You might have thought about getting started to get on track with better eating and exercise, but how do you know if you have found the right health and fitness program that suits you specifically? There are many considerations, and these are a few that should point you in the right direction.

1.Do not choose extreme. Any plan that has you over exercising and eating strangely is simply not sustainable. Your body needs a variety of nutrients and minerals and if you choose a plan that is too restrictive, you could be missing out on some key nutritional elements. Eating plans such as Keto can cause irreversible damage to your body if they are done long-term. The reason being that you are creating an environment where you can be at higher risk for heart disease due to all the saturated fat that you are consuming which causes a rapid increase in cholesterol. Keto, for example, labels carbohydrates as “bad” but they are a necessary part of our diet. Plant based diets are a better option for lowering blood pressure and blood sugar as well as cholesterol.

2.Choose a sustainable exercise program. If you enjoy an activity, do more of it, whether it is walking, running, biking, hiking, or swimming. Try to do a variety of activities and include your family in those activities too. It is easier to get outdoors if you have people to do things with. Call a friend and start walking together. If the weather is not nice, find an indoor space to do some activities in. Some communities have indoor racquet sports or gyms where you can get active inside.

3.Do not go shopping when you are hungry. If you do this, you will fill up your shopping cart with useless foods that are unhealthy and contain a lot of empty calories. Try to shop the outer edge of the store where all the fresh fruits, vegetables and meats are. Purchase low fat dairy and cheeses and avoid high sugar items such as juices and candy. You will also need some carbohydrates such as whole grain items, brown rice, and sweet potatoes.

4.Allow yourself one cheat meal at least once every two weeks if you are trying to lose weight. This will help you to get away from the scarcity mindset where you feel deprived and unable to partake in the foods that you love. If you know that you will be able to have some of those foods at least once every few weeks, then you are less likely to cheat in the meantime.

5.Sleep is important so ensure that you get plenty of it every night. The ideal amount is between 7 and 8 hours, so try to get that in. Avoid screens for the last 30 minutes before bed and allow yourself to wind down and relax. Looking at computers, your phone and a TV keep your brain cycling and active and this is not what you want when you are trying to relax before bed.

The best program is one that you will continue to follow, even through the ups and downs of life. There will be times when you feel that you do not want to eat healthy and that is perfectly fine. The point is that you should try to eat healthy and get regular exercise ninety percent of the time and the other ten percent is for you to be free to do what you want to do. Life is all about balance and looking after yourself requires some give and take. The main part is to focus on your health and make changes that are easy to stay with. Keep going each day and you will start to feel better over time. It does take time to make significant changes for a healthier lifestyle and the longer that you stay with those changes, the better. Remember to avoid extreme exercise and eating plans, they are simply not sustainable in the grand scheme of things.