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Sustainable Lifestyle Changes to Help You Keep the Weight Off

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity affects more than 90 million adults in the United States. While many adults are aware of the importance of health and wellness, they are unable to find solutions that can work for them. In truth, there is no easy, one-step solution that will improve your health overnight. Many fad diets fail to work because they are not sustainable in the long run. Ultimately, the only way to lose weight and stay healthy is to make small diet and fitness changes that can fit into your current lifestyle. Below are some suggestions for sustainable lifestyle changes to incorporate into your daily routine to help you keep the pounds off.

Shop the Perimeter of the Grocery Market

The perimeter of the grocery market is where fresh vegetables, fruits, and meats tend to be stocked. A fun sustainable lifestyle change to incorporate into your routine is to do a quick lap around the perimeter of the grocery store before heading into the packaged goods aisles in the middle of the store. If you stock up your cart with fresh food around the perimeter of the store, you’ll be less likely to purchase snacks and processed food.

Sustainable lifestyle changes

If you absolutely must head into the middle of the store to stock up on sales, frozen vegetables and fruits are great alternatives to fresh produce when on sale. Make sure you make a list of sale items for the week and only pick up those items.

Swim Once a Week

Swimming is a great total body workout. As Chirp points out, not only is swimming a good way to work muscle groups that don’t usually get a lot of attention, but it may even help correct back pain and other spinal issues. It is recommended that adults exercise for at least 40 minutes four days a week. Swimming is a great cardio workout that can help improve your heart health as well as tone your muscles. One of the great advantages of swimming is that it allows individuals to go at their own pace. Because water can support a person’s weight, people with injuries or joint pain such as arthritis can enjoy a low-intensity workout, while those who wish to intensify their workout also have that option.

Ride Your Bike to Work

If you want to work out but never have time for it, biking to work can be a great way to incorporate a sustainable lifestyle change into your schedule. As Thrive points out, biking to work will not only improve your health, it can also help you save on auto expenses and minimize damage to the environment. The important thing when getting started is to make the distance manageable. You can start by only biking once a week, or you can take public transportation half the distance and then bike the rest of the way. Plan in advance by making a practice ride on the weekend to see how much time you’ll need. You can also adjust your path onto roads with less traffic.

 

By making incremental changes with your diet and fitness, you can avoid burnout and make sustainable lifestyle changes. Eventually, you’ll want to incorporate your new routine into a habit. Every little change you make is a step in the right direction.

If you aren’t sure where to get started, check out our free 7-day meal plans!

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