Being healthy can be a struggle. It is a constant decision to better yourself in the long run and give up that instant gratification. To work toward feeling better and looking better is a constant struggle that you have to commit to. My opinion on being healthy, is that you should be as healthy as you want to be. But being healthy is a state of mind. So prepare yourself for the hardships that come with letting go of instant gratification.
In an ideal world, every day you’d eat healthy and wholesome foods, get enough exercise and have plenty of energy to spare. But life happens, and it has a way of getting in the way of being healthy and fit. Somehow, by the time you get around to making and keeping those plans to work out and eat right, it’s half past never. That doesn’t mean you should give up on living a healthy lifestyle.
Set small goals
If you can’t spend an hour at the gym, why bother? Right? Wrong. That all-or-nothing mentality will set you up for failure, and make you give up before you even try. Remember that something is better than nothing. If you don’t have time for a big workout, even a few minutes of activity can make a difference. Your health can still benefit from doing less than the recommended amount of exercise (150 minutes a week). Focus on small increases, rather than the total recommended number, and you’ll be well on your way to better fitness, one step at a time.
Eat clean 90% of the time allows for the 10% junk food happiness
Eat healthy and clean 90% of the time. Take a good nutritional supplement. Make simple, healthy meals using nutritious ingredients such as fish and mushrooms. At beginning of the week, look at your schedule. Look at times during the week that you can use that 10% up and use that to fuel your healthy fire. Don’t eat junk food for no reason. If you go to see a movie with friends, that is the perfect time to get popcorn. Sitting on the couch alone at midnight, might not be the best time to eat popcorn. Another rule is don’t eat after 10pm if you can help it. Your body needs more time to digest before you go to bed.
Stay hydrated
Being hydrated does wonders for your overall health, notes time.com. You’ll be peeing like a race horse for the first week but then your body will get used to it. We hold a lot more water weight then you think, so drinking water constantly will reduce bloating and will just overall make you feel better. If you start to get bored with the taste of water, get some sugar-free crystal light! (Crystal light is another awesome treat for when you are craving something sweet!)
The most important thing: love yourself
You need to make the change to be healthy out of love. Otherwise you will fail the second you feel like the results aren’t what you were expecting. You need to love yourself enough to know that you are beautiful, but eating healthy and being active are just ways to make you feel better and stronger. You are human. You are allowed to eat that bar of chocolate when you want it. Don’t deny yourself those little treats of happiness all the time. All it will lead to is you beating yourself up when you do “cave.”
Becoming healthy is a practice. It’ll become a habit before you know it, but the first step is to decide that you want to take care of your body. You only have one, so don’t hesitate to treat it with kindness.
In short, know thyself. Knowing your preferences and abilities will help keep you from giving up — or not even trying in the first place. Just because you see people hitting the gym every day doesn’t mean it’s for you. Some people find that motivating, while others are bored and frustrated by exercise machines.
There are so many ways to get fit. Find what works for you and do it. “Try a variety of fitness activities until you find some you enjoy, then make them a regular part of your life. Whether it’s swimming, hiking, biking or doing an aerobics class at the gym, it’s important to find the things you like doing and then stick with them,” says Katie Collins in this today.com article.
Reward yourself for sticking with little goals
Reward yourself, but not with food. When you reach your goal, or even reach little goals along the way to your larger goal, reward yourself with little treats like a pedicure or a pamper night full of rom-coms and face masks. Just do not center your reward around food. Because remember, you deserve to be pampered and you deserve to treat your body like a temple. That includes what you put into it, so treat yo self!
Set goals for yourself and follow through
Be realistic. Do you want to lose weight? Tone muscle? Figure out what you want and why you want it. Then figure out how you are going to do it. Once you figure out your goal and tactics, use that as fuel to keep it up and follow through. If you want to lose 5 lbs in a month to fit into those jeans you love, keep remind yourself of that. Whenever I feel like I am slipping and craving ice cream I remind myself why I am doing this.
My big tip for when craving a dessert is simple: make a dessert. Don’t deny yourself little pleasures, just redefine what dessert is! So instead of ice cream, I have Greek yogurt and fruit with a little Splenda. SO GOOD- honestly, try it!
