Part of 2013 for us will be redesigning our version of healthy. Let me explain myself. Everyone always talks about eating healthier and working out more but it's hard to go from zero to 60 and not look back at your old habits. The plan is make leading a healthier life a habit and not a job. Here's what we are doing to try and make healthy habits just that... habits!
Running: We have joined a group called Running for Brews and we run 2-3 times a week with them. It's so low key and fun that I wasn't worried that I would be (since I was for a while) the slowest runner in the group. It has allowed me to build my mileage and my running confidence. I used to say that I was pretending to be a runner, but lately I feel as if I'm actually a runner! I look forward to meeting up with our new friends that we have met because of Running for Brews and we all encourage each other to keep coming back.
Healthy breakfast: Everyone always says breakfast is the most important meal of the day. About 5 weeks ago I joined a fitness challenge where the meal plan was provided. Breakfast time called for a lot of green smoothies. We have come to love our green smoothies and they are soooo easy to make quickly. I make enough for both of us and send hubby off to work with his glass. If I start my day with a healthy breakfast I feel like I can eat healthy all day.
Take out: We are doing a LOT less of this. It's so easy to get in the habit of just grabbing dinner somewhere when we are tired or busy (busy is like every day around here). By planning ahead and being determined to live a healthier life eating home cooked meals can be easier. Don't get me wrong, there have been a few taco takeout nights but they are not nearly as frequent.
Tracking: We started using my fitness pal to track all of our food and exercise and it really does help us stay on track. Once you see how much you are eating versus how much our body really needs...wow. I have always been a healthier eater but I was surprised how many extra sneaky calories and sugars I was eating. There are so many apps out there to help you keep track but our favorite is My Fitness Pal. We like the apps on the phone which help us keep track of every little snack (because seriously who doesn't have their phone on them all the time). It's great because we can scan a bar code on the food package or input our own recipes and it tells you the nutritional value.
Encouragement: It's so much easier to be healthy when you have a partner in crime. There are those days where all I want is to grab taco Tuesday but then I remember that my hubby has been good all day and it wouldn't be fair to him. I see our habits changing and becoming our new normal and we are still loving life.
The biggest changes I have noticed is how much less caffeine and sugars we consume, and how we eat when we do eat out. We are considering more healthy options, and eating less of those big restaurant meals. We can also tell when we don't eat healthy- and we regret it later.
Changing lifestyle habits isn't easy at first but if you commit and stick to it for a few weeks, you'll notice little habits (the good kind) sneaking up on you and surprising you! I'll have to add some of my green smoothie recipes but for now have a great day! Do something healthy for yourself today.
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