As somebody who has struggled with their body image their entire life, I have always had a love-hate relationship with exercise and eating right. I’ve never been able to find a good balance between eating healthy and still enjoying my meals. I always think that I need to eat consistently healthy for all three meals or eat like junk all day; I have no in between. Eating well is especially a struggle on campus when there are few options for healthy food outside of the salad bar.
I’ve also had trouble maintaining a consistent workout schedule for myself. I find myself making excuses in the morning because I’m either too tired or I’m going to have too busy of a day. Again, the intense schedule of college makes it even more difficult to balance exercise along with schoolwork and regular work hours.
In the past month though, I’ve been able to develop a really great plan for myself. My brother is a personal trainer and he recently launched an app called Atlas. In this app, he posts workouts and a schedule that he wants me to follow. Each workout has videos of the movements so that you can make sure you’re doing them the right way. This has been incredibly helpful for me! I always feel so uncomfortable at the gym because I’m afraid that I’m not doing things the right way. With this app, I have felt entirely more comfortable working out by myself. Not only am I more comfortable but I have not felt greater than I have in the past month.
Since starting my journey at the gym, I have felt clearer and healthier than I ever have. I find myself with more energy throughout the day and I don’t have to take naps as often as I usually do. I feel better mentally, as well! Exercise can truly help with somebody’s mental health!
In order to feel better about my eating habits, I also started a vegetarian diet! Since I’ve started, I’ve been making much healthier eating choices. While it sucks that fast food restaurants have very few vegetarian options, it has deterred me from eating out as often as I used to. I also feel less weighed down than I did when I was still eating meat! A plant-based diet has made me feel more confident in what I’ve been eating and the way I’ve been feeling.
I think the biggest difference between my healthier lifestyle now and my previous efforts is that I’ve made my own decisions. Although my brother sets up the schedule for me, he allows me to change them as I see fit. It was also my own choice to stop eating meat and I’ve never felt better. It’s also super important to enjoy what you’re doing while you’re working out! I absolutely hate running but I really enjoy doing squats and lifting weights! I’ve also tried to make exercise a game and see how I can push myself further every single time I go!
Overall, making healthier food choices and working out has changed my mental and physical health drastically in the past month alone. I truly encourage everybody to try and make healthier choices everyday!