s. Choose 2 carbohydrates, 2 proteins, 2 veggies (Or more if you would like), and 2 healthy fats/oils to cook with and then mix & match your options to create meals!

For example, say you chose (c) sweet potatoes and brown rice (p) grilled chicken and grass-fed beef (v) zucchini and broccoli, and (f) coconut oil and avocado.  A Lunch can become a grilled chicken breast with roasted zucchini drizzled in coconut oil, and a side of sweet potato. Dinner can become grass-fed beef burgers with brown rice, broccoli, and an avocado.  Simple meals, packed with flavor makes being consistent a breeze.

 Now when you head to the grocery store over the weekend you know exactly what to purchase, and what your meals will be for the week. 

4. Create S.M.A.R.T. goals with daily actionable steps.

Identify goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-orientated to give you clarity on exactly what it is you’re aiming to achieve. Once you have your goal, then you can plan 1-3 daily tasks to complete moving you forward towards success. Spend fewer days wishing you would lose the weight, and more time making progress by repeating tasks that have an immense impact on your results.

5. Develop a trigger to implement your new habit.

It’s one thing to say “I’m going to journal every morning for 10 minutes,” and hope you remember to get around to it. It’s another matter to have a post-it note on your mirror or a 10-minute block scheduled daily in your calendar marked “Journaling break.” In one scenario you’re wishing to implement a new action, in the latter, you have a plan in place to remind you to take action.

6.  Hire a coach or trainer.

Let’s face it, the fastest way to see results is to hire someone who can guide you from point A to point B. If you're looking to simplify your healthy lifestyle, reach out for support from a coach or trainer who can help you decipher what actions you need to focus on for your body and goals. 

 7. Outsource what is not your area of expertise.

Yes, we can tie in hiring a coach to this hack, however, if you’re finding there aren’t enough hours in the day to make your health a priority it’s time to make a change. Maybe this is hiring a babysitter for an hour so that you can fit your workout in, or ordering a few meals from the local meal prep company to save time cooking. There is this misconception that you must do it all and feel miserable trying to lose the weight. The truth? You just have to find what works for you and your lifestyle.

How have you automated your health and fitness to simply the process and kick the need for willpower to the side?

Comment below and let me know!

Xo,
Shannon

1

2