How to Overcome the Five Biggest Obstacles to Healthy Living
How to Overcome the Five Biggest Obstacles to Healthy Living
After more than 25 years as a registered dietitian, I’ve heard just about every reason why healthy living can feel difficult.
And honestly?
Most of those reasons are valid.
Healthy Living FAQ: Quick Answers
What is the biggest obstacle to healthy living?
There isn’t one obstacle that affects everyone. Common challenges include lack of time, cost, low motivation, fatigue, and not knowing where to start. Identifying your biggest barrier is the first step toward finding a solution that works for you.
How can I eat healthy when I’m busy?
Healthy eating doesn’t have to be complicated. Planning meals, keeping nutritious convenience foods on hand, using leftovers, and choosing simple recipes can make healthy eating more manageable, even during busy weeks.
Is healthy eating expensive?
It doesn’t have to be. Many nutritious foods, such as beans, oats, frozen fruits and vegetables, eggs, peanut butter, and canned fish, are budget-friendly. Healthy eating is more about making thoughtful choices than buying specialty products.
How do I stay motivated to be healthy?
Motivation comes and goes, so don’t rely on it alone. Building small, realistic habits and routines can help you stay consistent, even on days when motivation is low.
Where should I start if I want to be healthier?
Start with one manageable change rather than trying to overhaul everything at once. That might be eating more fruits and vegetables, taking a daily walk, drinking more water, or getting more sleep. Small changes practiced consistently often lead to lasting results.
People are juggling careers, families, caregiving responsibilities, school, volunteer work, travel, health concerns, and countless other demands. Life is busy, and healthy habits often get pushed to the bottom of the priority list.
I understand because I’ve lived many of those challenges myself.
Over the years, I’ve balanced college, work, raising a family, teaching, writing, speaking, podcasting, volunteer leadership, and building my business. I’ve trained for half marathons and marathons while working full time, and I’ve also experienced times when injuries completely changed what I was able to do physically.
Healthy living isn’t about having unlimited time or unlimited motivation.
It’s about finding realistic ways to work healthy habits into the life you actually have.
Here are five of the biggest obstacles I hear about from clients, along with some ways to work through them.
1. “I Don’t Have Time.”
This is probably the obstacle I hear most often.
Between work, family, errands, appointments, and everything else, it can feel like there simply aren’t enough hours in the day.
The good news is that healthy living doesn’t require hours of free time.
You don’t need elaborate meal prep sessions every weekend.
You don’t need two-hour workouts.
You don’t need to cook every meal from scratch.
Instead, look for opportunities to make healthy choices fit into your routine.
Prepare extra food at dinner so you have leftovers for lunch.
Keep simple meal ingredients on hand.
Take a 20 or 30-minute walk before dinner or after work.
Break physical activity into shorter sessions if that works better for your schedule.
Sometimes the biggest time saver is simply planning ahead.
Knowing what’s for dinner before 5:00 p.m. often makes healthy eating much easier than deciding when everyone is already hungry.
2. “Healthy Living Costs Too Much.”
There’s no question that some foods and fitness options can be expensive.
But healthy living doesn’t have to be.
Some of the most nutritious foods are also some of the most affordable.
Beans.
Lentils.
Oats.
Frozen fruits and vegetables.
Peanut butter.
Eggs.
Canned tuna or salmon.
Potatoes.
Brown rice.
These foods provide excellent nutrition without stretching the grocery budget.
The same idea applies to physical activity.
Walking is free.
Bodyweight exercises require little or no equipment.
Resistance bands are relatively inexpensive and can provide an excellent workout.
A gym membership may be worthwhile for some people, but it certainly isn’t required to become more active.
Healthy living isn’t about buying the most expensive products.
It’s about making the best use of the resources you have.
3. “I Just Can’t Get Motivated.”
Motivation is wonderful when it’s there.
The problem is that it comes and goes.
If we wait until we feel motivated, we may wait a long time.
Instead of relying on motivation, focus on building routines.
The first workout is often the hardest.
The first healthy meal after a long stretch of takeout may take extra effort.
The first trip to the grocery store with a plan may feel unfamiliar.
But those actions become easier with repetition.
You also don’t have to change everything at once.
Start with one habit.
Maybe that’s eating breakfast.
Maybe it’s walking after dinner three times this week.
Maybe it’s adding one vegetable to dinner each night.
Small, consistent changes often lead to bigger changes over time.
4. “I’m Too Tired.”
Sometimes exhaustion is exactly what it feels like.
Life is demanding.
But it’s also worth asking why you’re so tired.
If persistent fatigue is new, severe, or unexplained, talk with your health care provider. Medical conditions, medications, sleep disorders, and nutrient deficiencies can all contribute to low energy.
Your eating pattern may also play a role.
Going long periods without eating.
Skipping meals.
Relying mostly on convenience foods.
Not eating enough overall.
These habits can all affect energy levels.
Many people find that eating more consistently throughout the day and balancing protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats at meals helps them maintain steadier energy.
Sleep matters, too.
Adults generally need seven to nine hours of sleep each night, yet many people regularly get less.
Improving sleep won’t solve every problem, but it can make healthy eating, physical activity, and stress management much easier.
5. “I Don’t Know Where to Start.”
I completely understand this one.
Nutrition advice is everywhere.
One person tells you to cut carbohydrates.
Another tells you to avoid seed oils.
Someone else says you need supplements, intermittent fasting, or the latest trending diet.
It’s no wonder people feel overwhelmed.
If you’re not sure where to begin, don’t start with the most complicated change.
Start with the basics.
Eat more fruits and vegetables.
Include a source of protein with meals.
Drink more water if that’s an area you struggle with.
Move your body regularly.
Get enough sleep.
Those habits may not be flashy, but they have stood the test of time because they work.
One More Obstacle: Trying to Do Everything at Once
There’s one obstacle I see that isn’t always obvious.
People try to change everything overnight.
They decide they’ll cook every meal at home, eliminate sugar, exercise every day, wake up an hour earlier, drink more water, and never eat out again.
That’s a lot.
When the plan becomes unrealistic, it’s easy to feel discouraged and quit altogether.
Instead, choose one or two changes that feel manageable.
Build those into your routine before adding something new.
Healthy living isn’t built on one dramatic week.
It’s built on habits you can continue month after month and year after year.
The Bottom Line
Healthy living isn’t always easy.
There will always be busy seasons, unexpected challenges, and days when things don’t go according to plan.
The goal isn’t to remove every obstacle.
The goal is to find practical ways to work around them.
Whether your biggest challenge is time, cost, motivation, exhaustion, uncertainty, or simply feeling overwhelmed, remember that you don’t have to solve everything today.
Choose one meaningful step.
Then take it.
Those small steps have a way of adding up over time.
And if you’re feeling stuck, remember that you don’t have to figure it all out on your own. Working with a qualified health professional can help you identify practical strategies that fit your lifestyle, your health needs, and your goals.
Real World Nutrition Refreshed. As nutrition science and perspectives evolve, older blog posts are occasionally updated and republished. This post was originally written in January 2023 and has been refreshed and expanded here.
