Last year, I lost around sixty pounds in about six months. I did this by making small, simple changes to my lifestyle. Before I made this lifestyle change, I tried every diet under the sun and nothing worked. On top of not working, most of these fad diets were impossible to stick to as a college student, made me feel crazy, and had a lasting negative impact on my self-esteem. Every time I “fell off the wagon”, I would beat myself up for not having more self-control. Inevitably, I would end the diet and start eating normally again, only to gain all the weight back plus some. The truth is that “diets” don’t work for everyone. Changing your lifestyle is the best way to achieve your health goals safely and ensure lasting results. Getting healthy doesn’t have to be hard though.
Here are my top five ways to get healthy without going crazy!
Water! I can’t say enough about the positive effects of drinking water. Water is required for our bodies to function properly. Without drinking enough water, you will not see the results you want. Everybody is different and requires a different amount of water in their system. The more you weigh and the more physical activity you do affect the amount of water you need. A good rule of thumb is if your urine is clear or almost clear you are well hydrated. My top tip for drinking enough water is to purchase a large reusable water bottle, fill it up when you wake up in the morning and keep it with you all day!
Make a Game Plan! If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail. Sit down at the beginning of each week and make a tentative plan of the meals and snacks you will eat for the week and buy your groceries according to the plan. Preparing your meals for the week ahead of time is also another great way to stick to your game plan. Make appointments with yourself to exercise and keep those appointments. If you use a day planner or an online calendar, write down the exact time and days you plan to exercise that week.
Keep a Food Journal! Use Either a notebook, the notes section on your phone, or a food tracker app like MyFitnessPal, to record the foods you eat. Don’t focus on the calories, but instead focus on how the foods you eat make you feel and whether the food is helping you reach your goals. If you have a good week where you have more energy or lose weight, keeping a food journal will help you to be able to look back and see what foods contributed to it.
Never Skip Breakfast! Eating breakfast is an important part of achieving and maintaining a healthy weight and it can help to curb cravings you may have later in the day. Breakfast does exactly what the word says; it breaks the fast you were in overnight while you were sleeping. Breaking this fast will jump start your metabolism for the day and set you up for success. Eating something small is better than not eating at all so if you are not hungry first thing in the morning try eating something small, like a hand full of almonds!
Personalize Your Workout and Meal Plan! There are so many different combinations of foods and exercises that you have a lot of room to individualize what you do. If for example, you hate running, don’t run! Instead, find an exercise you do like. You could try climbing a rock wall, lifting weights, walking, or even a group exercise class. Personalizing your healthy lifestyle is the key to being able to maintain it long term.
A healthy lifestyle takes time but implementing these habits will give you results. The best part: you won’t be miserable!