Making Lifestyle Changes Is Confusing as Hell I’m guessing if you’ve landed here, you’ve probably thought to yourself:

“Okay, this year I’m going to take my health seriously. I’ll start eating better, I’ll exercise, I’ll get my sleep together.”

And then… boom. Ten minutes into Google or TikTok you’re hit with a million contradictory rules.

Someone tells you to go vegan.
Someone else tells you carbs are the devil.
You’re told that fats clog arteries, but hold up—too much fruit is also bad?
Someone advocates for intermittent fasting. Someone else tells you fasting ruins your hormones.

You need to do HIIT to lose fat, but then you hear HIIT increases cortisol.
“Get your 10,000 steps.” But then suddenly walking isn’t enough to keep your heart healthy.
“Try running.” But running kills your knees.

It’s enough to make anyone throw up their hands, grab a packet of Doritos, and mutter:

“Screw it, I’ll start next Monday.”

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I know this because I’ve been there. I’ve gotten sucked into that cycle of overcomplicating, overthinking, and then procrastinating on the changes I knew I had to make.

But after years of trial and error—while working full-time as a doctor, by the way—I’ve finally cracked the code to five simple, non-negotiable rules that keep me on track.

And I’m not giving you hacks or magic pills. These are not cool TikTok “biohacks.” These are no-BS-sounding, dull rules that really do work in the real world when you’re stressed, exhausted, and just trying to make it through.

So let’s get started.

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Rule #1: Escape the All-or-Nothing Mindset

This one almost destroyed me. For years, I was in a pattern that looked something like this:

• Phase 1 (Perfection): I implemented impossibly rigid rules. No processed foods. No sugary stuff. Everything had to be “clean.” I robotically meal-prepped, went to the gym daily, and gave myself not one “slip.”
• Phase 2 (Rebellion): Eventually, I cracked. I’d have one cookie, feel guilty, and say, “Screw it, I’ve ruined everything,” and go on a full-on binge. Pizza, crisps, chocolate—the works.
• Phase 3 (Shame): The guilt was overwhelming. I’d punish myself with restrictive rules all over again, swearing, “This time I’ll be perfect.” And the cycle repeated.

Sound familiar? Yeah. It’s miserable.

The truth is, life does not work in “perfect” streaks. Nobody on earth eats perfectly 365 days a year. Nobody hits every workout. Nobody avoids processed foods forever. And if they say they do, they’re either lying or joyless.

I needed to learn to redefine “failure.”

If I had a home-cooked lunch but then picked up fast food for dinner because I was tired, that wasn’t a failure.
If I was too tired for the gym but I did get a 20-minute walk in, that wasn’t a failure either.

That’s being human.

The healthiest people I know don’t obsess over every “bad” choice—they just get back on track at the next meal or the next day.

And that’s the key: stop treating health like an all-or-nothing exam you either pass or fail. It’s about the average of your choices over months, not one slip.

Once I let go of perfection, health stopped feeling like punishment and started feeling… sustainable.

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Rule #2: Focus on Unprocessed Foods (But Don’t Shun Processed Ones)

Now let’s discuss the elephant in the room: calories.

Calories count. It’s simple physics. Too much and you gain weight, too little and you lose.

But here’s the thing—I’ve had a really complicated relationship with calories. Obsessively counting them fueled my eating disorder when I was in med school. It made me anxious around food and made me feel like numbers were running my life.

But when I stepped back, I saw something: calories are only a tiny part of a much larger picture. More important than simply counting numbers is where your calories are coming from.

My Wake-Up Moment with Processed Foods

During my last year of medical school, I more or less survived on packaged lunches, instant noodles, and vending machine chocolate bars.

It was easy, it was affordable, and it sustained me during night shifts. But it also left me bloated, tired, and strangely addicted to sugar.

Processed food tastes incredible—companies design it to hit the bliss points of salt, sugar, and fat so you want more. It’s not a plot, it’s business. And the more you consume it, the more your brain gets used to it and seeks it out.

Here’s the deal: I don’t hate processed food. I still consume it. I adore pizza. I adore crisps. But I needed to learn equilibrium.

If 80% of my calorie intake is from unprocessed, whole foods (think: fruit, vegetables, rice, chicken, beans, oats), then the remaining 20% can be chocolate or biscuits without upsetting my health.

A Real-Life Example

I drastically reduced processed foods last year. And then I traveled to the U.S. for a family trip.

Food was nice, but filled with sugar and salt as well. And for the very first time, I caught myself saying, “Wow, this is too sweet” or “This is way too salty.”

That surprised me. My taste buds had literally recalibrated by consuming less processed foods.

