Healthy Lifestyle Habits are Easier than You Think!
Do you want to get healthy but unsure of where to start? Does it feel like an overwhelming challenge so you don’t even begin? It’s possible for anyone to improve their health and feel more confident by making just a few small changes. In fact, not only is it possible it is a lot easier than you think! You just have to be committed to yourself and HONEST because you can lie to your calorie counter but your hips know the truth!
Unfortunately for me, but fortunately for you, I have had to get back into shape a few times in my life. I’ve had four pregnancies (including a set of twins) all delivered via c-sections. Then a couple times where, to be honest, I just let myself eat cookies instead of dealing with stress properly.I really hope I have learned my lesson regarding dealing with stress and that cookies don’t fix anything! Does that sound familiar to you? Yeah, I thought it would. So obviously, I have had the opportunity to pull myself out of the cookie jar and strap on my gym shoes several times in my life! Now let’s talk about the first few changes that help get the healthy lifestyle ball rolling!
I am ready to get back to running again but the extra weight is really a drag! So I am going to have to crawl before I can walk. Now I want to share with you how I am getting started and just how easy it is to begin. Here is my beginner’s guide to healthier lifestyle habits.
Your first 5 EASY steps that you can take to start living a healthy lifestyle or regain your previous one!
First step – For one or two weeks start tracking where you currently are regarding activity and calorie intake. That’s it. You don’t have to hit the gym yet or eat salad every day (unless you already are doing that then for God’s sake don’t stop!!) You just want to get your baseline by using a pedometer, activity tracker, whatever you want to track how many steps you are taking every day compared to how many calories you are taking in. Sometimes just seeing this information in front of your face will be motivation enough!
Second step – Now that you know how much you are eating compared to how active you are, let’s try to get those numbers a little more even. Add a 10 minute walk into your daily routine at least 3 times a week for two weeks.
Third step – Now let’s increase the walk to 15 minutes 5 times a week for two weeks. Be honest, everyone has 15 minutes to give to themselves every day.
Fourth step – Assess your diet. Is it on point with your goals? Your health has more to do with what you put on your fork than how far your shoes travel every day. Follow the 80/20 rule. 80 percent of the time eat healthy and exercise so that the 20 percent of treats and rest won’t derail your efforts!
Fifth step – Assess how you are feeling! You have been doing these small steps for over a month! Keep up the good work and continue to build on your new healthy habits!
Please remember that weight didn’t get there overnight and it won’t go away overnight either. You are going to have to be patient and consistent. If you are honest with yourself and your efforts, then it will be a lot easier than you think to get into the healthy lifestyle habit for good!
I also want to note that not once did I mention getting on the scale. That number is not something you should focus on. If that is your only guide then it will be very easy to become discouraged with your efforts. Instead, you should focus on how you feel with these changes! How do your pants fit? How much more energy you have? Are you sleeping better? How is your growing confidence!? I know that these small changes really don’t seem like much at first glance. You will find it is so much easier to make small changes and build on them rather than trying to become an organic vegan/marathon runner overnight. Making small changes and building on them is more likely to be successful in the long run.
Here’s to a healthier you!! Congrats!! You are doing this for you and you are going to kill it!
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