Let me start off by saying the title is a playful way of motivating those of you that made the choice to get healthy this year. I realize that a lot of you still fit in your jeans so this title does not apply in that form, but either way, below are a few tips to get healthy, shed some pounds and to keep it up!
Eat Right
You can try and starve yourself with a cleanse or do an extreme diet but it will become more of a habit/way of your life if you start changing little things about your eating and ease into your personal eating goals that you hope to achieve. For example, in January 2014 I decided to give up carbs at home but use the weekend as my cheat days. To do this I started off by making heavier (healthy) foods like stews and soups so that I would feel full without eating the carbs.
After a few days of doing so I started slowly removing other carbs such as potatoes, pasta and breads from my diet until I felt like I didn’t need any of them anymore. Here I am a full year later excited to report that I have accomplished my goal for a full year and feel great! It’s now the way I eat and I am able to keep it going. Long story short, it’s easier to accomplish healthy eating if you slowly take yourself off of the bad stuff instead of quitting cold turkey. It’s also important to give yourself little rewards and always listen to your cravings to get in tune with what your body needs. A great way to start is have a goal in mind and make a plan for how you hope to tackle. The ultimate goal is that it will become a part of your life for the long term.
Another way to get you going is Bon Appetit’s Food Lover’s Cleanse. It’s set for January 2nd -15th but of course, you can do it all year long. The Food Lover’s Cleanse is essentially that, food that doesn’t taste like cardboard but is still healthy and nutritious for those of us that enjoy eating. The cool thing about it? They offer a shopping list, schedule, and recipes for your two weeks of nourishment. Get all the info HERE
Drink More Water
A lot of people don’t realize that many of the uncomfortable symptoms they feel ultimately point to needing more water. Upping your water intake will trigger a snowball effect of so many other positive ways to lead a healthy life. With enough water you will get better sleep, feel more energized, get less headaches, get rid of the toxins, prevent injuries and help your body rid of its fat. Another good rule to follow is drink a glass of water every time you get a craving because it might just be your body telling you it needs more water. If you still have the craving after a glass of water and a few minutes, find a healthy alternative (if it’s not healthy) to indulge in.
A great way to keep track of the water you drink on the daily is an app called Waterlogged. It sends you reminders (if you want them), keeps track of how much water you drink and tells you how much you need a day.
Exersize
(photo by James Lee Wall Photography for B Fit Los Angeles Event)
Most of us dread going to the gym but I’ve noticed it’s all about finding a workout that works for you. For example, for me personally, I’ve learned because of my dance background I need classes to motivate me (and get me to the gym), and I also need high intensity classes. Some people enjoy yoga for relaxation or running for moving meditation. Use the beginning of the year to try out as many workouts that interest you as you can, in hopes of finding one you’ll wanna stick with and will get you to continuously work out.
Guess what? They have a site for that! Classpass is an awesome way to try out different gyms and classes without having to pay more than you normally would for a monthly membership. For $99 a month you can try unlimited classes at all different establishments to see what works for you (get more info HERE). The important part is getting moving so any work out you try or do will get you that much closer to a healthier lifestyle.
Set Goals
One of the valuable things my entrepreneurial father taught me is to set goals. I think it’s great to set short and long term goals; the more you accomplish the more driven you are to accomplish bigger and better goals. I’ve separated the different types of goals into short and long term sections. Things that are hard to change for good like eating, exercising, sleep or cleaning (that’s a big one for me) goals (and anything else that is somewhat of a small thing you’d like to improve on) are the best to take on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. Like I said the more you accomplish, the more you’ll be motivated to change, so if you can get those workouts in 3 days this week like you wanted to, you’ll want to do more. Each time you accomplish a goal you can set bigger goals until it eventually becomes a way of life.
As for the long term goals those are bigger things that take time to accomplish, like career goals (I want to be at X position by this time), travel goals (I want to travel Europe by the time I’m X age) etc. It’s always good to set these because even though sometimes they won’t be met, it’s something you can constantly work towards so you don’t feel like you’re just floating through life. Setting goals is a great thing to do for yourself AND if you’d like to get into those old jeans of yours!
Treat Yo-Self
Lastly, a reward is ALWAYS in order for the good you have done. Whether it’s achieving a goal or drinking more water, there’s no bad excuse for getting a new pair of jeans, am I right? Here are a few of our favorites (from left to right), TREAT YO-SELF!
– MM6 MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA WIDE LEGGED JEANS