This week, we are starting the 30 Day Shred Challenge! I am a little scared about how sore I am going to be, but am looking at the positives from doing so. I’ll share my Day 1 of the challenge in a separate post very soon.
Now, I recently had a reader tell me that dieting is not part of saving money. She is right, well, sort of. Dieting itself is not about saving money. And this challenge is not even about losing weight. It is about making changes in your life to make yourself healthier. I believe that being healthy is just as important as saving money. And actually, when you are healthy – you can save money! You have reduced needs for medications, you can reduce your need to visit your doctor and sometimes, you can even get better rates on your life insurance!
I am not going to go on and on about why you should live a healthier lifestyle. We ‘ve all read that stuff over and over again. So, instead, let’s talk about how to get started on the path to living healthier. Here are five simple things you can do:
1. Keep it Simple. How many times have you heard of someone falling off of the dieting or healthy eating bandwagon as soon as they start? Many times, this is because they get obsessed with counting calories, eliminating or even adding in foods they normally don’t eat. Always remember that you don’t have to eliminate foods you like – just not eat entire platter in one sitting. Remember your long term goal is to healthier and to feel better.
2. Moderation is Key. You can’t wake up and decide that from this point forward you will never eat potato chips. Doing that can send you down the road to certain failure. Instead, decide that instead of 20 chips, you will eat 10. Just reduce the amount you eat and if you are still hungry, grab 10 mini carrots instead of potato chips.
3. Watch How You Eat. If you sit at the table and eat your meal, you tend to actually enjoy the taste of your foods, which can leave you feeling more satisfied. In addition, dining with others can make meal time pleasurable and something you look forward to, making you want to snack in between times.
4. Don’t Skip Meals. The instant comment many think when when wanting to eat healthy and/or shed a few unwanted pounds is that they will skip a meal. This couldn’t be further from the truth! Skipping meals makes you more hungry and leads to snacking (many of times which excludes healthy options). On top of that, when you skip meals, your metabolism slows down, which can make it more difficult from keeping those unwanted pounds from landing on your rear, belly or thighs.
5. Water. Water. Water. I know that you hear this over and over again, but water is key to ANY healthy lifestyle. You should drink at least 8 glasses a day. I actually find that when I drink more water, I feel fuller and am less likely to snack or over-indulge at meal time. I actually feel better. My skin looks better. My hair looks better and I just don’t feel as sluggish. So, remember to drink up!
There are of course SO many other tips and ideas to help you on starting onto the path of a healthy lifestyle. Always do what works for you and your family and never mind what others tell you. After all, YOU know yourself better than anyone else!
Note: I am not a dietitian. I am not a doctor. The comments contained within this post are my opinions. If you have health issues, you should contact a doctor and not rely upon comments within this post. In addition, before you begin participating in any exercise program, you should contact your doctor if you have any health concerns.