Tips for a Healthy Life

After talking to a friend the other day who wants to start off the new year much healthier, and then running into a lady at the gym who asked me 50 questions about reaching my own health and fitness goals I realized that I haven't written a post about things I did that helped me be successful. I think it is about time, don't you?

Here are some of the things I did that I 100% believe contributed to my weight loss and overall improvement in health.

1) Food journal
I think this is the most important thing I did that helped me lose weight. I wrote down every single thing I put in my mouth (both food and drink) every single day. It got to be a tedious chore so after around 8 months I quit, but when I start to slide in my eating habits I start journaling again. I found that this worked best for me because if I had to write it down, I thought carefully about if I should be eating it in the first place!

2) Get it out of the house
This one is easy...if you don't have it in the house, you can't eat it! Only buy healthy, clean foods (lean proteins, fruits, veggies, low fat dairy-no sugar, flour, alcohol, processed foods, etc.) because you will eat "junk" if you have it in the house. Don't even test your willpower, because I found I had none! Eventually the cravings will stop and you won't even want to eat that junk again.

3) Drink water
I carry a water bottle with me everywhere I go and refill it constantly.

4) Weigh yourself weekly and take measurements every two weeks and record them
I like doing this because it is very motivating to see your numbers change and it also keeps me motivated to maintain them or go lower.

5) Write down and highlight your gym days on a visible calendar
I write "gym" on my calendar each day I go and highlight it in pink. I love seeing how many times I get there in a week, and if I have a bad week then it motivates me to go more often the next!

6) Eater smaller meals more often
I eat breakfast, lunch, dinner, and have one or two snacks in between, but each is no more than approximately 300 calories

7) Set specific goals each month
My monthly goal changes depending on what I want to focus on. For example, I wanted to be able to do "real" pushups so I made it a goal and worked towards it that month. My next goal is unassisted chin ups!

8) Decide how many days a week you will work out and for how long
Saying you are going to work out more is pretty vague.  Saying you are going to work out 4 days a week for 45 minutes is a goal. Whatever your workout goal is, decide to do it and then do it!

These things worked for me, along with clean eating and exercise obviously, and maybe they will help you too! Good luck and let me know if there is something you do differently that I should try!

Time to Refocus

True.

And lately, with all of the birthdays, family BBQs, and baking I have done...I have felt like crap.   I would say I gained weight in the last week, but the scale says otherwise (thank goodness for small miracles).  My body on the other hand looks like I've gained weight, probably because it is so bloated from all of the sugar and grains I've been eating. 

Lemon bundt cake, caramel birthday cupcakes, lemon cupcakes (recipe to come soon)...I have eaten a lot of cake lately. 

I have also been working out regularly so perhaps that is why my weight hasn't gone up, but my tummy sure looks like I have been slacking off.  But I'm back!  I'm focused.  Birthdays are over, I am going on holidays and won't be baking for awhile, and there is still one whole month of beach days left in summer. 

http://fitisthenewbeautiful.tumblr.com/tagged/typo/page/6

Everything month I try to set new goals for myself at the gym.  Last month I focused on full body workouts instead of focusing on one or two muscle groups and I really enjoyed the extra cardio benefits I got out of my workouts. 

My goals (yes, plural) for August are:

 1) To increase the amount of push ups I can do. Currently I can do 15 but the last 3 are TOUGH.  And I definitely can't do 3 sets of 15.  I usually end up doing "girly pushups".

2) To be able to do a pull up.  Unassisted.  I'd be happy with being able to do one or two by the end of the month.

Source: Pinterest



I came across this picture of Carrie Underwood again last night while wasting time on Pinterest and check out her legs! Every time I do Romanian Split Lunges I think of this picture and pull through the entire 3 sets. 

Well, I'm off to the gym to get me some Carrie Underwood legs. Happy Monday to you!