Do you wake up each day instantly ready for the next adventure or are you frantically searching for the snooze button to delay your re-entry into life? Have you noticed a correlation between your ability to handle daily stressors and your level of health and fitness?
If you’re looking for inspiration about how to enjoy more out of life, perhaps it begins with examining your attitude toward health and fitness. It’s not a matter of comparing yourself to others but rather comparing how you are now to how you were months or years ago.
Do you like the way your clothes fit and how you feel when you walk out the door to face the day? Do you experience dips in your energy level or find yourself wanting to snack until midnight? Are you happy with your physical self?
Almost a year ago, when I read 125.6 pounds on the scale, I decided enough was enough! I needed to do something about it. Although that number may seem low to you, I wasn’t gifted with the height gene and this was 20% more than what I weighed 10 years ago. It was simply unacceptable to me! It was time to take serious action before I needed to purchase an entirely new wardrobe for the winter. I wasn’t satisfied with myself, and only I could do something to change that. I also realized that how I felt about my physical self was affecting how I was handling life in general. So, what did I do and where do you start?
1. Find an accountability partner to help you reach your goals.
I nominated my husband as my accountability partner and told him my goals. It was essential for me to have someone witness my progress and to be the voice contradicting the one inside my own head which always seemed to want more pie (any fruity flavor!). Until I could see some progress and know that my efforts were not in vain, it was helpful to have someone else who cared about my success. He decided to join my little club and track his own progress.
It’s always easier if members of your household share the same goals when trying to plan meals and stock the pantry. But, if that does not fit your life, find a friend who is local or accessible by phone or email and try that route. Choose someone that you can reach often to help you reach your goals sooner.
2. Define your motivation with specific details.
I had a holiday outfit that I wanted to wear and needed to lose almost five inches off my waist to be able to wear it. I had worn it years before and knew I could fit in it again, but I needed to stay focused and committed to my plan. Whether I managed to wear it this holiday season or next was not as important to me as seeing the numbers on the scale and measuring tape moving in the right direction. I kept this skirt front and center in my closet where I saw it daily. Each time my conviction waned, its presence on that hanger reminded me of what I was trying to accomplish and made skipping that piece of blackberry pie easier.
Acknowledge your motivation and your reasons for embarking upon this change. Writing this down is always helpful; having a visual around, such as a pair of jeans you want to wear again, can help to maintain your self-control. If you can’t seem to find a reason for yourself to focus on health and fitness, do it for your loved ones who want you in their lives for as long as possible.
3. Find a way to include exercise into your daily routine and drink plenty of water.
I had my husband take a picture of me wearing my workout tank top and shorts. Seeing the contours of my body up close and personal was not a fun experience for me, but I needed to see my starting point. Although I chose not to look at that picture often, I did view it a few months after I started tracking my progress. It was definitely encouraging to see a difference. It’s probably time to delete it now from our digital photo collection!
You don’t need to hear the benefits of exercise from me. You just need to find something that makes sense for you. When you are in the car, park it a little further away to take more steps. When walking inside buildings, try the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator. Find five or ten minutes to lift weights, walk on the treadmill, jump rope or do pushups if you don’t have time for much more. Do something to stay physically active!
In my experience, exercise gives me more energy to get things done faster and more efficiently and to handle life’s daily demands. My husband and I chose a mixed martial arts program and dedicated about 45 minutes a day to work out together. Instant date and quality time! We wanted that time together so we rearranged our priorities and eliminated other things less important to us. Well worth the effort!
I’ve always made water my drink of choice and have read different accounts of how much water you should consume. Trust that choosing water over every other beverage is the best thing you can do for yourself! It’s ideal to avoid all of the flavored waters; if you aren’t accustomed to drinking water and find the taste of water bland, try chilling it first in the refrigerator. I find there is nothing better than a tall glass of cold water!
4. Read a new book about preventing disease through fitness and nutrition.
To help me to stay on track, I started reading more about the idea that disease can be prevented through fitness and nutrition. Whatever book I was reading, I would have it with me. In the car, I’d read it while waiting for the bank’s drive-thru teller. I’d have it with me while my computer was booting up. I’d snatch seconds here and there to read whatever I could. The more reasons I could find to continue on the path I had chosen, the easier it was for me to stay on track.
