What’s the best way to make healthy habits stick for years to come?

Hi Kathleen
Healthy habits are probably more our nature than we think. We have covered up those natural ways of being with different other learned ways. Research in declarative memory supports that creating new neurological pathways, to circumvent pre-programed behaviors, is effective when there is a thoughtful plan.

This plan consists of knowing one's triggers, (a proactive awareness), creating a conscious gap or space between the trigger and the old response, and inserting the new valued behavior.

Then repeat often, as Shawn suggested, until it becomes forged emotionally and physiologically, leaving the old neural pathways and the old response to fade away.

Danielle

See
The Molecular Biology of Memory Storage: A Dialogue between Genes and Synapses
Author(s): Eric R. Kandel http://www.jstor.org/stable/3084944

Kumaran, D., Summerfield, J.J., Hassabis, D., & Maguire, E. A. (2009). Tracking the emergence of conceptual knowledge during human decision making. Neuron, 63, 6, 889-901. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2009.07.030

Schwartz, J.M. (1996). Brain lock. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers Inc.

keep doing them and never stop setting goals.

Make a list of pros and cons to your current habits (changes included) and really analyze the results to understand the "Why" behind the the habit. This kind of personalization can have lasting effects because of the emphasis on making it personal and unique to only you.

increase the variety of healthy habits; stay consistent but allow the possibility for change

Choose one thing to work on a time, and agree to an objective that is realistically do-able. Don't take on any more that one at a time. Once you have learned how to integrate this one change into your routine, it will be easier to maintain while making a commitment to adding something else new, in pursuit of an additional change toward an ultimate goal.

Make small little changes over a longer period of time vs. dramatic, unrealistic, and immediate changes. Also, I like to think of it as "adding" healthy habits vs. getting rid of unhealthy habits. By "adding" healthy foods eventually there won't be room for unhealthy habits i.e. empty calories.

Introduce the habits gradually and with specific purpose. Use the short-term to work out any kinks i.e., anything too extreme or restrictive will probably not succeed in encouraging long-term adherence. Plus, many people forget that "healthy" can, and should be, pleasurable too! Most people have no problem doing something they enjoy. Turn to the professionals for tips: registered dieticians, personal trainers, etc..

Making changes gradually and consistently sticking with those changes even though it may be easier to simply return to "old habits."

LaRue, CSCS
www.lecfitness.com
lecfitness@yahoo.com

A habit is something you have to appreciate. Many would like "healthy eating" to be a habit. However, it is about the progression to get something to become a habit. Currently writing a book on this!

Fuel the Movement,
JM