Tips for a Healthier Lifestyle
Erena Bennett
March 21, 2014
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Another note* I won't be telling you what to eat and such because, once again, I am not a health professional and also different things work for everyone. What I was eating might not work for someone else. I just want to give you tips!
1. The most important: Water. For some people, drinking a good amount of water was hard, because you just wouldn't feel thirsty and some people forget. I knew I wasn't drinking enough. I went a bought a pretty cool looking water bottle and it went everywhere with me. I found myself filling it up a few times throughout the day. I think the reason was actually because I really liked my super cool water bottle! Really inexpensive, and it worked well for me!
2. Before you really kick off your new eating habits, write down what you're eating and the times you're eating at for a week. After the week is over, look back at all things you ate and try to identify what you think is okay and not okay. If you want more help with it, go see a health professional and they can tell you exactly what you're putting into your body. Once you've changed your eating habits, you might find it helpful to record your new diet, whether it's to look over your changes and find things you might want to switch around or remove and replace, or to simply help you get back on track if you're having trouble.
3. Start reading nutrition labels on packaged items. If you don't know how to read them properly, just look it up, or ask a professional. Really easy to learn and remember. Some things will come across as healthy, or a product might be pretty good for you, but you might pick up a similar product that ends up being completely different. It's also really important to look at the serving size. You might pick up a product that looks like 1 serve, but nutrition details on the back might have '3 servings per package' or something similar. I know it seems a bit silly, but it happens.
4. 'Fat Free' products aren't necessarily good for you. A lot of products, such as yoghurt and muesli are low fat or fat free but are made up for it with sugar. This is where reading nutrition labels come in handy. I am definitely not saying "Don't eat yoghurt or muesli" because in the right size they make a healthy meal or snack. You just have to watch how much you eat and don't eat the same thing every day.
5. Prepare and Organise yourself. You don't have to "Meal Prep Sunday" and cook all your meals for the week. Just grab a notebook and write down what you'll eat and just make sure you have the necessary groceries. If you plan, you don't have to think about what to eat for dinner and wondering should you just stop off at a takeaway joint on the way home, because you know what's waiting for you at home. *A relevant note to add: If you do write down what you eat, make sure it's in a dedicated 'food only' or similar notebook. Don't have anything that isn't relevant in there. If it motivates you, buy a notebook you enjoy the look of, the inside seems better when the outside looks good.
6. Snacks are important! You've got to keep your metabolism going. You might have breakfast and not really feel hungry for a while and when lunch comes around, hours later, you might find you are incredibly hungry and just eat whatever is in sight (not everyone is the same, but is happens). Once again, for more information, seek a health professional, you have to find what works for you (keep reading).
7. Not everyone is the same. If you ate the same things I ate, the outcome might be different. You need to know what works for you and you only. You might need different amounts of protein, carbs and fats to someone else.
8. Treats are okay, every now and then. I like to say "Treats are good for the soul", and it's true! If you've been working hard and you're staying on track with everything, please know, that you deserve that chocolate chip cookie with your cup of tea tonight. Don't say no or feel guilty about it if you really want it and you know you've earned it. It might be your motivation! From personal experience, I have never cut out ice cream since I started eating a lot healthier - I love it too much! I just made sure I worked for it. Just remember not to feel guilty if you do eat unhealthy from time to time. It's not necessarily 'bad food', I guess you could say it would be unhealthy to be 'too healthy'. As long as you eat in moderation, you're aware and don't have it too often, there isn't really a problem.
9. Exercise! Not my most favourite word... From my own experience, exercise wasn't my top priority, it was a lot harder than changing my food choices. Though, I got to a point where I knew I wanted to tone up - and I have to exercise for that! I knew I wanted to stay motivated and keep going with it, so I started off small. If I went to see a fitness professional and they told me to do three half hour walks, and three strength workouts in a week, I would probably make it half way and not be interested in it anymore, because it was just too hard to start off with. I started off with small workouts and a walk around my suburb here and there, and now I find myself liking to exercise and doing it a lot more. It makes you feel good!
10. Finally... Don't give up. If you don't see or feel a difference in the first week, it's okay. Yeah, it's good to keep a note of your weight and body measurements, but don't do it so often. You've got to see what works best for you and keep at it. The most important thing is feeling good and being healthy about it. Find motivation that suits you, and reward yourself on your hard work. It isn't easy at first, but it is necessary and eventually becomes natural, and you'll love yourself for it.
YOU ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON IN YOUR LIFE
I hope this helps you if it what you are looking for. Once again, I am not a health professional of any kind, I am just sharing my thoughts and opinions with you on what helped me throughout my own experience.
