FIT TIPS: Health & Wellness Tips That Changed My Life
Today I am talking about Health and Wellness which has become a HUGE part of my life recently. I never used to care much about what I put in my body and how often I exercised. I always had a great metabolism growing up and was raised eating pretty healthy foods. Once I went to college and was able to eat whatever I wanted, I noticed a huge difference in my body and my mental state and the way I felt. I ignored it for a while and gained quite a few pounds before I decided I needed to make a change. It’s been really hard and a lot of work and I have struggled with it for about three years but I feel like I’m finally at a point where I am happy with my mental and physical state. So I am here to share with you a few tips that have changed my life mentally and physically.
Before I begin with my tips, I think I should mention what my main goal was during these three years of struggling with trying to “fix” my health and wellness issues. My main goal was to lose weight. I wasn’t happy with how my body looked and I was honestly kind of unsure of what to do given that I had never experienced this kind of weight gain before and had never seen my body in this way before. I am not saying that there is any “right” weight or way to look but I just wasn’t confident or happy in my own body and this really affected me mentally. I now am accepting of my body and my main goal now is to tone up and gain muscle while losing any excess body fat that I have. This goal may change in the future but that is my main focus right now in order to maintain my healthy mental state and feel comfortable in my own skin. OK let’s get into it!
- Exercise ATLEAST 4-5 times a week for 30 minutes. I know this is what everyone says to do but find a way to fit it in your schedule and match your lifestyle! Find something you enjoy to do! Whether that’s cycling or hiking or swimming, stay active! Even just going for a 30 minute walk to increase your heart-rate will make your body and mind much healthier.
- Get a Fitness Tracker! It keeps you motivated and helps you realize how active (or not) you are on a regular basis and encourages you to get up off the couch and do something active when you’ve had a lazy day!
- Stop making excuses! You have time for everything that you make time for. We all have the same 24 hours in the day. What you choose to do with that time is entirely up to you.
- Nobody is going to do it for you and nobody is your biggest cheerleader except yourself. Go after your goals!
- Doing something for 20 days straight becomes a habit. Choose to better yourself and make your goals a habit. After those 20 days you will feel so much closer to that goal and it will be so much easier to accomplish
- Pick up a book! Strive to learn something new each day by reading! See my book post here where I talk about my favorite books if you want to find a good read!
- Prioritize your time to reach your goals! Instead of spending three hours each night watching TV, spend an hour watching TV, an hour exercising, and an hour reading a book! It will stimulate your brain and make you feel so much more productive.
- Listen to podcasts! They are so entertaining and educational. Listen to them while you’re cooking dinner or folding laundry! Podcasts are similar to books in that they keep your mind active and teach you new things. You can click here to see all of my favorite podcasts that I listen to on a regular basis!
- Low Carb / High Fat / Moderate protein diet (sometimes referred to as Keto). I’ve found that this diet has been the most successful for my body and has made me lose the most weight and feel the best mentally and physically. It definitely takes getting used to but cutting out carbs has to be one of the best things I have done. It not only gives me natural energy but cut so much fat off my body and has just made me feel mentally and physically better. It may not be for everyone, but I recommend giving it a try for a few months and seeing what you think!
- Eliminate processed foods. This one is a hard one but it’s so important! Shop the outside of the grocery store (produce, meats, dairy) and avoid the center aisles where most of the processed foods are!
- No Sugar! Another hard tip to follow but is so important is to cut back on sugar intake. So many foods that you least expect are full of sugar that’s not only bad for your body but also bad for your brain! I use erythritol which is a sugar substitute and can still make many things that are typically sugar-filled (cinnamon rolls, cookies, etc.!) but they don’t have the same negative affect on my body. I also choose sugar free options whenever possible (especially in energy drinks because some days I just need a pick-me-up!)
2 Comments
Susan
Thanks for the tips! I’ve been trying to start my health and wellness journey for quite a while now but have been putting it off at the same time. Reading this has made me feel more confident in myself to start and plan for my progress!
Lauren
So happy you liked it! I will have more health and wellness posts coming soon!