On this blog post, I am going to talk about some wellness tips that I used for 2017 that helped me lose a lot of weight. Staying consistent with a healthy diet and exercise plan helped me go from a size 8 to a size 4 last year! With a few changes in my habits, I hope to lose a little more weight this year. I will share what worked for me last year and what my goals are for a healthy lifestyle in 2018. I am very passionate about nutrition but I am no expert. Also, make sure to keep in mind that finding what is healthy for you will be different from me and anyone else. These tips are just simple guidelines to help with your 2018 health goals.
Buy a NutriBullet
First thing I recommend is to buy a NutriBullet and use it every day. My first meal of the day is a smoothie packed full of nutrients. Make sure to use vegetables and fruits in your smoothies and just test out new ingredients to find what works for you. Having a smoothie every day has helped me feel more alert and keeps me full for most of the day. Soon after you get used to drinking a smoothie every morning you will be addicted.
Whenever I skip my smoothie I am regretting it the entire day. I feel groggy and unmotivated to do anything. I have a killer recipe that I have perfected over the last few years that is packed with all kinds of good stuff and tastes amazing. I will share with you in a later post.
2. Everything in Moderation
When I changed my lifestyle, I never used the word diet. I wasn’t going on a diet, I was changing my mindset. I told myself that I enjoyed eating vegetables and the endorphins when working out. This is the only way I stayed consistent. I envision a healthy lifestyle and body that I wanted and I worked towards making little changes in my habits. As long as I would eat healthy for most of my day, 80-90% of the time, I would reward myself with chocolate or another goody.
Chocolate is always my happy treat and I could never give it up. You don’t have to cut out the foods you love, just reward yourself with them when you have had a successful week and followed through with your food goals throughout the day. It is important to not starve yourself and make a healthy lifestyle enjoyable.
3. Save the Plastic-Buy in Bulk
After working in a grocery store for a long time I have seen how wasteful and lazy humans are when it comes to plastic. The plastic bags are the single most annoying thing that can easily be replaced if people cared enough to plan to bring reusable bags with them. I see people use bags when they don’t even need a bag, its turned into absolute lunacy where people cant carry out a single item without a plastic handle.
Then there is the consumption of single water bottles. First of all, there have been studies finding how acidic the water is in most brands of single-serving water bottles, it is basically like drinking a soda. Then there is the lazy factor again, how hard is it to carry a water bottle with you everywhere you go? I have been doing this for years now, and use this alkaline pitcher to get filtered water from the tap at home and go to Starbucks for their triple filtered water when I need a refill.
My biggest goal for 2018 is to continue to cut out my plastic waste. I plan on buying food containers to completely re-organize my pantry and diet. I will start doing most of my shopping in the bulk food section and produce section and try to eliminate buying foods in packages. It is really time we all make a conscious effort to stop using plastic. I will continue to blog about my plastic-less existence throughout the year in hopes to encourage more of you to follow me and make this needed lifestyle change.
4. Find a Workout Routine That You Love Doing
I am not a gym person. I hate working out in a closed off room full of judgemental people. Plus when I started working out I had no idea what I was doing so I would look at all the equipment in the gym and feel completely clueless. I do, very much love work out classes, it is fun to join a community of people with the same health goals as you and it is helpful having an instructor that is a guide on what to do to get the most effective workout. However, work out classes are a luxury I cannot afford right now. I needed something I could do for free, and even though I had a gym I could use anytime, it was not what I wanted to do.
That is when I found PopSugar Fitness on YouTube. They have hundreds of videos that anyone can do in the comfort of their home. All you need is a tv and maybe a few dumbbells and a yoga mat. This company has created so many challenging and fun workouts that I do almost every day. I have been mixing up which classes I do to challenge different parts of my body and then every week I will go for a few runs to get outside and breath fresh air. With this simple and affordable workout plan, I have seen some serious results. It is important to listen to your body and find the workout plan that works for you that way you stay consistent with a workout routine that makes you happy.
My favorite PopSugar videos:
45 Minute Calorie Torching Tabata Workout
45 Minute 500 Calorie Burning Workout
The Ultimate 30 Minute Cardio Pilates Workout
30 Minute Pilates Based Cardio Workout with Kit Rich
30 Minute Power Yoga Flow Workout
Feel Good, Feel Strong Yoga Workout
Torch Calories With This 30 Minute Cardio and Toning Bootcamp
45 Minute Bodyweight Workout with Kit Rich
20 Minute Waste Workout for the Obliques
Working out is easier when you have a cute outfit to wear too… Check out my top picks here…
5. Add More Vegetables to Your Dinner Plan
Cut the carbs, the sauces, the sugars, and add more greens to your plate. Cook one thing that you are craving every week. But then find a healthy salad recipe that is easy to do on days where you don’t have much time. Make healthy eating easy! Don’t make it too complicated or you won’t do it. I will make a salad loaded with vegetables and I add a little hummus and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice for my dressing. It is really delicious and I urge you to try making more salads in the new year.
6. Use good fats to stay full and happy-
An Avacado A Day Keeps the Doctor Away
I love avocados. I cannot go a day without eating an avocado. I put half in my smoothie and use the other half to top salads, soups, tacos, or whatever is on the menu for dinner. Avocados are loaded with essential nutrients and are a great source of monosaturated fats. They contain a lot of fiber and noticeably will keep you full longer which helps maintain proper weight control. Find more of the benefits at this link.
7. Cut Out or Cut Back On Sugar and Alcohol
I struggle to cut out sugar in my diet, I have a stubborn sweet tooth. It is a struggle I try to improve every day and it would be best for me to cut it out cold turkey, but I haven’t come to terms with that yet. Still, I will avoid sugar where I can and work on this weakness.
Alcohol is another weakness that I am dependent on when my stress levels are high. I typically will have a glass of wine most nights and will partake in it a little too much at social gatherings. It is my goal to cut back on this toxic habit. Mostly because I know I could have much more brain functionality without it and I know my skin would clear up much faster. Then there is the added bonus of not spending money on alcohol when it is not a necessity. I am starting 2018 with no alcohol for the month of January. Otherwise known as dry January and I hope to continue this as long as I can. So far I have been craving wine but am trying to substitute it with a lot of delicious kombucha.
I hope these habits and practices help motivate you. It is time to take action for a healthier you. Try using these tips and research and test other practices to find the routine that works best for you. I would love to hear what healthy actions, foods, supplements have been working for you. Please leave a comment with your suggestions below! And have a healthy new year!
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