How To Overcome The Five Biggest Obstacles To Healthy Living

Being a dietitian for over two decades, I guarantee that I have heard all kinds of reasons why people have challenges with healthy living.

Now, I know these are authentic and valid obstacles. I get it. Like many people, I have many roles, some running concurrently.

In college, I was a full-time student with a family and working part-time. And my husband worked a job in which we were never sure when he would be home – 6, 6:30, or during the holiday season after 8:30.

Then after I graduated from college, I took on volunteer roles in my profession, including planning state meetings and serving nationally.

I have trained for half- and full marathons while working full-time and still being a mom and wife.

I have traveled for conferences and meetings as a mom and wife.

Even today, I balance multiple roles in my personal and professional life, including working numerous contract gigs, teaching part-time, writing, podcasting, and still volunteering while attempting to maintain my fitness even when injuries disrupt that.

So this is all to say, “I get it.” I promise you I do.

And, I know that I have the additional benefit of not only understanding and teaching healthy lifestyle habits but seeing it as part of my “job” to role model that we can do it.

So today, I address what I hear are the top 5 obstacles to healthy living.

For one, I won’t even talk about smoking and not using tobacco products. I figured that if people don’t get it by now and are not aware of the resources to stop, they aren’t likely to take the information from me and suddenly seek help. Cynical, I know.

TIME

Based on what people tell me, this is the biggest obstacle.

I get it. And, if you have used the term “binge watch” or something similar when referring to yourself, I dare you to tell me that you do not have the time for healthier living. I dare you.

We all have the same 24 hours.

We may delegate that time to highly productive work and maintaining a relationship.

We certainly need to delegate “me time,” which can include screen time, self-care, you’re your favorite form of entertainment.

We can find balance with fitness time which can be part of maintaining relationships or entertainment. For example, at my house, we enjoy golfing and biking together. And movies. So two birds.

Here is a video I used to show my class entitled 23 and 1/2 hours: What is the single best thing we can do for our health? It is just over nine minutes long, but the gist is 30 minutes daily for exercise. Seriously. Invest 30 minutes of exercise for your health, and you get the other 23½ hours for everything else.

And the time it takes to cook and prepare meals? You don’t have to take a lot of time. Yes, there is planning and shopping, but many people shop for other things too. I hate the inconvenience of getting gas, but guess what? I do it. Invest the time to meal plan and read my additional tips in this post from last week.

If time is an obstacle for you – I ask you to take a look at places you may be able to save time, delegate tasks, or eliminate something to help your health.

COST

I often hear that eating healthy costs more.

And joining a gym can be expensive.

Sure, joining a gym can be expensive. However, not going to a gym and paying for it is worse.

And yes, a bike and all that goes with that can add up.

Running shoes can cost a lot.

But does healthy eating cost a lot? Really.

Making healthy food choices doesn’t mean going to a specialty grocery store.

It doesn’t mean having to buy organic food.

It means making healthier choices – which can be budget-friendly.

Beans, either dried or canned, are inexpensive.

Oats – quick cook, 5-minute oats don’t cost a lot and often have more servings per container than ready-to-eat cereal.

Frozen fruit and frozen vegetables last longer than fresh – and often cost less.

Peanut butter is a great budget-friendly food.

How much does water cost? Expensive? I don’t think so.

Here is what else can cost a lot: insurance deductibles, copays, and the time it takes to treat and recover from a medical diagnosis.

MOTIVATION

I say it all the time: the first step is the hardest. It is.

When I ran, I would run outside. Even in the winter. Even in the dark. And the most challenging part was getting out the door.

But once out there, it was easier.

If you don’t cook but want to try making healthier meals, plan for one this week. I wrote about Five Ways to Make Healthier Eating Easier. And my cookbook is all about easy-to-make meals.

Don’t make it complicated. Enlist help.

Make the call if you need a checkup or need to schedule a mammogram or colonoscopy. The last time I had a mammogram, I didn’t have to talk to someone to plan it; I could schedule it online. Also, I was an established patient, which made it more accessible.

It is easy to procrastinate, and sometimes you may find that it isn’t so painful or time-consuming. If you are worried about being on hold for a while, find time to multi-task while waiting. For example, I listened to my brother schedule an appointment while we were on vacation, walking down the street and two time zones away from his doctor. It wasn’t hard. And he did it in a fun environment.

EXHAUSTION

Let’s take a second here and explain why you may be exhausted.

Like many people, you likely have a lot going on. For example, see above under ‘TIME.’

Two things to consider here:

One is a potential underlying medical issue. And that needs to be checked. So don’t put it off because “you don’t want to know.”

But first, consider this: you may be exhausted because your eating pattern is off, and you may need to fuel better. Yes, FUEL to FEEL better.

Going too long without eating can make you tired.

Choosing quick-energy foods can help in the short term, but an hour later, you may ‘crash.’

I see this all the time, so I made the mini-course and workbook Six Tips for the Busy Person to Have Sustainable Energy, where I address the timing of eating and what foods are better for longer energy and fuel.

This mini-course helps address energy, food, and planning, including eating out and gas-station/c-store foods. It happens.

Many people find that these eating pattern switches can help minimize and even eliminate exhaustion.

Give it a try – what have you got to lose?

I DON’T KNOW WHERE TO START

There is a lot here and a lot of obstacles.

There is a lot of conflicting information from the internet and well-meaning people. (I assume they are well-meaning.)

It can be overwhelming. You may have a lot of questions. Or want some accountability. So, this is where I say, let’s talk.

I offer a free 30-minute Introductory Call to discuss your health and wellness goals and how I can help you reach them. So take a minute and schedule some time today. This call may be your motivation to take that first step.