My 7 Steps to Healthier/Happier Self

The other day I overheard ladies discussing "the easiest, fastest way to lose 10 lbs" aka the newest fad diet they were going to try out. This brought me back to the days when I tried every diet, 3 day cleanse, 5 day cleanse, and quick fix that was around. I smiled and felt proud of the fact that I do not live this lifestyle anymore.


Now I don't plan on this being an advice column and I definitely do not claim myself as an expert at this, but I am very passionate about fitness and healthy choices. I love reading magazines, blogs, and books about people's different journeys. When I was 19 (about the time I realized the freshman 15 was a real thing) to about 5 months ago, I'd consider myself a fad dieter, over-exerciser, and very inconsistent with what I was putting in my body. I wasn't happy- I felt angry at myself if I missed a day at the gym once a week or if I didn't go for a run. One day, I just stopped. In transition with moving and getting my new pup, I wasn't focused on getting to the gym everyday and it felt AMAZING. Now I truly feel like I have a hold on my healthy lifestyle.  Here are 7 things that I feel  account for my happiness. 

1.       Walk- This has been a big one for me the past four months. I am a huge runner and always have been. It’s therapy for me at the end of a long day-headphones in and no worries. However, with the addition of my new puppy, he wasn’t ready for long runs right away.  This meant many, short walks at the beginning. I turned out to LOVE them just as much as him. We all need short breaks throughout our day to be outside, and active. Walking is a fabulous way to clear your mind and give your body the activity it needs.

2.       Get a dog- Ok, now I understand not everyone wants or can have a dog, but it seriously makes a HUGE difference in one’s active minutes a day. I always feel accountable for taking my pup out for a walk multiple times a day. If I don’t, he is either sitting at the door whimpering or jumping on me trying to play. It definitely doesn’t have to be a dog, though. Finding a friend that wants to walk and talk 3 times a week is just as good. Anything that holds you accountable to being active is key. 

Isn't he the cutest <3

3.       Snack!- Yes, snack. People are always like “Get that chocolate out of my face, or I’m going to eat it all.” Ok whoa. If you are capable of eating it all, maybe you should give yourself a little break and eat some of it. I think it’s silly to deprive yourself of your favorite foods. If it’s something you love, eat it. Now obviously it’s not okay to eat an entire bag of sour patch kids in one sitting. (These are my favorite snack food) Each day I allow myself to enjoy a few snacks. After lunch a piece of chocolate- either a dove chocolate square or a mini candy bar. I get my craving for it out of the way and continue on with my day. After dinner, I also like to have a few snacks. I put my sour patch kids or sour gummy worms into zip lock backs with reasonable daily amounts.  I enjoy my snack. This way I am not craving it. We all know the times when we want it so bad that we splurge and eat the entire bag. This is a simple way to avoid the binge. The same goes with ice cream. I allow myself to have a few scoops of my favorite kind ( Candy Bar Pie-Ben and Jerry's ) I don’t settle for the fake, sugar free stuff that never satisfies my sweet tooth. I enjoy in moderation.

If I don't put my favorite crackers in a baggy I will (and have) ate the entire box.

4.       Hydrate- This isn’t news to anyone. If you want to live a healthy lifestyle you must drink a lot of water. However, I get bored with water after water so I try to switch it up. I start my day off with a ice water that has to be in my favorite tumbler. Get yourself a water bottle that you like to look at, hold, and drink out of. I have had many water bottles where it leaked constantly or the lid was a hassle to get off. Take the extra 2 minutes to pick out one you really like- this will really make a difference if you are drinking out of it or not. Ice is important as well. Cold water tastes much better than warm water. Although I do enjoy ice water, I don’t want JUST that all day long. I like to throw in a couple waters with crystal light flavor packs. My favorites are grape energy, peach mango energy, and early orange sunrise.   At the end of the day, green tea (cold or hot) is a perfect calming beverage to end my night. And I always keep my filled water bottle on my nightstand. Lately I’ve been waking up at 4am thirrrrrrsty and I am not about to take the 15 steps to the kitchen. In order to make sure I get all the water I need, I put 6 rubber bands on my water bottle and each time I drink a bottle, I take one off. This gives me a visual and reminder of how much water I’ve had.

5.       Turn on the Tunes- Sometimes it’s nice to get outside and enjoy the sounds of nature, however I’m the type of girl that would rather exercise to music.  Once my headphones are in, I am able to forget about the distance I’m going and just go. It is totally worth it to take a half hour to organize all of your favorite songs.

6.       Tone up- Even though walking and running are great exercise, it’s not going to suffice when it comes to strengthening your muscles. Now, I haven’t been in a gym in 5 months so I haven’t lifted a weight in as long either, however, I’m still doing strengthening exercises to stay toned. While I walk, I mix in lunges and squats. Thankfully, most of my walks don’t take place on busy streets, so I am not worried about pausing mid-walk to drop down and squat. I set a goal for each walk, maybe 20 lunges total and 10 squats. This way between a couple walks a day, I can get plenty of muscle work in too. Another great muscle toner is walking or running backwards. The use of different muscles will shock your system- which is exactly what you want! When I first heard about this, I gave it a try. I was really surprised the next day at how sore I was from simply changing the way I walked.  While at home I have a set of 8 pound weights, I like to use to do lateral and frontal raises, along with triceps. If you don’t have weights lying around, get creative! Laundry detergent, a sack of potatoes, and pop liters are just a few of the things I have used when weights weren’t available. Along with these things I mix in a pushups and side bends.

7.      Reward yourself- I don’t know how many times I’ve heard, “After I lose these 5 pounds, I’m treating myself to Coldstone.”  (or pizza or whatever it is they restrict themselves from.)  There are 2 problems with this. 1. YOU ARE NOT A DOG. STOP rewarding yourself with food.  Give yourself a reward that will last longer than it takes to finish a bowl of ice cream and one you can feel good about.  2. DON’T BASE SUCCESS OFF OF THE NUMBER ON THE SCALE. I used to be the girl that weighed herself everyday- happy when a lost a pound, defeated when I gained a pound. How silly! Your weight is going to fluctuate daily, due to water weight and many other factors. The added stress you give yourself is working against you. Reward yourself based off how you feel. Are you living a lifestyle that is healthy and active? Did you make good choices this week?  Hold yourself and accountable and when you do, give yourself a reward. Buy yourself a new pair of shoes,  get your nails done, go get a massage. Feel good about the hard work you have accomplished and set goals for the next week/month.