5 Hacks to Make Healthy Living Easier

Happy New Year!

If you're anything like me, the new year is a chance to re-energize your commitment to stay healthy.

Keeping that in mind here are 5 hacks (or ridiculously simple tips) to help you live your healthiest life possible!

Exercise on a (television) schedule

These days I love "Pawn Stars." So when do I go to the gym? When Pawn Stars is on! My gym has individual tv's on the machines so I time my arrival to coincide with the beginning of the show. Doing this motivates me to stay on the machine 30 whole minutes (lest I miss something!) and I even use the commercials to my benefit. I interval. I go harder on commercial breaks and go back to a challenging, but slower, pace during the show.

(NOTE: This works even if you work out at home. Just make sure you are on a machine! This generally takes some discipline if you are working out without a machine to your favorite tv show. Do the right thing.)

Don't want to overeat? Wear clothes that fit!

I've found it to be true that the more fitted my clothes are (and especially my shape-wear) the faster I feel uncomfortable when I've eaten a bit too much. Depending on the temptation level of the event, I may even go down a size in my shape-wear to induce that feeling even faster. It sounds crazy but it works, try it!

The Five Minute Rule

There's probably an official name for this but here's how it goes. I know many times after I eat something really good, I immediately want to get up and get a little more. But if you can wait just five minutes, usually all the signals from your stomach to your brain (and vice versa) get where they need to be and you find you really don't want that extra bit of food. (And sometimes you do.) So start a conversation or check out Bariatric Foodie on Facebook for a few minutes. You'll be surprised how many times you choose not to eat more!

Play Drinking Games

I struggle with getting enough fluids. When I'm at work I play "drinking games" to get enough fluids. Doing it is easy! Pick a word or an action that will be your "drink trigger" (for example, every time someone at your job says a certain word) and then keep a bottle of hydrating liquid (water, Crystal Light, NOT alcohol!) handy. Of course it's not always possible to be playing your game, so use some discretion! But it's kinda fun, especially when you assign a triggers that are stress relievers ("take one sip every time a person says X", "take two sips every time your boss gets on your nerves" etc.) and nobody knows but you!

Does the family keep tempting foods around? Institute the "Supermarket Rule"

I've talked about this one a lot. The Supermarket Rule is a good way to organize your refrigerator and cupboards if you live with others who stock foods you'd like to avoid. It does require some buy-in but the concept is pretty simple.

Tell your family members, roommates, loved ones (whatever) that they can keep their unhealthy offerings BUT that they have to keep them on the very highest or lowest shelves of the cupboard OR the very lowest shelf on the fridge. Why?

Take notice of a supermarket shelf. Companies pay big money for their products to be right at eye level - where you'll notice them and buy them! The same rule applies here. Make the tempting stuff harder to see and you'll be less likely to try to eat it.

I hope these five hacks give you creative inspiration for healthy living. If you have tips, I'd love to hear them. Leave them in the comments!