There are literally millions of things I still don't know about a Healthy Lifestyle but yet I'm proof that working out and eating a good balanced diet does change your waist and your mind. That being said, this is a list of 10 things that I didn't know before and that I have learned along the way!
1. Sodium helps you retain water. Aka if you're sick of being bloated all the time, try to stop adding salt to everything, eating salty snacks and try no-salt added alternatives to your recipes! This should help.
2. Buy a produce/meat scale. Seriously go buy one! You will be surprised at what you thought was 4 oz of Chicken is in fact 3 oz or 6 oz! This exact measurement really helps you know what you are consuming and keep you on track with your calorie intake. Also it's great for measuring out carrots, cheese, and popcorn, etc. Plus your guessing is 95% wrong; especially with grams. LOL
3. Shop Whole Sale. It is worth the annual fee. We save so much more money a week is Fresh Produce and Meat because it's in bulk. On average we save $4 or more per item. The perishable items are awesome too because they lasts a while. Some examples of what we buy at Costco are:
-Purdue Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts $2.99/lb (packaged into 2 breasts per package, 8 total. We freeze ours.)
-Quinoa 4lbs around $6.99 (THIS IS AWESOME! At Meijer 4 oz cost as much as this 4 lb bag!)
-Spaghetti Squash (2 for $6.49 when in season)
-Organic Hummus $5.49 (or they even have big tubs of it. We like the 18 2oz packages for our lunches)
-Boneless Skinless Lean Pork (much cheaper per lb than at Meijer)
-Dried Fruit
-Salad Mix $2.79 (Dole 3 lbs)
-Greek Yogurt 18 for $13.99 (They have the brand I love: Dannon Light & Fit Greek Yogurt (strawberry, peach, blueberry))
- Frozen Fruits and Veggies (for dinners and smoothes, plus they last a long time)
4. Log your meals. I know you hate this and it's time consuming but it does help. I use the myfitnesspal app but there are tons out there. You really start to notice what you shouldn't be eating and how much you're eating. You can set your goals to your dietary needs. For example my body functions on a diet that's high in protein. So I set my goal to about 30% of what I eat daily, is protein. If you don't know what you do best with, this app is a great way to try that out too! On that note, I highly recommend you see a nutritionist or talk with your doctor. Everyone is different and what works for me may not work for you. Be knowledgeable and accountable for yourself!
5. Working out is a must. If you want a healthier life this is very much apart of it. Pairing cardio with strength training is a great overall workout. I personally workout 5 days a week (Sunday-Thursday). I do on average about 20 min of Cardio (either on a treadmill walking uphill or running or elliptical or cycling) and 30 min of Strength Training. I use free weights and do work on the yoga mats and try to challenge myself. If you get comfortable that means your muscles have too and you're no longer going to be improving. I do recommend you see a trainer at your gym or consult one. You do not what to get hurt and they really do help if you're clueless.
6. Weigh yourself ONCE a week. I have heard over and over that the "best" time to weigh yourself is in the morning before you've ate or drank anything and right after you have used the toilet. You're getting your weight as close as possible without any outside factors like eating and drinking. Weighing yourself everyday is silly and you're basically watching how much water weight you're fluctuating with lol! So take it easy.
7. Get your BMI. This is the most important thing in my opinion! Every 6 weeks get a new BMI on record. It will show you how much fat you have and how much muscle you have. The scale will NOT show that! It's a sure fire way to show progress without that silly number on a scale.
8. Loosing weight takes time. Rome wasn't built in a day and neither were you! If loosing weight is what you want, you have to realize it will take time. If you're doing it the healthy way (by eating right and working out; no diet pills etc.) it will take time. Diet pills and Diets in general don't work long term because you shed all that weight, hit your target weight goal, stop taking the pills, stop working out (if you did at all anyway), and start your old bad eating habits again and there isn't that PILL to help you! Plus it's expensive and you have no idea what you're really putting into your body and have no idea what those pills can do to you and your body long term. So tough through the hard work because hard work always pays off!!
9. Workout buddies are the best! I am so happy I have Brian to help me with changing my/our lifestyle. Choose a person you're completely comfortable with. A best friend or even a gym rat buddy; someone to help motivate you. Hopefully you both are in the same type of similar mind frame of working out and eating well so that's the first step! Plus gym classes are so much better with someone you can laugh with. Also these buddies truly help keep you on track and are a great way for some friendly competition! Try to surround yourself with positive people too. The people who are bringing you down and can't be happy for you, just remove yourself. You don't need that negativity in your life, period!
10. Don't beat yourself up. This one is huge for me. I am my biggest bully, truly!! I am so quick to bash myself for messing up or indulging in sweets (my kryptonite!!) but I don't ever say great job or you're killing it when I have reached a personal best!!! We are not perfect and really changing your lifestyle takes time and positivity. The first 3 months are the hardest because you're learning and so is your body. It is going through a lot of changes, so be kind to yourself. You should be doing this for you so give yourself time to discover what it likes and rediscover new things about yourself!!
I hope this helped in some small or big way! I am still navigating my way to the ultimate healthy lifestyle. It takes time and patience. Let me know if you have any questions or need a pep talk LOL We're all in this together! :)
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