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Recently, I was asked to do a post on my healthy habits/tips and though I’m not a fitness fiend, I do like to think I live a healthy lifestyle! Though I’ve tried random fad diets here and there, I didn’t really start taking health seriously until a couple of years ago. Here are 7 habits, some fitness related and some not, that I’ve gotten into. These have all been pretty life-changing for me and I think they will really benefit you too!
7 Life-Changing Healthy Habits to Adopt
1. Get active every day
I don’t go to the gym or do HIIT or any intense workout, but I do make it a point to be active every day. I’m very much a no-excuses type of gal and I’m not your feel-good type of encourager haha. I hate hearing excuses in myself so I try not to make them. Time, energy, and kids are excuses. Anyone can workout if they prioritize it. Set a time and schedule it so it happens every day!
For me, I get up at 5:30 am every morning and get in my workout! Though “workout” is a bit of a stretch haha. Sometimes I walk/jog around my block. Sometimes it’s lifting weights. Sometimes it’s Zumba. Sometimes it’s stretching. Or sometimes it’s doing squats while holding Will because he decided to wake up early too! And guess what? He loves it when I’m holding him and doing exercises. This is why I think kids are just an excuse because you can do it with them if needed! Just get in the habit of moving. It doesn’t have to be anything crazy. Pick an activity you like and the time you’ll do it at!
2. Set a morning and night routine
It is so so good for your body and your mind to get good, quality sleep, and that comes with having a good morning & night routine. Not only that, but when you get in the rhythm of doing things a certain way, whether it’s getting ready for work or the way you go to bed, I believe your mind feels less cluttered because it’s not trying to think of what to do next!
Set a time that you’re going to wake up and go to sleep. Then go even further and figure out how you are going to do these things and in what order. Bath? Teeth? Bed? Or maybe it’s read? Stretch? Bed? Do whatever sounds relaxing to you and what you can make a habit!
3. Drink more than enough water
I know, SNOOZE! You’re tired of hearing this. Everyone from your doctor to your favorite fitness influencer tells you how important it is to drink water. But it is important! I’m not going to get into all the benefits of water because a.) you can just look that up and b.) I’m more going through my own habits, but I used to only have 1-2 glasses a day (roughly 8-16 ounces). Which is terrible. The recommended amount is 64 ounces, or people say half your body weight. I now aim for 64-100+ ounces.
Keep a water bottle near you at all times and know how many times you need to fill it up to hit your goal. Once I switched to a water bottle with a straw, I started doubling what I was drinking! I recommend getting something you can be “hands-free” with. Sometimes I just balance that baby on my stomach and drink the whole thing while writing a blog post! Like what I’m doing right now!
Another way to get in your liquids if you’re bored with water- tea! Green tea or hot water with lemon is oh so good for you. I start each morning off with that before anything else. I tell myself once I drink my tea I can have coffee. Big motivator right there! 😉
4. Don’t fixate on skinny
What even is “skinny”? Definitely not something you should be aiming for! It’s totally subjective and not a realistic goal in life because it’s so different for everyone. Set your sights on healthy. Don’t stress about thigh gaps or the number on the scale. Stressing about those things will do the opposite of help you. As long as you are getting active (#1), eating lots of fruits & veggies (#5), and cutting out the sugar and bad carbs, it will all fall into place.
5. Make sure you are eating real, whole foods daily
As a young newlywed, I was all about cheap, and when it came to food, I tried to spend next to nothing and this meant making meals that came out of boxes and/or bags. Once, I made this thing called Dorito casserole. Literally just a bunch of chips in a casserole dish with a little bit of meat haha. Oy vey.
Now, our grocery bill has pretty much tripled haha, but we are eating 90% meat/fish, fresh fruits, and veggies. My wallet may not be thanking me but my waistline is. And 80 year old me will thank me because I might actually live that long! 😉
On this food note, make sure you are eating lots of fruits and veggies. I could write a whole other post on food because I may not be a fitness fiend, but I did become a health nut! I’m that annoying person at the grocery store flipping everything over to read the nutritional label looking for hidden sugar haha.
But here a couple of quick things: Be careful with your fruit. Smoothies are traps. Especially from stores. They are full of added sugar. And even if they’re not, it’s best to eat (not blend) your fruits because the fiber from chewing helps slow down the sugar in your system. Also, carbs break down into sugar! Not a lot of people know that! So don’t pat yourself on the back quite yet if you said no to the ice cream cone but downed a whole bowl of pasta with a side of bread. And guess what? Fat doesn’t make you fat. Sugar does!
Though this post isn’t really about losing weight, if you are looking to shed a couple of pounds you can’t just pop in a strawberry and eat a spinach salad and call it good, all the while eating boxed, processed foods for every meal. No, you’re going to have to cut those things out and switch over to whole foods to really notice a difference!
And whether you’re trying to lose weight or not, adopt a lifestyle habit of eating fruits, veggies, whole foods & cutting out the “bad” carbs and sugar, just so you can improve your health and have a better quality of living! That’s a good enough reason for me!
6. Don’t skip breakfast
This one is really hard for me to do because I never feel like eating in the morning. I have to force myself! But eating breakfast not only gives you energy for the day, but it can actually help you lose weight too! Of course, losing weight is not the goal with eating, we just want to give our bodies what it needs to thrive. So make sure you feed your body right each morning!
7. Don’t let “being healthy” consume your life
My last healthy habits to adopt tip is more about your mental health than anything. And it might seem a little contradictory after this whole post, but it’s important. Life should be enjoyed and it can quickly become unenjoyable if your mind is consumed with calorie counting, thinking about your next workout, or making yourself feel guilty because you ate that piece of cake. Life is all about balance and you don’t need to be extremely healthy 100% of the time 😉 80/20 works for me!
So sleep in and skip that workout. Eat that cheesecake because it looked good at the store and now you’re craving it! Don’t take the bun off the brat because we all know they’re not as good that way! I try to be extra healthy during the week and on the weekend I let myself “relax” a little bit. Find a balance that works for you…without making excuses of course! 😉
I hope you were able to pick up some good nuggets and found some new healthy habits to adopt! And “life-changing” isn’t clickbait. Since implementing these healthy habits, I’ve been healthier & more confident all around! Are there still things I’m insecure about? Sure, but this is a great start… 🙂
Like I said earlier, I don’t consider myself a fitness person, but I surprised myself with how much I have to say on this whole healthy lifestyle topic!
Let me know if you’re interested in me diving deeper into any of the things!
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