For almost a year my husband and I struggled with finding a balance between a healthy lifestyle and the convenience of having food whenever and wherever we wanted it. We couldn’t seem to shake the habits of popping pizza rolls in the oven, grabbing a bag of chips out of the pantry and running through various fast-food drive through's. Like many newlyweds the extra pounds started packing on and we went from being semi-fit college dwellers to unhealthy couch-sitters in a matter of months.
Many people experience this same problem. Our fast-food lifestyles cause lack of energy and motivation, irritability and overall dissatisfaction with our bodies. Most of us want to be healthier but don’t think we have the time, finances or energy to get there. The truth is we are all capable of living healthier lives.
Here are just six of the simple steps my husband and I have taken to improve our health. These things have become a part of our lifestyle and we feel (and look) so much better because of them! The best part is, these will work for anyone.
1. Stop making excuses.
“I don’t have time.” “It’s too expensive.” “I’m not home enough.” These were just a few of the lies I told myself before deciding to make healthier choices. It will be easy to read this article and make excuses as to why you can’t follow these steps.
As Christians, my husband and I believe that we should take the best possible care of our bodies. The bible says that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. When we looked at our health journey from that perspective the importance of living in a way that honored God outweighed our excuses by a landslide. For us, this journey became a spiritual one as much as a physical one.
Find your motivation and make today the day you decide to ignore your excuses and make a change in your life for the better-- one step at a time.
2. Get rid of packaged snacks in your pantry.
My husband and I have developed a motto, “If it isn’t here to eat we won’t eat it!” If you know sugary cookies are your weakness, don’t buy them. Just leave the jumbo bag of chips on the shelf. Say no to the things you know you should say no to. It’s hard at first but after a short time you won’t miss them at all. Plus, in the long run, this actually saves you money. (There goes that excuse!)
3. Shop the outskirts of your supermarket: Eat whole foods.
Learn to love fresh foods. Buy vegetables and fruits to replace the packaged snacks you no longer buy. This takes some practice but over time you will be able to go in and out of the grocery store without needing to go anywhere other than the fresh food department (for the most part). I buy frozen vegetables and meats so that my food won’t spoil before I get the chance to cook it.
4. Prepare your food in advance.
Figure out which foods you want to eat in the upcoming days and cook them in advance. I usually have baked chicken breasts, hard boiled eggs and plenty of cut-up vegetables ready to put on a plate, heat up and serve. Putting these already prepared foods in a lunch box and heating them up for lunch takes less time and money than going through a drive through. (There goes another excuse!)
5. Get active.
Be more active today than you were yesterday; be more active tomorrow than you were today. It really is as simple as that. Find an activity you enjoy doing and do it as often as you can. Get your heart-rate up and get your body moving. Any exercise is better than no exercise.
6. Stop looking at your scale.
Being healthy is not a number on a scale. Shift your focus from outward appearance to an inward feeling. The rewards come when you notice more energy and a clearer mind. Become healthier for your family and for yourself. Work to be the person the rest of us look up to as he tells us about walking five miles everyday at the age of 77. (Seriously, my dad does this everyday). If you are making conscious health decisions and exercising more everyday your body will notice, and the physical results will come and you will thank yourself.
Take these steps at your own pace. Being healthy takes dedication and motivation, but in the end it will be more rewarding than almost anything else. These few steps have helped my husband and me to lose weight, gain energy, and save money-- who doesn’t want that?
Always keep in mind that one healthy decision is better than no healthy decision. Today is your day to make a change for the better.