That’s when it hit me: consuming less junk doesn’t only alter your waistline. It alters your brain.

An apple now tastes sweet. Fresh food becomes satisfying. You’re not constantly battling cravings.

So sure—have your pizza. Just eat your bananas too. Equilibrium is everything.

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Rule #3: Exercise You Actually Enjoy (Not What’s Trending)

The fitness world is a trend-based world. A few years back, heavy weightlifting was all the rage. After that, Pilates came along. Then running marathons. And next year? Who knows—maybe pogo-stick training will be the thing.

Here’s the reality check: the best workout is the one you can actually keep up with.

My Cringe Gym Story

In 2022, I went to the gym with the intention of trying weightlifting. I’d watched a ton of YouTube instructional videos and thought, “I’ve got this.”

First exercise: bench press.

Except. I couldn’t even lift the bar correctly. I almost dropped it on me. Everyone was staring.

Embarrassed, I left and didn’t go near a gym for six months.

That was the day I knew I couldn’t just push myself into exercises that didn’t feel good.

What Actually Works

For me, it’s been:

• Walking. I undervalued this for years. But walking clears my head, helps digestion, and doesn’t make me feel like I’m exercising. I now walk after lunch and dinner nearly every day.
• Micro workouts. I don’t always have an hour. But I can manage 10–15 minutes. Squats during brushing teeth, push-ups in the living room, stretching during TV time. It adds up.
• Fun movement. Dancing in my kitchen. Playing VR games. Cycling (before my bike was stolen—RIP). Anything that gets me moving without dread.
• Strength training (properly done). After I dropped my ego, I found myself actually liking strength training. No crazy heavy weight lifting—just basic movements using dumbbells. And I kid you not, getting stronger in the gym carried over to becoming more confident in all other aspects of life.

Convenience Is King

When I was selecting a gym in uni, I had two choices:

• Gym 1: Less expensive, larger, more machines, but 15 minutes away by walk.
• Gym 2: More expensive, smaller, but literally downstairs under my apartment.

Guess which one I actually went to? Yep, Gym 2.

Because when you’re tired, convenience conquers all. And that’s the actual secret to doing exercise regularly—make it as convenient as possible for future you.

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Rule #4: Make Health Convenient

This is worth its own rule because honestly, we shoot ourselves in the foot by making health more complicated than it has to be.

I used to tell myself that being “healthy” equated to complicated meal planning, upscale gym memberships, and supplements I couldn’t even say.

But in real life? The more convenient you make healthy options, the more likely you will stick with them.

How I Do It Now

• Convenience foods are not the devil. Frozen vegetables, microwave rice, pre-chopped fruit—all lifesavers. They’re still whole foods, just quicker.
• Meal prep when you’re able to. Sunday is my energy day, so I batch-cook chicken, rice, and beans. Tuesday is a tired day, so I thank previous-me for prepping past-me.
• Create your environment. Have fruit out on the counter, water on your desk, gym shoes by the door. If it’s visible and convenient, you’ll use it.

Future-you is going to be tired, stressed, and tempted. Make life easier for them.

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Rule #5: Don’t Overcomplicate It

Here’s my last, maybe most critical rule: stop making health so damn complicated.

The health industry survives on confusion. Opposing headlines, magic diets, costly supplements. Why? Because confusion sells. When you’re confused, you’ll be more likely to throw money at the issue.

But here’s the truth: the fundamentals haven’t changed in decades.

• Drink plenty of water.
• Eat whole foods for the most part.
• Get your body moving.
• Sleep well.
• If anything feels wrong, see a doctor.

That’s it. Honestly.

In the UK, we all require vitamin D supplements between October and April. That’s one evidence-based addition. The rest? White noise.

Don’t let the white noise fool you into believing health is rocket science. It’s not. It’s dull, predictable fundamentals.

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Final Thoughts

Living a healthy lifestyle in 2025 doesn’t mean being perfect, never eating chocolate, or running marathons.

It’s about balance, convenience, and doing things you can stick with long-term.

I still screw up. I still get takeaway more than I’d care to admit. I still miss the gym. But I don’t spiral anymore. Because I know health isn’t about one day, one week, or even one month. It’s about the average of your choices over years.

So if you’re reading this and you feel totally overwhelmed, here’s my tip:

Take one rule and begin today.

• Perhaps it’s a 10-minute walk.
• Perhaps it’s having one crisp-free day once a week.
• Perhaps it’s going to bed 30 minutes early.

Small steps count.

And the best bit? You don’t have to buy anything, download anything, or follow any guru to begin.

Just you, getting the next decision a bit better than the previous one.