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A quick fix is tempting. Whether you’re trying to save time, money, or your health, the idea of a simple solution that will make a big difference is powerful. But when it comes to healthy eating and living, diets rarely work. They’re often too restrictive or complicated and simply not sustainable. So if you want to make lasting changes, where do you start?
At Sky Lakes, the focus is on a different approach: lifestyle changes. The Wellness Center’s 15-week lifestyle change program is designed to help you build healthy habits you can stick with.
What Exactly Is a Lifestyle Change Program?
A lifestyle change program is a structured approach to help you develop healthier habits around eating, exercise, stress management, and more. These programs provide support and coaching to help you set goals, overcome barriers, and stay motivated to succeed. Unlike quick-fix diets or extreme workout plans, these programs teach sustainable changes you can maintain for life.
A well-known example is the National Diabetes Prevention Program, which uses a CDC-approved curriculum with lessons, handouts, and other resources to help you make healthy changes. When you join a program like this, you’ll work with a lifestyle coach and learn, laugh, share stories, and try new things while lowering your risk of serious health problems.
Focusing on What Works
“Diets work as long as we’re on them, but we typically can’t stick with a diet for very long,” says Wellness Center Nutrition Coordinator Jennifer Newton. Diets can feel too restrictive and out of our normal routine. “Our program focuses on helping people understand how some of these small changes can be beneficial.”
The program also tackles things like physical activity, stress management, and the importance of sleep. These small changes can add up to big improvements. For example, Ms. Newton recalls one patient who simply switched from sugary soda to water or unsweetened tea. “And it’s a seemingly small change like that that can actually have such dramatic results,” she explains.
Lasting, Life-Changing Results
Sky Lakes’ program has helped people improve their cholesterol and A1C levels, and even reduce their risk of diabetes. But for many, the biggest wins are less about numbers and more about life itself.
“What really excites me is when somebody says, you know, ‘I haven’t been able to get down on the floor and play with my grandkids, but I can now’,” Ms. Newton says. “Being able to help them to resume doing the things that they want to do is huge.”
Sky Lakes’ Lifestyle Change Program is open to anyone in the community, whether you’re looking to prevent chronic disease or simply improve your well-being. You don’t need a doctor’s referral to join.
Healthy and Sustainable Food Choices You Can Make Starting This Holiday Season
- Choose water and unsweetened drinks instead of sugary beverages or alcohol.
- Choose veggies instead bread for your sides.
- Choose whole-grains instead of bleached or white grains.
- Choose fruit based desserts instead of cookies or cakes.
- Choose snacks like veggies, hummus, or air-popped popcorn instead of chips and creamy dips.
