I am not a nutritionist or a health and wellness coach (maybe someday I will be) but I have struggled with my relationship with food for the longest time. With depression comes a lot of unhealthy coping mechanisms, some people might smoke, some people drink, some people eat their feelings and some people starve themselves, I myself have done all of the above 🤷♀️. Over the years my weight has been a roller coaster ride but that I will share in a different post about eating disorders and body image. I have tried lots of different diets and so many fitness classes but I could never stick to any of it what really worked for me was learning from those diets about nutrition and learning how to workout properly from personal trainers and using all of that information to create my own plan for myself something that was sustainable for me and not based on trends, that also helped me develop a better relationship with food and body image. So here are a few things you can do to start off slowly towards a healthier lifestyle.
1. Routine: Having a proper daily routine can be really good for your body and mind, getting the right amount of sleep (8 hours at least) eating your meals at the same time each day, for example, having lunch at 2 pm every day. Sit down with a paper and pen and observe what your everyday routine already looks like and then plan a routine according to that. The 8:8:8 method is something I use to keep myself in a healthy routine, 8 hours for sleeping, 8 for work, 8 for everything else.
2. Eating Habits: It's all about what you put in your body. I understand that not everyone has time to cook every day or meal prep every week and grabbing something from a drive-thru sounds so much easier but if you want to be healthy you need to alternate junk food with healthier eating options, you can get frozen meals like Healthy Choice from your grocery store, they are cheap, portioned and have a good variety of recipes to pick from but if you can make time for cooking you should do it every chance you get, switch to healthier fats for cooking such as olive, avocado or coconut oils. Cut out processed sugars such as pop, cereal, boxed juices and go for better options like oatmeal, eggs, and natural fruits. It sounds like a lot and isn't something you can do all at once so start by cutting down slowly limit the junk food and processed sugars to once or twice a week and stop buying it and bringing it into your home. If it isn't there you won't get your hands on it when it's midnight and all you want is a Coke. Drink at least 2 liters of water every day it actually helps curb cravings and keeps your body clean inside out.
3. Get Physical: No pressure to join a gym right away but if it is something you want to do then I definitely suggest getting a personal trainer for a few sessions because you learn a lot and it also helps you become more confident when doing the workouts on your own because you can ask questions and learn proper techniques. If you can't afford that there are a whole bunch of fitness channels on youtube that you can check out, do your research and then plan according to what you enjoy and find sustainable. If you absolutely hate working out start off by going for walks. Walking keeps your feet warm and your head cool.
4. Set Challenges: Small goals like drinking a gallon of water, eating at least 5 salads in 5 days or walking 15 minutes longer than yesterday can help you a lot when it comes to staying on track and enjoying being healthy, if you don't get creative and enjoy it then chances are you won't stick to it for very long. SUSTAINABILITY is so important for sticking to this.
5. No Pressure: The most important thing is to not put pressure on yourself. When we are constantly thinking "don't do this and that" we are actually still thinking about this and that so the best way is to not try too hard just take it day by day and don't restrict yourself to the point where you develop an unhealthy relationship with working out or food. Start off slow and don't compare your progress to others. A healthy lifestyle isn't just eating cleaner and being active, it is also lowering your stress levels and being happy and clear minded.
The point is basically to start off slow so you don't burn out or feel too restricted or stressed out. Keeping your stress levels down is important for your mental, physical and emotional health. When you're stressed you might want to eat more or less, feel fatigued and just not happy in general. Being healthy to me means being happy with myself. Cut out the junk food, unnecessary sugars, and alcohol out of your life and once you do that there comes a point when you actually don't even like those things anymore. Habits take about 2 months before we become used to them so if you can get started slowly and stick to a few little changes in your diet and lifestyle for only 60-66 days you will automatically start sticking to those habits and make room to learn new ones. YOU CAN DO IT!
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