How many times have you told yourself you were going to start eating healthier, maybe even exercise a little, only to throw in the towel a couple weeks in or not even start to begin with (you know – the whole “I’ll start on Monday” thing…and then that Monday never comes)? Don’t worry, I’ll wait. Starting and maintaining a healthy lifestyle can be a tough thing to do. Life can be fast paced and hectic and grabbing a burger from Mickey D’s and then sitting on the couch to watch The Real Housewives can often feel like all you want to do at the end of a long day. Unfortunately, nothing good ever comes from greasy ass fast food and too much reality TV.
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| Photo via ultimatebodytrainer.com |
1. Start cooking! What you put into your body is so important to every aspect of your health. If you’re constantly eating out you have no idea and definitely no control of what is going into your food. And here’s a little secret – it usually ain’t good! Now you don’t need to be Rachel Ray in the kitchen to get this done. Go on-line (I love Pinterest for this), and find quick healthy recipes to make for dinner and even lunch. Then take a couple hours on Saturday or Sunday to write your menu for the week and post that shizz up on the fridge. Take a trip to the grocery store and buy all the ingredients you’re going to need for the week – this is important! If you’re one of those people who run to the store whenever you need something, this has to stop. Think about it, you’re on your way home from work, you’re tired, maybe even a little stressed out – do you really want to battle granny at grocery store? No – so you order in some takeout instead. No Bueno. If you want to go the extra mile, you can also prep your meals ahead of time to cut down on your time in the kitchen during the work week.
2. Don’t keep bad stuff in the house! This might seem like a no-brainer but, if you don’t have access to unhealthy foods, how can you eat them, right? So go into your fridge and pantry and throw out the cookies, the ice cream, the chips NOW. Then go stock them up with healthier options – check out this post for some snack ideas. Another thing I did along the same lines was to stop carrying cash on me so I wouldn’t be tempted to hit the vending machines at work. Then I stocked my drawers full or almonds, jerky and other non-perishable snacks I could bust out if my tummy started rumbling. I know this probably sounds extreme – but it worked for me!
3. Find a physical activity you enjoy! Everyone knows if you absolutely loathe doing something, you’re not going to want to do it. Same thing goes for exercise; you need to find something physical that you enjoy doing. For me it is Zumba and other dance classes – on the days I have these classes, I am so much more motivated and even excited to get sweaty! The gym isn’t for everyone so its ok to think outside the box! As long as you are getting your butt up off the couch and getting your heart rate up, you’re in a better position than you were before. Then who knows, you might even start to like working out (especially when you start seeing results!) and might just get the urge to try new activities!
4. Don’t be unrealistic, but still hold yourself accountable! The number one way you are going to set yourself up for failure is if you set unrealistic goals, because you are going to constantly be disappointed. Yeah, you’ll go in with all the motivation in the world with hopes of getting that Kim K bod, but the second you don’t reach the crazy goals you’ve set for yourself, you’ll say “F – it” and give up completely! A week of eating better and hitting the gym may yield some results, but don’t be disappointed if nothing has changed and most importantly keep at it. Also, this is a tough one, but stop comparing yourself to others – every.one.is.different. This is especially true if you go into this with your husband – men just hold their breath for five seconds and lose ten pounds! On the same token, you still need to hold yourself accountable. Start tracking everything you’re eating (you’d be surprised how many calories seemingly healthy foods can have) and also any exercise! I personally enjoy the Fitbit because it tracks your steps, calories burned, sleep, water intake and even gives me the ability to enter what I ate for the day via the app on my iPhone. Any tracker is better than nothing though (even the old school pedometers) and you can track you caloric intake online for free via the Livestrong site (and many others). Finally, don’t deprive yourself of all yummy treats! If you’re eating nothing but boiled chicken and greens you’re going to be more likely to quit. I am a true believer in cheat days – or as my hubby and I like to call it, “Fat Friday.” We like to treat ourselves once a week to a nice juicy cheeseburger…or some Chik-Fil-A…or some Chinese Food…or…let me stop before I get hungry!
I hope some of the tips I’ve shared with you today were helpful! Our health is just so very important – without it, nothing else really matters. You owe it to yourself to get on that healthy train (choo! choo!), you can do it! I promise, it’s not so bad!
Have any questions or ideas for future Fit Friday posts? Leave a comment below!
x's,
I use to be really good about cooking at home but have gotten worse with my busier schedule. But last week I actually planned menus and went to the grocery store and had cooked every day this week. It did feel good on my wallet and body not to eat out. Now I just need to keep it up.
ReplyDeletexx, Jodi
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Thats great Jodi! It really does help the wallet too, eating out can be so expensive. If you keep at it for a few weeks, it'll start to feel like second nature before you know it! Thanks for stopping by! xx - Cassie
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