10 Things to STOP If You're Trying to Live a Healthy Lifestyle

"The way you treat yourself sets the standard for others." 
—Sonya Friedman

Many of the things outlined below related directly to Principle #1 of our Warrior of Wellness Program—Put yourself first.

We can be our worse critic. Often times, we are more judgmental of ourselves that we would ever even think of being of others. We treat ourselves unfairly. If you don't love and take care of yourself first, how can you expect others to? If you truly want to live a healthy lifestyle, you must put yourself first. You must love yourself. (This includes talking to yourself in a positive manner.) You must take care of yourself. (This means exercising, eating nutritious foods and reducing stress.)

Here are 10 things to stop doing if you're trying to live a healthy lifestyle.

• Stop Obsessively Weighing Yourself | Weighing yourself every day is a great way to set yourself up to fail. There are so many factors that determine your weight and the number on the scale leaves us with an incomplete picture of our overall health. Did your weight drop 0.2 pounds in the last two hours? Probably not. But guess what—it doesn't matter. The number on that scale does NOT define you. It also doesn't determine how much or what kind of food you're allowed to have. And if you're letting the scale ruin your day—or life—then it's time to make a serious change.

• Stop Stressing Out | Ha! Easier said than done, right? Perhaps. But the benefits of reducing your stress surpass the difficulty. By removing stress from your life, you'll sleep better, you'll be more productive, be a better significant other, friend and family member and last but certainly not least, you'll stay healthier.
• ​Stop Eating Foods You Hate | Do you hate lettuce? Then stop eating it! We're not saying indulge in junk food to your heart's content. We are saying that there are plenty of healthy options to choose from. Lettuce is not the only choice! Find healthy choices you love and you'll be more inclined to eat healthy, nutritious foods a majority of the time. Oh, and don't forget herbs and spices!
• Stop Working Out to "Fix" Your Body | Work out because you love your body, not because you hate it. Your body is beautiful, and you're built in a way that is unique to you and your genetics.
• Stop Being Mean to Yourself | Negative thoughts and negative self-talk can sabotage your fitness and wellness goals. If you wouldn't say it to your best friend, don't say it to yourself.
• Stop Obsessively Calorie Counting | Not all calories are created equally. Your calorie intake doesn't always paint an accurate picture of how healthy you ate. You could have 1,200 calories of candy, or 2,000 calories of nutritious vegetables and lean proteins. We recommend tracking your progress (Principle #9) which includes the foods you are consuming, serving size, time of consumption and how you feel before and after you have eaten.
• Stop Trying to Be Perfect | No one has a perfect week of eating. No one is a perfect weight. No one has a perfect workout. No one has a perfect body. Stop stressing, and don’t strive for unrealistic goals. Strive for progress, not perfection.
• Stop Using Food as a Reward | Using food as a "reward" after working out actually creates an unhealthy relationship with food itself; you can start to think you "don't deserve" food if you don't work out or limit your calories, etc. On the flip side, you can start to think you have "earned" more calories than we have actually burned. This can lead to weight gain and frustration. Principle #11 of our Warrior of Wellness Program teaches you to reward yourself with non-food rewards.
• Stop Doing Workouts You Hate | If you hate running, that's okay. Same goes for bootcamps and other classes such as yoga, spin and CrossFit. Find a workout and/or class you love. If you don't like the gym or can't afford it, try workouts at home. The most important part is that you move. Principle #7 of our Warrior of Wellness Program teaches you the importance of moving at least 30 minutes a day.
• Stop Making Excuses | If you want this year to be healthy, it's time to take action and start being good to your body. Empower yourself, don't make excuses for yourself.

For more information about the Warrior of Wellness Program, visit warriorofwellness.org.