Your body is the most amazing gift you have or will ever be given- take care of it.
There are 3 major keys to a healthy body: FOOD, MOVEMENT, and REST
You can’t leave one out and think you will become healthy. You MUST eat to feed your body. You MUST move to strengthen your body, and you MUST allow your body to heal and re-energize.
Let’s talk food.
Skipping meals is the worst thing you can do for your body. I would rather you eat a slice of deep dish pizza than not eat at all. Your body needs fuel and food is that fuel. All skipping meals will do is force your body into starvation mode where it will store everything as fat. It’s like your body is saving up for a rainy day. It’s the “just in case” calories. Skipping meals causes your metabolism to slow down, which can cause weight gain or make it harder to lose weight.
- Food choice is important. I don’t care if you hate vegetables. The reality is your body needs them. Do you have any idea how many vegetables you can eat and not reach 100 calories? You can have an entire veg salad plate (without dressing) and still not hit 100!
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/14-healthiest-vegetables-on-earth
- Meats! You need protein and some of the best sources for that are meat. I’m not a big red meat eater. I’m not against it my body just has a hard time breaking it down. Fish, chicken, and beans are my thing, but the Hubs loves a good homemade burger from time to time.
https://healthyforgood.heart.org/eat-smart/articles/meat-poultry-and-fish-picking-healthy-proteins
- Carbohydrates- what the hell are they and why do we need them?
I pulled this from the website below-
What exactly is a carbohydrate? A carbohydrate is a molecule that consists of carbon hydrogen and oxygen atoms that is usually of a hydrogen-oxygen atom ratio of 2:1. Carbs are one of the three macronutrients like protein and fat that we need in varying amounts to meet and sustain our metabolism and energy levels. When we consume carbohydrates, our digestive tract converts them into glucose. This glucose is then burned to produce heat and adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP is a molecule that stores and releases energy as needed by the cells in our body.
This site contains a plethora of knowledge on the pro and cons of carbs. It is worth a read.
- Now, let’s get down to the important stuff- junk food!
I LOVE CHOCOLATE. Chocolate is cheaper than bail therefore it is in my home…always, and I make a mean gluten-free chocolate peanut butter cookie! Yes, I’m one of those Gluten Douches- LOL! You have to remember that good health doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy food. The difference is the amount. Size really does matter.
It’s the difference between an XLHershey bar and a standard bar. Can I eat an XL bar? Oh God, yes. Will I? No. There is no benefit to eating a massive bar of chocolate. It will make you feel like crap not only because you ate 45lbs of sugar but you will then judge yourself for doing it. It’s not worth the emotional rollercoaster that goes along with it. Here’s a trick- if you really want a candy bar and you truly want to enjoy it…freeze it. I say this because it then takes longer to melt in your mouth giving you time to truly enjoy the sweetness.
If you listen to nothing else I post here- hear this– REMOVE THE TERM ‘CHEAT DAY’ FROM YOUR VOCABULARY!!!
You can have a cheat moment. You can have a sweet snack. You can have a slice of cake- but not an entire day. You can undo an entire weeks worth of work in one day. Think about it. How many calories are in that fast food burger you just picked up? The fries? Soda? Let’s not forget the chips, cookies, and ice cream you were going to eat later. My average day is around 1600 calories. If I ate one of these meals in the chart below I would be left with 200+ calories for the remainder of my day. I don’t know about you but that just won’t cut it for me. If you are eating this for an entire day then you are nearly tripling your average calorie count. So, you just undid 3 days of hard work. Is it worth it?
HELL NO!!!
Also, if you do slip and have a cheat day, it’s okay. You are human and we are flawed. But, that doesn’t mean you give up. It was one day. Pick yourself up, wipe the Cheeto dust from your face and go make a salad.
This is a lifetime journey. You will slip and fall, the key is getting back up and trying again. It won’t happen overnight. You have to decide that you are worth it. You have to see your value. Until you do, you will falter and struggle and battle for something that seems so far out of reach. Give yourself permission to focus on you and what was out of reach will fall into your hands.
Tomorrow I will jump into exercise. Movement is necessary to better health.
***Until then- you know what to do!
Find joy. Be joy. Enjoy.
New Ink. Used Ideas. 