Making Lifestyle Changes

Everyone who has ever tried a Diet and failed knows that lifestyle changes aren't simple. If you are sedentary and eating a typical American diet you cannot become an athlete with a healthy diet overnight. A lifestyle is a complex set of habits and changing habits is not easy, but it can be done. Here's how.

Small Changes Are Attainable Changes

If you eat a six-ounce piece of red meat at every supper, don't plan to cut down to once a month tomorrow. You'll feel deprived. Try substituting fish once a week.

If you are sedentary (no one is completely sedentary, this is a relative term) do not plan to immediately become an athlete — the change is too radical. Plan to go for a ten minute walk, three times a week. Once you make a habit of walking regularly, you can start to add a little more time, and start to walk a bit faster.

Think Measurable

Write down a specific goal. "Eat less meat" is not specific. "Eat fish once a week" is specific.

"Taking up walking" is not a specific goal. "Walk ten minutes a day, three times a week" is a specific goal.

Think Flexible

"Eat fish on Friday" is not flexible. You may have a dinner on Friday where the choice is chicken or beef. "Eat fish once a week" is flexible.

"Walk every Monday, Wednesday and Friday" is not flexible. It could be raining on Monday. (Actually, walking in the rain can be quite nice, if it's not too cold. Just stay out of thunderstorms.) Walking three times a week is flexible.

Think Pleasurable

If your first time with fish isn't absolutely delicious, get a fish cookbook and scan the recipes for something that inspires you. Eating should be a pleasure.

If you like walking, it will be easy to keep walking. If you decide that walking's not for you, get a bicycle or a kayak or find something else that you like doing. I love racquet sports!

Think Long-Term

The next section will show you how we recommend changing from an American diet to a healthy diet over a year. The same principles work for changing from sedentary to athletic. The keys are being patient and learning how quickly (or slowly) you can lose bad habits and gain good habits.

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