7 REALISTIC Healthy Habits to Build a Healthy Lifestyle
If you’re feeling like it's hard to create a healthy lifestyle for yourself because nothing works, I get it. I’ve been there.
I gained over 20 pounds during my first 2 years of college and I hated the way I looked and felt. It all changed once I began to take care of myself which is why I’m here to share my best tips with you!
In this blog post, I’ll be covering the 7 tips that helped me lose 45 pounds and create a healthy lifestyle.
Move your body
During the lockdown, it was imperative that I took care of myself. With nowhere to go, I began to exercise. It allowed me to be in my own space, try something new and prove to myself that I could do this.
I combined strength training and cardio 6 times a week for 30-45 minutes. After about 4 weeks of committing to myself I felt so much better and lost 5 pounds. You’ll be shocked in the best way when this works for you too.
This could be a walk around your neighborhood with your dog, on the treadmill or even taking a yoga class. Focus on how you feel when you move your body.
Start moving your body for at least 10 minutes a day and watch how much better you feel. Don’t worry about how you look but truly connect yourself and listen to your body.
2. Nourish your body
Proper nutrition is an absolute game changer. There are so many delicious non processed whole foods like spinach, kale, sweet potatoes, celery, berries, apples, (and the list goes) on that were created to fuel your body.
Write out your meals using a weekly meal plan organizer to stay on track. This helped me stay on track and eat 5-6 balanced meals throughout the day.
A balanced diet should consist of protein, healthy carbs, healthy fats and veggies. This not only changed the way I viewed food, but kept me energized throughout the day.
By no means was this easy. I was used to eating chicken wings, burritos, fries and chips. It takes your brain a minute to adjust. After you change the way you view food, you look forward to eating them because they make you feel good.
3. Keep your water intake high
Water is your best friend. She ensures that you stay hydrated while supporting your digestive system. Aim for 2-3 liters a day. I know this may sound like a lot (and it is at first) but once your body gets used to it, you’ll see how much your body actually craves it.
One thing that helped me consistently drink water is by purchasing a cute water bottle. I love these 32 oz mason jars because I can keep track of how many ounces I drank and I know once I drank four then I’ve reached my goal.
Always keep it somewhere where you can see it as a reminder.. Try adding lemon or even cucumber. This will keep you motivated to drink water during the day.
4. Get into a routine
Routines are life savers. Write out your list of to-do’s to help you stay organized. This planner was a life saver because it helped me stay on track with my daily task. If you’re a morning person, wake up early to ensure that certain tasks will get done before you start your day.
This can be anything from quiet time, planning your day, cleaning, working out, making breakfast or lunch, etc. Completing these things in the morning makes it easier to plan out the rest of your day. Waking up early ensures that I complete my quiet time, workout, shower and breakfast before classes begin at 9am.
If you have more time at night, getting into a routine of being productive at night can help you accomplish tasks so they don’t get pushed to the next day. This can be anything from cooking dinner to doing laundry, cleaning or stretching. It’s important that you make time for the things that matter to you.
5. Learn to rest
After I’ve had a long week of work and school combined with exercise my body craves rest. Either right after my workout or before I go to sleep at night I stretch and foam roll.
This will help your muscles relax and help you ready to take on your workout the next day. Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep every night so that you can wake up feeling energized and allow your muscles to get the much needed time of recovery.
6. Self care is the best care
Along this journey I cannot stress enough how important it is to prioritize self care. Sometimes it's lighting a candle and journaling or taking a bubble bath. For you it could be calling an old friend, watching your favorite movie or doing a face mask.
Check in with yourself. What are you proud of yourself for? What were things you liked about the week?
What were things you didn’t like and how can you make it better so that you’re being the best for you? Once or twice a week choose something that makes you feel good.
7. Enjoy the ride
A journey is one with ups and downs. My journey was nowhere near perfect. It's ongoing. I had amazing days where I felt like I was on top of the world and very crappy days where I was ready to give up.
At the end of the day show up for you. Work out for you. Choose to embark on a life changing journey for you. Challenge yourself to try something new.
This is your journey. Feel free to add a plot twist. This is a journey so unique that only you will be able to look back on and say “yeah, I did that.” This isn’t a race or a competition. Extend grace, kindness and love to yourself. Progression over perfection always.
These 7 tips have seriously changed my life and I want YOU to embark on a life changing journey. Choose one thing to commit to. Subscribe to my weekly newsletters below and download the FREE printable to start building your healthy lifestyle. I’m so proud of you!
Once I finally implemented these tips into my life I was in awe of the fact that I lost 45 pounds.
This journey is so much more than losing weight, but a soul journey where I allowed God to mold me into the woman I am today. Blaze your own trail, gf!
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