When you’re following a medical weight loss plan, staying balanced is key. It’s important to keep yourself feeling mentally and emotionally healthy, to stave off cravings, preserve your energy, feel motivated for exercise, and simply to feel happy!

And yes, keeping balance isn’t always easy in a high-stress world. But the following three steps are known to make an enormous difference in boosting your emotions, while helping you to feel physically healthy as well.

Get quality sleep. Everyone needs 7 to 8 hours of quality sleep each night, to keep hormones regulated and mood boosted. If you’re waking up in the middle of the night, that’s not quality! So invest in a good mattress and bedding, light-blocking curtains, a noise machine, ear plugs, or anything else you need to get a good night’s rest. And don’t forget to avoid exercise and screen time for about two hours before bedtime.

Exercise daily. Even just a thirty-minute walk can do wonders for your mood (and help you sleep better, too). Try to get active every single day, doing something that you enjoy or even just a social exercise class. The endorphins released during exercise are known to preserve mental health.

Eat your fruits and veggies. Fresh produce is high in antioxidants, which can reduce inflammation in the body and fight against depression. Plus, fresh fruits and veggies should be a part of your medical weight loss plan anyway.

Mental and physical health are closely linked, even if they seem like separate processes. As you continue to take care of your physical health, you will notice that your mental health improves, and vice versa. As you feel better emotionally, you will likely be more motivated to exercise daily and stick to a healthy diet.

Just remember, the first few weeks of any change are the hardest! Once you’ve instituted new habits, you will discover that their effects continue to last in the months to come. But do call us to schedule an appointment, and we will discuss a medical weight loss plan that works in the long term.