Small Changes, Big Impact: How Simple Steps Can Transform Your Health
We live in a world where we want instant gratification. The quick fix with the least amount of effort that will get us immediate results, whether that is in terms of wealth, success, or even health. When we see those who have reached the top, we tend to think that they’re exceptional and want to know the secret of their success. What we don’t know or realize is that it took them years of trial and failure, making improvements and adjustments both small and large along the way, and consistent daily work in their field to get them there. It’s never as easy as it looks. They build on existing skills and continue to acquire new ones; they never stop learning. In the financial space, this is similar to compound interest on your initial principal. I’m describing a dynamic and evolving skill set building on previously acquired skills. What people don’t know or realize is that this same process can and should be applied to your health to achieve longevity and a high quality of life into old age.
Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, commonly known as GLP-1s, launched a few years ago but really took off in the past two years. They are commonly known by brand names such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound, just to name a few. Depending on the medication, they are used either for the treatment of type 2 diabetes or for obesity, and they all do a fantastic job at it. People that have used these drugs have lost a significant amount of weight but these drugs do not come without consequences or tradeoffs. GLP-1 drugs do not replace a healthy diet or adequate exercise but instead should be used in combination with lifestyle modifications. Up to 40% of the weight loss with GLP-1’s can be attributed to muscle loss according to the STEP-1 and SUSTAIN 8 trials of semaglutide, a GLP-1. People are being advised to tackle this muscle loss by diet and exercise. There is no escaping a healthy diet and exercise, even when taking life-altering medications
You may be thinking the reason why these drugs even exist and are as popular as they are today is because changing our lifestyle is difficult to achieve and may even feel impossible. I’d like to present to you an easy way to accomplish this. A healthy lifestyle either on its own or used in combination with a GLP-1 can be created by building on small, simple, and achievable steps. Small simple steps in the form of daily walks after dinner, short bursts of cardio throughout the day (I do this and it’s great to boost your mood and energy too), and eating a few vegetables before your meals, are an easy way to start incorporating them into your life. It can be one or a combination of these. Whatever works for you and your schedule.
Small, easy steps to incorporate into your daily routine will jump start your new journey to healthy living. What’s important here is consistency. Practicing small steps will soon add up to becoming a habit that naturally occurs with little thought or attention. With time, you will build upon these healthy habits and soon you’ll be more fit, mentally and physically, than ever before. This is how I started my health journey. I began by taking daily walks around my neighborhood, walks soon became jogs, and later I added resistance training. This was all over a few years. In the beginning, getting started was difficult. Actually, that’s an understatement. It was brutal. It took a lot of effort getting off the couch to go for a walk. But with time, these activities became a daily part of my life and it was easier to add on new ones. I actually started enjoying my workouts. After mastering each step, my confidence grew, not just with physical activity but in all aspects of my life.
The process of starting with simple steps and adding on as you go can also be done with diet. For example, start with incorporating one vegetable, preferable one that you like to eat to make it easier, with just one meal of the day and within a few weeks add another vegetable with other meals during the day. With time, incorporate more vegetables with your meals. When I started, I hated eating greens but now they are a regular part of my diet and I love how my mind and body feels. I no longer feel the midday slump. Eating more veggies helps increase fiber intake, provide natural nutrition, and are low in carbohydrates. Soon you’ll be lean, fit, and healthy.
Think of this process like investing in the S&P 500. You put in your initial investment of $100 and consistently add $100 every month and over a lifetime it can earn over half a million dollars. A basic index fund is not considered a sexy investment and no one brags about investing in them but it outperforms most individual stocks over the long term. Short term, you may not see much gain, but over 20+ years, you’ll see a significant return on investment. That’s how small healthy steps work; you may not see the results you’re looking for in the short term but by building on small healthy steps over many years, you’ll be in good shape. It’s not a sexy or popular method but it works. As an added benefit of a healthy diet and exercise, you may notice improvements in sleep, stress levels, and mood. Slow and steady wins the race.
