A Healthier You
We've all heard it before "new year, new me!" But how many times have you accomplished any of the resolutions you set out for yourself? Be honest. I know for me, it's probably 1 out of too many. That's not a great percentage. Do you know what the problem is? It feels like an assignment. It feels forced. So how do we fix it, Cydney? Easy, call it a lifestyle.
This post is number 1 out of 12. Each month we will be focusing on a different part of our lives. They'll probably all be in different sections of the site and written by various team members. Some may be joint posts. We may even ask some of the DOY family to join in. We want to help make 2014 the best year of your life. We are constantly working to be the best version of ourselves so let's grow together.
Number One: "I want to be healthier. I have my reasons, and I needn't explain them to anyone. I want to feel energetic. I want to feel fit. This is step one to a better life. This is step one to a happier me."
Did you say that out loud or read it in your head? Good. This is our first step. We are not talking about simply losing weight. We are not talking dieting; that's actually not good for your body. We are talking about feeling alive and less sluggish. We want you to be full of energy. We want your skin to glow again. We took the liberty of watching a few videos on YouTube and coming up with some great tips on being healthier.
Eat more throughout the day. Say what? Yeah, you heard us! We want you to start eating more during your day. This means eating breakfast, a snack before lunch, lunch, a snack before dinner, and dinner. This actually helps by increasing your metabolism, and your body will thank you.
Do not diet! There's a difference between just swapping healthier alternatives in your meals instead of their greasy counterparts and taking part in an extreme diet. Dieting, the way many people do it, actually leads to something called starvation. You starve your body of specific nutrients, and in turn, your body tries to store any excess. That's right; your body will start storing actual fat because you are depriving it. It's just trying to keep you alive and well.
Swap the junk for something healthy. I am speaking from personal experience. I had so much more energy last semester, and it's mostly due to this. I stopped buying so much junk food and started finding healthier options. I swapped chips for rice cakes, which I absolutely love. I swapped white bread and white rice for wheat bread and brown rice. I ate more salads and made healthier versions of pasta. I even made wraps. If you're not ready for all those small changes, try doing a Meatless Monday this month. Take one day out of your week and try to go without red meat. You're actually supposed to go without any meat that day but let's start nice and slow. No red meat and if you must have meat, go for chicken or fish.
Exercise. Now, this doesn't have to be anything extreme. It could be walking, dancing, yoga, biking, etc. Anything that will get the blood flowing in your body and get your heart rate up. Make a plan to work out a few hours one day of the week, then increase it to a few days. It'll get easier as time goes on!
Drink more of the good stuff. We're talking about water, tea, and smoothies. Try to cut out your sugar intake with sodas and three cups of coffee every day. We love Starbucks too but try to get the tall or grande size; save the venti for a day when you'll really need it!
Let yourself have a cheat day! Again, we love Starbucks, so we'd probably be treating ourselves to that one cheat day. My dad actually was eating healthy for a while and still gave himself a cheat day where he had something he loved that wasn't so healthy. He's a certified personal trainer too. I think I trust his opinion.
Do not beat yourself up! There will come a time when you start putting on muscle weight, usually after you've lost whatever your body was storing up. Now, if you use scales, this is going to freak you out. This will especially stress you out if you've been doing everything right and the scale says you've gained weight. Stop, breathe. You are gaining muscle. You are becoming stronger, physically. There's nothing wrong with that! If you do not see any change on the scale, don't freak out either. Just try to decipher what's creating the lack of change. Your goal here is to be healthier, not lose weight. Remember that. We want healthy, which comes in all shapes and sizes!
Relax. This is a big one because most people forget to do this. Do not stress yourself out over calories, numbers on a scale, etc. Pamper yourself each week. Take yourself to the spa. Enjoy a day in the park. Go live your life and stop worrying about every little thing. A healthy mind is just as important as a healthy body.
Be positive! I mean, this is what we're all about. We love for you guys to react positively to something you're doing. Didn't have a soda today? Good for you! Give yourself a pat on the back, a round of applause, or go catch up on some of your shows. You've earned some praise. Exercised a few days this week, drank more water, and had a great time doing it? Right on! Seriously, there is nothing wrong with being happy for yourself. Be happy that you accomplished even the smallest things. Be ecstatic when you've reached your goals. Just be happy!
Well, thank you for reading, and I hope this helped! If you want to join in on a group that's attempting one of these tips, let us know! Leave a comment below or tweet us. We'll try to find people interested in the same thing to help motivate each other! I can't wait to hear about everyone's progress!
Positive vibes only,
Cydney