Dr Gillian with a patient

Sure, you can now buy miracle weight loss jabs as you please over the internet- and yes, they DO WORK in a lot of people (if you can tolerate the potential side effects) but how does a temporary injection help KEEP THE WEIGHT OFF? I’m yet to be convinced. In a world of instant gratification, the allure of quick fixes is stronger than ever. From fad diets promising rapid weight loss to miracle pills claiming to cure all ailments, the promise of an easy, fast solution can be tempting. But as appealing as these shortcuts may seem, they rarely deliver long-term results – and they often do more harm than good. Sustainable wellness, on the other hand, focuses on building habits that support your health for the long haul. Let’s unpack why quick fixes fail and explore how you can embrace a healthier, more sustainable approach.

Why Quick Fixes Don’t Work

Quick fixes often fail to address the root causes of health issues. Instead, they offer superficial solutions that can be difficult to maintain and may even exacerbate the problem over time. Here’s why they’re not the answer:

  • Unsustainable Practices: Extreme diets, detoxes, or exercise regimens are often too restrictive or intense to maintain long-term. When they’re abandoned, old habits return, often leading to a cycle of yo-yo dieting or inconsistent fitness.
  • Neglecting the Bigger Picture: Quick fixes often target one aspect of health (e.g., weight loss) without considering mental health, sleep, stress, or overall well-being.
  • Potential Health Risks: Many quick fixes, like unregulated supplements or crash diets, can lead to nutrient deficiencies, weakened immunity, and metabolic damage.

The Benefits of Sustainable Wellness

Sustainable wellness prioritises long-term health over short-term results. It’s about creating balanced habits that integrate into your lifestyle without feeling overwhelming. Here’s why this approach works:

  • Holistic Focus: Sustainable wellness considers all aspects of health, including physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
  • Realistic Goals: Instead of chasing rapid results, it emphasizes gradual progress, which is easier to maintain.
  • Empowerment Through Knowledge: Understanding how your body works and what it needs helps you make informed decisions that align with your goals.
  • Reduced Stress: Letting go of perfectionism and quick fixes can alleviate the pressure to see immediate results, fostering a more positive relationship with health.

Strategies for Sustainable Wellness

Transitioning from quick fixes to sustainable wellness doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a process that involves small, consistent steps. Remember BEING CONSISTENT AND PESISTENT are the key attitudes towards sustainable behaviour change.

Here are some strategies to get started:

1. Set Realistic Expectations

  • Understand that meaningful change takes time. Aim for progress, and a sustainable approach to food and habit change, NOT PERFECTION.
  • Don’t allow perfection to be the enemy of ‘Absolutely Good Enough’
  • Celebrate small victories, like an active food choice you’ve made rather than caving to a craving or impulse or or completing a week of beneficial habit building.
  • Realise you are unlikely to ‘see’ tangible differences when you start a new habit- you’re more likely to ‘feel’ them as your body’s health improves. Your life is not lived through a visual screen, its how you feel, what you can do and how much you feel valued that give you satisfaction and meaning.

2. Adopt a Balanced Approach to Nutrition

  • Focus on whole (unprocessed), nutrient-dense foods that nourish your body.
  • Avoid labelling foods as “good” or “bad” – food is a necessity for health, but rubbish food will only make you feel rubbish. Good food will make you feel good!
  • Plan meals that centre around fibre and protein- this way you wont overeat on carbs and fats and you’ll naturally be filling up on nutrient-dense foods. .
  • Don’t always go for the tastiest option- save that for a real treat on the odd occasion instead of making every meal something you look forwards to. Personally I eat a lot of plain food I don’t particularly like, but it’s serving its function- to provide my body with the fuel and nutrition it NEEDS, not to satisfy the craving for something I WANT. I feel full afterwards and pleased that I’ve not caved to a craving! Remember: Discipline IS self care.

3. Prioritise Movement You Enjoy

  • Exercise shouldn’t feel like a chore. Find activities you love, whether it’s fitness, dancing, hiking, yoga, or team sports.
  • Incorporate movement into daily life, such as walking instead of driving short distances.
  • Try to spend more of your time moving rather than not- always take the stairs instead of an escalator/lift, take two stairs at a time to get your glutes and quad muscles working, park in the corner of a carpark rather than spending the extra time it takes to find a closer parking space!
  • Try taking regular exercise ‘snacks’ at work- exercise bands are great for under desk workouts, your desk is a great bench to knock 10- push ups out on.
  • Embrace every extra trip you have to do up and down the stairs at home. Sometimes I purposefully leave things I could carry in one and go back for them later to make sure I get some more movement in at home!
  • Try striking a pose when you’re doing something sedentary like brushing your teeth – assume a lunge or squat position, you could also squat over the toilet rather than sitting down passively on it! All these little things add up over long periods- you’d be surprised!
  • try to see exercise a something you just ‘do’ and not something that has to be ‘done’. Exercise is just part of life, not a special trip to the gym you need to psych yourself up for. Exercise is not about looking great, its about feeling healthy and protecting yourself from the perils of aging joints and muscles!

4. Practice Mindfulness

  • Pay attention to how your body feels and what it needs. Are you truly hungry, or are you eating out of boredom? Are you anxious because you need to get out and burn off those stress hormones in a fast walk or gym session? Do you feel low because you’ve not been outside yet today?
  • How often do you just spend time with yourself? Try going out for a walk with no tech, leave your phone in another room at night and buy an analogue alarm clock.
  • Use mindfulness techniques like meditation or journaling to reduce stress and improve mental clarity.

5. Get Enough Sleep

  • There’s no such thing as being overworked- just under rested! Said a wise old lady to me one day (my mum- sorry mum!)
  • Prioritise rest as part of your wellness routine. Sleep is essential for recovery, mental health, and energy levels.

Building Resilience Against the Quick-Fix Mentality

The societal pressure to achieve rapid results can make it difficult to resist quick fixes. However, shifting your mindset can help:

  • Focus on Longevity and your HEALTHSPAN: Remind yourself that the goal is lifelong health and a high quality of life, not short-lived gains.
  • Practice Self-Compassion: Understand that setbacks are a normal part of the process. Treat yourself with kindness and keep moving forward. Otherwise known as ‘self parenting’- how would you speak to a child if they were feeling disappointed or disheartened?
  • Educate Yourself: Get your ‘faux-dar’ out. Spotting false health claims and promises has become quite the game I like to engage with over the years. Learn to recognise misleading health claims- if it seems too good to be true, it probably is!

The Takeaway

The myth of quick fixes often leads to disappointment and, in some cases, harm. Sustainable wellness, on the other hand, is an investment in your future self. By making small, consistent changes and focusing on long-term health, you can build a foundation of wellness that lasts a lifetime. YOU WILL NEVER FAIL if you take this approach so you’ll never fee you have to quit or like a failure. Remember, life is a journey, not a race. Take it one step at a time, and enjoy the process of becoming the best version of yourself, whatever your age of life stage.Dr Gillian signature