Have you ever spent hours scrolling through pinterest looking for low carb meal plans or diets that will help you lose weight? I’ll be the first to admit that I have. For years, I thought that the only way to lose weight or be healthy is if you completely cut out food that is bad for you and workout continuously. If you look up ways to lose weight, automatically there will be loads of options that call for restrictive diets or workout plans that can be difficult to follow. I’m here to tell you that you can become healthy and learn to take care of your body just by making some healthy lifestyle changes.
Let’s talk about diet culture. There are loads of fad diets on the internet that tell you to cut out certain foods in your diet or to stick to certain foods for your health and weight loss. In highschool I remember trying my absolute hardest to give up things like cookies and chips but in the end would give in to my temptations. What I learned from trying to follow so many diets was that a lot of them are not sustainable. If you think about it, giving up a food that you love is just going to make you indulge in it even more when the diet is over. I think that it’s important that people know and understand that having a slice of cake or their favorite glass of wine every once in a while is not going to ruin all of your progress in your journey to get healthy. Another thing that diet culture teaches is that you’re not healthy unless you weigh a certain amount or look a certain way. I think it is so important that people know that your health is not based on a number on a scale or the way your body is shaped. Some bodies are not meant to look a certain way and I’m speaking from experience. In my opinion I think diet culture can be so toxic to someone’s mental health and just a few lifestyle changes can benefit someone mentally and physically so much.
I think “lifestyle changes” can sound intimidating at first. But trust me when I say that the words are a lot scarier than the actual changes. Some of the changes that I have implemented into my life include, waking up before 9am everyday, drinking half a gallon of water a day, getting 8 hours of sleep every night, spending less time on my phone, going on more walks, and incorporating more fruits and vegetables into my diet. It may sound like a lot but really, these are things that will make you feel good for the days to come as well as improve your mental state. I can honestly say that since I’ve made these lifestyle changes, I have more energy to do the things I love. I also feel happier and more confident with myself because I’m taking care of my body. Like I said, just because I made these changes does not mean that I gave up pizza, or that I didn’t lay in bed for half a day watching netflix. It just means that I found balance. I now make time to take care of my body so that I can do and eat the things I want without feeling guilty or over indulging in myself. Lifestyle changes are much more sustainable and a much easier habit to create for yourself.