Lifestyle Changes Take Time
Lifestyle Changes Take TimePg 1TranscriptChoosing to make healthy changes to your everyday lifestyle habits can lead to better overallhealth. But making lifestyle changes takes time. You are trying to change habits you have livedwith for years.Many forces shape our everyday habits; our own personalities, our families and friends, how we’reraised, where we live, our jobs and income. And all of those factors are too powerful for us tochange our behaviors overnight.The promises of fast, instant change to a better, healthier lifestyle are out there. You see themevery day.“Two minutes a day will change your life!”“If you don’t see results we’ll send you your money back.”And they may be tempting. We live in a world where we expect instant results. ‘I’ll lose 20 poundsin a month’; ‘I’ll quit smoking cold turkey.’ And when we don’t get quick results we get frustratedand give up.These are not the kinds of lifestyle changes that will result in lifelong success. They may work for acouple of days but sooner or later something will come up; an obstacle that will challenge yourability to keep with it and you will slip back into your old, comfortable habits.Instead, small, gradual changes to your everyday habits can lead to lifelong changes that will havea positive effect on your health. Take it one step at a time.The first step is to recognize that a change is needed; that whatever you have been doing in thepast isn’t how you want to continue. To recognize that, is really a great place to begin. Then, if youare committed to making a change now, make a plan that includes both long-term goals and shortterm goals. Small, doable goals that will lead to success.Make sure you take some time to think about the obstacles that may get in your way and how youwill deal with them. Having a Plan B can help you continue to reach your goals while avoiding aset-back.Remember, when making a healthy lifestyle change that will last, follow these steps for success.Recognize a change needs to be made. Commit to making a change. Make a plan that includeslong-term and short-term goals. Think about obstacles and how to deal with them.And when you feel tempted by quick, overnight methods that promise instant change, remember,they usually don’t work. Healthy, permanent changes take time.This program is for informational purposes only; for all health related issues please contact your healthcareprovider. Publisher disclaims all guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of this videofor medical decision making. gn_10048_96 ©Milner-Fenwick, Inc.
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