Mastering willpower is an important step in any lifestyle change or weight-loss endeavor. But it doesn’t need to be the first step.
Whether you’re trying to lose weight, build muscle, train for a marathon, or simply tweak your lifestyle, you probably know that it’s not as easy as it sounds to simply refuse those fatty foods and sugary snacks. It takes time to build momentum and train yourself to reach for the carrot sticks instead of the chips.
But what about that in-between period? That abyss that stretches from the day you vowed to better yourself to that magical moment when the effort becomes second-nature?
This is arguably the most difficult part of any self-improvement process, and the one where most people give in to their cravings or abandon their goals altogether.
There are countless books on how to cross that threshold, and just as many diet programs designed to help you shrug off those cravings. But technology has introduced perhaps the most effective tools yet to help us cross that threshold and succeed in our goals. The accessibility of apps, remote classes, and meal delivery services has given us novel and increasingly effective ways to stay focused on our health goals and stymie those nasty cravings the second they arise.
Personal Trainers in Your Pocket
Fitness and dieting apps are by far the most popular lifestyle tools technology has to offer. Visit any app store and you’ll find thousands of apps for dieting, exercise, mindfulness, and more.
Whether they focus on running, yoga, mindful eating, or calorie-counting, what these apps have in common is the advantage of proximity. Unlike personal trainers, they’re constantly with you–little digital companions that beep, buzz, and send reminders throughout the day of the goals you set for yourself.
The capabilities of fitness and dieting apps go way beyond motivation, however. You can track your steps, learn quick exercises, count your calories, and measure your progress all while you stand in line at the bank.
Health apps provide one of the most successful solutions to the dreaded “downtime,” that period between workouts or the moments when you feel less inspired and are more likely to give in to temptations. By acting as portable little trainers, fitness and diet apps can keep us on track during our most vulnerable moments, making it easier to reach that place where we can keep to our goals without the reminder.
Meal Delivery
Another relatively new lifestyle tool, meal delivery services have been prescribed as a solution to a number of common issues, from busy schedules to expensive groceries. A middle ground between eating out and making a home cooked meal, meal delivery services let you order healthy meals online which you prepare and cook yourself at home.
Though different meal delivery companies may cater to busy parents, college students, or urban professionals, the most popular meal delivery services today are those that are focusing on health and wellness. You can find companies whose meals are 100% organic, paleo-certified, or designed to adhere to plant-based diets.
Often these services are customizable. A Kettlebell Kitchen review describes how you can select your goals while ordering and choose from recipes designed specifically for weight-loss, fitness, or general wellness. Services like Kettlebell offer easy-to-make meal options, usually designed by dietitians and other health experts, that limit your need to peruse the grocery aisles and keep you on target without sacrificing variety or flavor.