There are plenty of books that address that topic. Visit your local library to try a selection and find a book that resonates with you. Try to keep an open mind when reading about any ideas new to you. Advances in the areas of health, fitness, and nutrition are changing constantly, and what you may have heard was good for you a few years ago may no longer be the case now. If you can’t find time to read a few pages during the day, read just a few minutes before you fall asleep. You just may learn something that shocks you to the core, helping you to stay convicted about your goals.
5. Shake up your grocery shopping experience and eliminate the processed foods.
I am fortunate to live in a city with a farmers’ market where the opportunity to purchase excellent quality, locally grown and inexpensive food is easily accessible. I shop there whenever possible. As I was concerned that eating better quality foods, like choosing organic fruits and vegetables, was going to seriously stress the budget, I needed to find ways to economize. So, I shopped the sales ads for organic vegetables. Whatever veggies were on sale that week were first in the basket.
Once I started eating more fruits and vegetables and smaller servings of protein along with skipping anything that was sold in a box, I noticed that the grocery bill was actually less than before. If I’m in serious budget mode, I’ll only bring $30 or $40 in cash to the store. I can purchase whatever I want, but since I have a set amount, I’ll spend it even more wisely and often choose to purchase in smaller quantities so nothing is wasted.
You’ve probably heard that idea that it’s best to shop the perimeter of the store. If you pay attention to the layout of most grocery stores, you’ll notice that the area along the edges of the store is filled with the freshest items: the fruits, the vegetables, all the perishables. At the center of the store, you’ll find the processed foods filled with the added preservatives and chemicals that you know deep down inside can’t be good for you. You’ll spend even less time at the grocery store, leaving more time to exercise and keeping more cash in your pocket, if you skip the middle aisles!
6. Add a little spice to your life and experiment with ingredients unfamiliar to you.
My husband is a genius in the kitchen. He spoils me rotten with his willingness to experiment with new and unique combinations. As he has always been a lover of spices, he’s taught me much more than I knew before I met him about cooking with them. Hardly ever is our concoction inedible! And even if I am unfamiliar with how to prepare a particular vegetable that ended up in the basket because it was the sale special, I’ll do a quick search online to find a simple recipe to try it.
Instead of using plenty of salt to add flavor to your dishes, try different spices. In our home pantry, favorites include basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, and paprika. So many spices, so little time! Find a few simple recipes that you like and alternate those for a few weeks. Eating healthier will help you to lose the pounds more quickly. Each week that you see progress will inspire you to continue searching for new ideas and recipes to add more and more flavor to your kitchen without processed foods. Keep the recipes simple so that they can be prepared in 15-20 minutes from when you arrive at home for dinner. Aren’t you worth those extra minutes of effort?
7. Reward yourself with something not related to consuming food.
With diligence and discipline, I managed to see 101.6 pounds on the scale 10 months from when I started tracking my weight, and my husband is also 32 pounds lighter than he was! Needless to say, I am ecstatic. I have more energy; my clothes fit; I’m craving fewer sweets and snacking less often; and I’m happier about my life in general. Oh, and I’ll be wearing that skirt this coming holiday season!
If you’re convinced you’ll feel better about yourself once you reach your goals, do everything you can to arrive at that place sooner. You’ll find it easier to deal with life’s everyday frustrations if you are healthy and fit. Find ways to reward yourself for your accomplishments without reaching for that extra serving of pie!
You may find it challenging to start on your journey to better health and fitness, but the rewards are so amazing! It was tough for me to get started, but I’m definitely not going back to where things were before again! When I sneak a peek down one of the middle aisles in the grocery store, the only thing I think about grabbing is a bag of salt-and-vinegar potato chips. I miss them and maybe someday I’ll allow myself that indulgence. But for now, I’ll revel in my renewed excitement about the slimmer me! Perhaps it’s time for you to take charge of your health and fitness. I’ll raise a glass of cold water to toast your success!
Leave a Reply