It’s a new year. Health and wellness resolutions are not new, but they can be new for you! If you’ve decided to go on this journey, we’re here to give some tips and advice on how to start or implement small changes to your health and wellness. This doesn’t just have to be your physical health; it can also include your mental health. If you are down and sad, you’re going to want to implement these changes or stay consistent with them. We want to show that you don’t have to start a diet or a hardcore exercise routine. Let’s get into it!
Focus On How You Feel
Many people’s first thought when it comes to changing their health is weight. However, it’s not about being obsessed with the scale and the numbers on it. This can sometimes lead to self-sabotage as weight can fluctuate. You may not see the progress that you want to see, but you may feel it. The biggest motivation for exercising or changing your diet can be how you physically feel. If you’re feeling sick and tired all the time, making these changes can help you feel more energized and help you do more with your day.
If you really want to track your weight loss or want some physical proof of progress, you can start by taking your body measurements. This can help you see how the exercise or the food affect your body.
It would be good to consider non-scale victories as well. For example, have you formed a new exercise habit? Do your clothes feel any looser? Do you have more energy than you used to? Are you less stiff and sore? Do you feel more in control of your health? Are you sleeping better? Are your blood pressure or glucose levels improving? These questions can show major progress and should be celebrated.
Not a One-Way Street
Now, fitness and weight loss are rarely a linear process, even though some may portray it as such online. It sets up the expectation that if you do all the right things, you will lose at least two pounds a week every week, for example. If you’re counting calories and your app says that’s what you will lose, why should you doubt it?
In reality, it doesn’t always happen that way. Weight loss slows if you started a fast-paced weight-loss regimen in the beginning, and that can be frustrating. But plateaus are not a bad thing; it is all part of the process. It can look different for each person. It could start fast and keep going that way, start slow and build up, or be at a steady pace. There can be highs and lows of weight loss, but you’ll see the progress if you remain patient.
It’s easy to give up quickly and become impatient or frustrated when you don’t see the results that you think should be there. It’s important not to put any pressure on yourself. Referring to the scale might show a pound or two gained, which could be water retention or muscle growth, depending on the exercises and the way your body processes things. Small fluctuations are normal and are another reason not to obsess over the scale.
You must give your body time to adjust, especially if you didn’t usually exercise as much or if your diet is changing. Your body needs time to catch up.
Start Small
There is power in small changes. You don’t have to go on a drastic diet and fitness regimen; it’s possible to make small changes a week in both eating and exercise. You build upon that over time. For example, if you aren’t accustomed to exercising, it’s difficult to stay committed to an hour a day. You can start small by walking for 15 minutes a day, something that doesn’t require a gym membership or a treadmill. Given the weather, you can do this any day! Walking after a meal can also help with digestion.
If You Can Go to the Gym
It’s important to start with a little, then gradually work your way up to more. Just five or 10 minutes of exercise a day will benefit you in the long run. You can focus on making it a daily habit or whatever fits around your schedule. Everyone’s schedule is different, and not many people can make it to the gym. That is why walking is such an accessible exercise.
If you do have access to the gym, depending on your body’s capabilities, you can start with weight training. It is very important to start small with lightweights and then see what your body can handle. Doing three reps of 15 of any lifting or machine work can be an easy start. It’s not pushing you too hard, but it’s not taking it easy. This is only if your body can do it! If it’s a little difficult at first, you can adjust the number of reps you are doing to three reps of 12 or two reps of 10.
Don’t obsess over cardio or just weights; it is important to focus on the whole body if you’re able. Some people focus on legs, some on arms, or just cardio, and that is perfectly ok. But if you were to get a full-body workout, your body would be adjusting all at once.
Make It Fun and Make It Yours
You can make exercise fun by playing good music or having videos to distract you from how much time you have left. By hiding the time on the treadmill, 30 minutes can feel like 15.
It’s also important to stretch your body. It helps avoid being so sore the next day and allows your body to adjust. It can also help if you’re looking to be more flexible.
Finally, when it comes to dieting, it is important to consider your personal goals, what your body is used to, and what you implement. It can also be helpful to talk to a nutritionist or a dietician if you can. This can help you understand what your body needs. You may watch a video of what someone who has been on a health journey for many years is eating, but that’s not exactly what you should be eating. You’re not going to wake up one day and automatically switch chips for cauliflower. But there are ways to implement healthy food choices.
It’s important to know that guilt is not an ingredient; you shouldn’t feel that something is a guilty pleasure, it’s something that your body enjoys. You can have a cookie, you can have ice cream, you can even have the sugary breakfast cereal, all in moderation.
Food Ideas
For breakfast, you can use a protein shake instead of milk, so you can feel a little bit fuller. You can also add fruit to your cereal, such as bananas, strawberries, or blueberries. Overnight oats are something you can prepare the night before and can be an easy grab if you’re in a rush in the morning. Or oatmeal, where you can add any fruits or peanut butter, can be a good option as well. It’s about what you can add, not what you can take away. We are not going to tell you to starve yourselves because that is not responsible. We want to nourish our bodies and listen to them. You don’t always have to eat the high-protein or the low-calorie option.
If you like to snack, you can make a healthier snack pack with veggies instead of chips. If you are insistent on something crunchy and aren’t totally on board with just veggies, pretzels and crackers are a great substitute for chips.
If you are up to it, meal prepping and planning can help you avoid foods that may not make you feel as well. You can choose a day of the week you are free and have the most motivation, and prepare something you can heat or grab throughout the week. That way, you don’t have to think every day: what do you have to eat? Or what you can eat to be healthy. It’s important to have staples of healthier choices that you like, so whenever you need to grab something and go, you have a better option. If you enjoy a good carb, add spinach or broccoli to your pasta. If you’re a big fan of bread, you can choose whole wheat or keto bread.
All in Moderation
All in all, if it’s just one of those days where you don’t feel like doing anything and you feel like sitting down and binging a TV show, go right ahead. It’s good to reward yourself now and then. If you are unhappy sticking to the new routine, you’re not going to want to stick with it. There is no health without wellness. They go together physically and mentally!
