It's that time of the year again. The beginning of the New Year and the start of many, many New Years resolutions. Every year, my resolution involves health and fitness, whether it be to exercise more, eat better, or just strive for mental health. If you don't know where to start, here are a few tips to get you ready for the new, and healthy, year.
1. Drink More Water
In reality, everyone is supposed to drink half of their body weight in water. For example, if you weigh 100 pounds, then you should be drinking 50 ounces of water per day. Drinking water every day is something I TOTALLY struggle with. I swear that coffee just runs through my veins. Drinking water every day will help flush out toxins, help you drop some water weight, and clear out your skin!
2. Work Out At Least 5 Times A Week
I know this is SO hard for some people. I'm a college student taking 6 classes, working a part-time job, I'm a dog mom, and I also write for two journals/newspapers. Finding time to work out is difficult. However, this year, we shouldn't let this stop us from reaching our goal to become healthy. 30 minutes a day is all it takes to become the picture of health. Plus, working out can help you find the energy you need to tackle your busy, daily life.
3. Cut Down On Carbs And Increase Your Fruit And Vegetables
CARBS. My frenemy. This one is possibly the hardest one for me to do. I love pasta, bread, rice and potatoes. I mean, who doesn't? However, our waistline doesn't always agree with carbs. I'm a college student so my budget is tight and, frankly, carbs are the cheapest. Fruits and vegetables seem to be so expensive, and I just can't seem to afford it. However, if we make our health a priority and stop spending money at that bar on Friday nights, maybe we can afford that zucchini and asparagus at Target the next day. It's all about your priorities. Make yourself and your health your top concern.
4. Find A Partner
If we workout and eat healthy alone then we're more likely to cheat on our diet or skip a workout session because "we'll make it up later." However, we never do. Finding someone who can keep you accountable for your diet and embark on this journey with you is so important. Doing it by yourself can make you feel alone and you'll begin to second guess yourself. If you find someone who can uplift you and tell you to push through it or to not eat that entire pizza, you'll have a lot more fun with your health journey.
5. Don't Compare Yourself To Others
If we're going to make 2018 the year of physical health, we also need to think about mental health. Comparing myself to other people is probably the biggest issue I struggle with. I constantly compare myself to the skinny girls and at the end of the day, I go home and suffer because of it. Understanding that we're beautiful in our own skin is so imperative to becoming healthy in all aspects of our lives. Yes, we may not feel beautiful now, however, if we focus on bettering our lives and our health with one step at a time, we can finally see how beautiful we actually are. This year read all the self-help books about confidence you can find. Maybe even search tips online to better your mental health. Either way, make the effort to change your outlook on yourself and life. You won't regret it.