The Effort Required to Cultivate a Healthy Lifestyle

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is a continuous journey, one that requires effort, dedication, and a willingness to adapt. I have been on this journey for over fifty years, and I believe it will continue to evolve as long as I live. Clarity, authenticity, and flexibility are the key ingredients that help me maintain living conditions that I believe are conducive to health.

Developing New Habits

At first, developing a healthy lifestyle may seem like a daunting task. It's all about cultivating new habits, which can be challenging. However, once these habits are established, the effort required is no more demanding than that of any other routine habits.

The effort involved in maintaining a healthy lifestyle is not unique; life in general requires work. By making this work focus on enhancing our health, we can contribute to a more fulfilling and sustainable existence.

Transition to Healthy Eating Habits

Thank you for asking, it certainly takes effort to develop healthy habits and practices in both diet and exercise. For me, the hardest part was reaching the point where my husband and I prepare 99% of our meals. Cooking our own food has made it easy to ensure a diet rich in vegetables and overall healthiness. Dining out, on the other hand, can be less favorable.

About six years ago, we were eating out or taking out meals three nights a week. It became evident that our diet needed to be adjusted for our health. With work hours exceeding forty per week and being quite busy, relying on pre-prepared meals was all too convenient. Gradually, we started cooking more meals each week. The temptation to go out to eat was still prevalent, but we consciously decided to move to a small town to reduce the frequency of dining out.

Our relocation to a town less than four years ago significantly reduced our eating out frequency to around once a month. The restaurants were far away, which made it less tempting. Although we occasionally missed go-to restaurants during the pandemic, the shift to home-cooked meals had already taken hold. By the time the pandemic hit, we were already eating at home most nights, and we completely stopped eating out.

Now, when we get together with family and friends, it's more often at home rather than in a restaurant. We only eat out a few times a year. Transitioning to a healthy diet was more challenging for me than sticking to a regular workout schedule. While I was trying to maintain a consistent workout routine, at times, eating out was perceived as a reward for my efforts. However, this mindset was clearly misguided.

Conclusion and Final Thoughts

In conclusion, cultivating a healthy lifestyle requires ongoing effort, but the benefits far outweigh the initial challenges. Embracing these changes can lead to improved health, increased well-being, and a more fulfilling life. So, whether it's through cooking from scratch or sticking to a regular exercise routine, the work is definitely worth it.