“You are naturally skinny.”
“I don’t have time to workout.”
“I wish I looked like that.”
You hear these phrases all the time. The people saying these phrases are the same people that don’t eat healthy and don’t workout. These are the people that aren’t making their health a priority. This could be you, and that’s OK, because YOU have the power to take control of your life. YOU have the power to change your habits and make new ones. YOU have the power to write your own story.
MY HEALTH JOURNEY
Growing up I was always involved in sports – basketball, soccer, softball, dance, cheerleading you name it! I was young, active and thin. When I was 21, I quit my college dance team and my body started changing. I was no longer the “eat anything you want and still be skinny girl”. My belly started puffing up, my jawline filling out (aka Chris Farley face) and I knew that I had to make some changes, mainly so that I could still fit into my clothes. I have now been on a 14 year health journey that evolves every year as I get older. It has taken me 14 years to get where I am today both mentally and physically. I decided long ago that health was a priority for me. I changed my routine to include exercise and over the years a healthier diet.
MAKE THE TIME
If you want to be healthy and feel healthy you must make health a priority. You need to carve out the time in your daily schedule and make it a priority for you. Everyone has the time if they want to. If you say you don’t have the time its simply because its not a priority for you. You can’t say you want to be fit and keep doing the same things you are currently doing. You have to shift your mindset and your schedule to make it work.
If you are an early bird (like me) set your alarm 30 minutes earlier to get a quick walk/workout in. If you are a night owl, then go to the gym at night. They key is finding what works for you. What will you actually stick with for the long haul? The same thing isn’t going to work for everyone. This isn’t about a fad diet or some quick fix. This is about a lifestyle change and quite simply eating healthy and exercising.
WHAT ARE YOUR PERSONAL GOALS?
Write down your goals and figure out a day/time of the week that is good for you. Maybe it’s walking everyday for 10 minutes. Or maybe it’s going to the gym every Saturday morning for a class. Take baby steps towards your goal. Get that walk/class under your belt for a month and see how you feel! It it working for you? Can you do more? Do you want to? (I bet the answer is YES) You will eventually get into a habit and create a new routine. And if you miss a day don’t beat yourself up over it! Just get back into it the next day! That’s all we can do is try to be a better version of ourselves each and every day.
RECAP
- Write down your health goals.
- What time of day is best for you to carve out 10-30 minutes to work towards those goals?
- What do you enjoy doing? (ex. hiking, walking, gym class, kickboxing, tai chi etc)
- Make a plan that is easy to execute. (ex. 1x a week on saturday morning)
- Stick with that plan for a month. Don’t try to go ham. Baby steps.
- Find a buddy – having someone to be accountable to makes you stick with it – email or reach out to me on social media. I will help you!
- Don’t beat yourself up. If you miss a day, just pick it up the next day and move on.
- Reevaluate at the end of the month – How do you feel? Can you do more? Do you want to do more? Start again and constantly reevaluate and add another day/activity. Before you know it you will look and feel like the Rock!
