This is hard to write about because I feel so alone in my efforts of trying to eat healthier. I have so many reasons to want to eat better including weight loss, healthier organs, and feeling good about myself for the first time in a long time. I am not a salad girl. I am a Taco Bell cheesy roll up and nachos type girl. My lifestyle, ever since I can remember, has been based on eating fast food and simply eating poorly. This is nobody's fault except for my own. I have grown accustomed to giving in to the desire of eating quick and convenient foods. This is not to say that it's OK, it's just saying the simple fact is that I am having a hard time trying to change my habits, so I did some research on ways to simply eat and feel better!
1. Drink more water
Okay, so we all get it. We know we should be drinking a butt-load of water per day. We know its good for us, that it really does help hydrate our mind and body, but nobody does it. Right? Wrong. Lots of people drink their gallons of water per day and there is a quick way to see how much you should be drinking. Simply check out this article that provides you with an exact way to figure out how much water you should be retained per day. Once you figure it out, just start small. Take baby steps. Buy yourself a cute water bottle as a reminder to drink more each day. Build up to your amount!
2. Meal prep
I am new to the world at meal prepping — in fact, I am only on day one, so I can't say that this will work or that it has any benefits other than the experts say it works. Every single webpage for "healthier habits" tells you to meal prep, meal prep, and meal prep! Not only does it help you portion out your food, but it also helps you save money, so it's a win-win that you should totally get in on. Instead of going out to eat at lunch on your break, simply go to your insulated lunchbox (Thirty-One has cute ones here) and grab your pre-planned chicken.
3. Walk
These are all extremely obvious, but that's the beauty of it! When changing your behavior, you should be making small adjustments that practically come naturally! If you just walk an extra thousand steps per day, then you are making the world of a difference. Invest in a Fitbit or Apple Watch that tracks your steps, so that you never lose count. This is something I really want to do for myself, but need to save up the funds first. It is also a good treat for yourself if you've accomplished a goal recently. If you already have a tracking device, but don't use it — slap that sucker on your wrist and pretend it's not there. It's hard to think about doing healthier things, but something as simple as a watch that can help you, in the long run, can be the key to success.
4. Get that junk food out of here!
Waste not. If you're going to diet do one of two things — eat all your junk food the day before and get it out of your system (because honestly, who wants to waste their food?) or give all unopened sugary treats to your local food pantry and throw out the opened stuff. The number one thing that you HAVE to do is get those bad-for-you snacks out of the way. You know your bad habits. Mine is getting up late at night and eating a chip (or twenty), so if there are no chips to eat, then I am one step closer to my healthier eating. If you're sitting at home right now, thinking about those Twizzlers or Hershey's bars, get up, walk to your pantry, and throw it out! I am not kidding, do it right now, before you finish this article.
5. Don't be so hard on yourself
The last thing I am going to say is that you're going to make mistakes — you're gonna drink that margarita on girl's night, and it's going to be okay. If you love yourself deeply enough, those little mistakes won't ruin you. You can get through anything you set your mind to and you can focus on your body in a positive way instead of a negative one, starting with these small steps.
