Small Steps To Take Toward A Healthier You
No matter how many times we say we want to start being healthier, finding the motivation to kick our butts into gear is more difficult than any of us imagined it would be. Regardless of all of the planning and ideas, we don’t do things we don’t want to. As much as I like working out, I can never bring myself to do it. I am determined to find a way to motivate myself. I want all of y’all to be my witnesses. I am going to fail and not all of these ideas will work, but here are some baby steps I am going to try. I would love if you guys could tell me what works with you, and if you are the type who struggles with bringing yourself to the gym but manages to do so, your opinion matters to me.
1. I am going to try to find a free class at the gym that I will attend regularly. I am a hasbeen competitive dancer, so in highschool I never HAD to go to the gym. I would go to spend time with friends and see some hot guys. I was in shape, so I didn’t mind working out a little more. Dancing was a structured place to get exercise. Without the structure, I give up and nothing is accomplished. When it comes down to it, I need someone to yell at me and make sure I don’t take the easy way out. A group setting is something that motivates me to keep going, so I think actually going to a workout class will help.
2. I am going to replace chips with granola bars, breakfast sandwiches with cereal, and start making dinners. I have a lot of days where I wake up, eat some leftover pasta or go to dunks for a bacon egg and cheese , then have a lunch with friends somewhere unhealthy, and then come home and make ramen noodles for dinner at the end of the day. I don’t always have time to prepare a good salad or the things in my pantry to eat well, but I am going to start to buy healthy food that I can eat on the go. I am going to stock up on granola bars and always keep one on hand. I am going to buy more rice and quinoa with veggies. I am going to try to start my day with some fresh fruit. I want to buy whole grain bread for peanut butter and jellies or toast. I am also hoping that if I make my own coffee more often, I won’t be tempted by the blueberry yogurt muffins at starbucks (they are so sneaky, and they put the word yogurt in their as if I am supposed to forget about the carbs).
3. My next small step is to always carry a water bottle with lemons in it. If I replace all of the iced teas I drink with some ice water, I will be cutting out so much sugar. I have a sweet tooth, so staying away from these sugary beverages will make me feel less guilty when I do dive into a double chocolate cupcake from time to time. My doctor always tells me to stay away from sweet tea, but now it is time for me to listen. In reality, I will still go to starbucks once a week, but we are working on baby steps, and that is still a lot less than I go now.
4. I am going to try to go on more walks. Its very rare that I grab a friend and just take a stroll. Maybe it’s because now that we are in college, we like to drink until we can’t walk, or maybe it’s because we all have the ability to drive everywhere. Either way, I would like to start making plans to just go to a lake and walk a trail. In such a busy hectic life, it would be nice to get to spend some time away from college and talk to people about real things and clear our heads.
5. I am not going to weigh myself, constantly check my stomach to see if it is smaller, make a fuss about being healthy, or punish myself for not sticking to my plan. No one cares that you are eating healthy now, so there is no need to constantly talk about it. Life happens. I am not trying to be a size 0 or lose 10 pounds, I just want to feel healthy enough to go up a flight of stairs without losing my breath. I went from working out 5 days a week minimum to doing nothing active, so I just want to adjust my lifestyle to meet that change. Being healthy is more than a physique, it is a mind set, so if I am constantly shaming myself for living life like a normal person, I am destroying my self esteem. No one loves me more than me, so I just want to take care of the person I love. Beating yourself up for not working out one day or eating half of a large cheese pizza is not creating a better you, it is making you hate yourself, and that needs to stop.
