5 Bad Habit Busters you need to Implement Now; Start Living Healthier and Looking Better by Breaking Bad Habits

Say Goodbye to the Couch and Hello to a Better Night's Sleep

It happens, we get stuck in a rut and get caught repeatedly doing something that is not necessarily healthy for our bodies or minds. Instead of getting down on yourself for these bad habits, or simply accepting them, discover a new routine and wriggle your way out from under these common contributors to an unhealthy lifestyle.

1. Stop Drinking like you did in College

After a long day at work there is often nothing better than a nice glass of wine, or even two, to help you relax. The problems start to arise when you consume more than that on a regular basis. A glass of wine can punish your body with up to 150 calories per tiny glass, without supplying any vitamins or nutrients. So, if you are trying to stop packing on the pounds and shed some weight, remember that before you polish off that entire bottle of wine, or worse, wine coolers.

The Bad Habit Busting Solution

Try your best to consume at least one glass of water before each glass of wine. This will ensure that you are not just drinking alcohol because you are thirsty. You will be able to enjoy each sip that much more and savour the entire glass, leaving you with less time and energy to drink like you did when you were 20.

2. Stop Skipping Breakfast

I know, I know. You are in a rush and there is no time for anything else except for the pot of coffee you pre-brewed the night before. Well it is time to stop using lack of time as an excuse. If you are really dedicated to a healthy body, wake up an hour early or prepare a light, but hearty breakfast, the night before. Skipping out on breakfast can play tricks on your metabolism and either shut it down completely or force you to overeat when lunch time comes around.

The Breakfast Solution

Despite popular belief, it does not take too much work to pack up an appropriate and well balanced breakfast. You do not even have to eat the minute you wake up if you don’t feel hungry. Try packing some low fat cheese, a bit of fruit and some whole grains, such as cereal or oatmeal, and you are well on your way. It is a small change but can do wonders for your body that you will notice within days.

3. Stop passing out on the Couch

Hey, be honest, we all do it. After a long, tiring and stressful day it can be more than tempting to just call it a night on the couch in front of the TV. However this bad habit can lead to some seriously interrupted and poor quality sleep. Even if you wake up after some time and move onto your bed, it seriously disrupts your sleep cycle and can leave you dragging for the rest of the next day. The less sleep you get, the less your body produces the hormone leptin. Leptin helps send a trigger to your brain to signal that you are full and to stop eating.

The Habit Breaker

The problem for many people is they watch TV right up until the second they go to bed. This does not give your body the appropriate wind down time or the chance to realize it is time to shut down. Start by turning the television off at least one hour before bed. Talk to your loved one, take a bath or even read a book. This will allow your mind to slowly wind down instead of you trying to shut it down immediately after watching TV. This can mean less time tossing and turning in bed, and more time getting the beauty sleep you desperately need.

4. Stop Eating as if someone is about to Steal your Food

You are rushed all day and the same goes for your meal time. You are scarfing down food, not enjoying it and not giving your brain the time it needs to realize you are full. It takes the brain at least 20 minutes after eating to realize you have given your body enough food. Eating too quickly can cause you to overeat, as well as give you indigestion, bloating and acid reflux.

How to Enjoy your Mealtimes

Try to make a very positive effort to actually taste each bite of food you put into your mouth. Take smaller bites and truly savour the combinations of flavors. You should also stop eating at your office desk or in front of the computer. Give yourself a 20 minute break each time you have a meal, and try to eat in a completely separate place than you work. Chew slowly, take pauses in between eating or even call someone on the phone if you have to. This extra time will ensure you eat less and are healthier in the long run, more than you can even imagine.

5. Stop Weighing Yourself Every Day

You already know that the most disheartening part of a diet is getting on the scale only to notice nothing has happened. It can be tempting to hop on daily and check your progress, especially if you are on a strict diet and excited to get results. This is a sure fire way to ensure you get caught up in the numbers of the weight game, rather than the healthy looking results you are after. Eating healthy and being active is far more important than the number staring back at you from the scale, remember that.

How to Kick the Scale Habit

Plain and simple, hide your scale. Keep it hidden away for at least a week when starting on a new, healthier diet plan. If you feel like your clothes are looser or you do not struggle as much to pull your old jeans on then enjoy it. Do not run and grab the scale, as often times, the numbers can be incredibly deceiving. You began on the path to better health to feel better, didn’t you? It should have nothing to do with math or numbers, toss that idea out of the window.

Now, if you are anything like me then you surely have quite a few more bad habits that probably need breaking. However, as with anything when it comes to health, less can be more. Start off slow and bust down one of these bad habits at a time. Notice the difference in the way you look and feel, get comfortable with your routine and then move onto the next one. Trying to break 5 habits at once can just leave you picking up another 5 to overcompensate. Pace yourself, the race towards a healthier life is a marathon, not a sprint.