5 Tips for establishing healthy habits

General Health & Wellness on September 27, 2012.  Last modified on February 01, 2018. Read disclaimer.

Have you vowed to eat better, exercise more, stop smoking or make some other positive change? Making and keeping healthy habits like these can be a challenge, but here are five steps that can help:

1. Take baby steps
   Instead of a giant goal like losing 50 pounds, try setting smaller, more manageable goals, like losing five pounds a month for six months.
2. Plan for success
   Figure out the specific actions that will get you to your goal, like keeping a food journal, or walking half an hour each day.
3. Picture your life changed
   Think about how your new habit will improve your life. Stop smoking, and your risk of many diseases plummets. Exercise for greater strength, and you can take your kids hiking. Lose weight, and you can enjoy more energy for everything.
4. Seek out support
   Enlist friends and family to help you eat better, go on walks and remind you to stay on track.
5. Track your success
   One study looked at over 5,000 adults who lost at least 30 pounds and kept the weight off for a year or more. The one thing they had in common? Keeping track of their success, often in a daily journal.