“Lifestyle change”…really?! January 27, 2011

So like I said previously, I’m trying to make a “lifestyle change.”

Yeah, I know, this phrase probably makes you nauseous. It’s everywhere these days! All the health and fitness experts are throwing this expression out there to get people to see that it can’t just be about losing weight so you can fit into your skinny girl jeans anymore.

This issue is especially huge (no pun intended) in our country, which is why we are seeing this “lifestyle change” trend. A 2009 study by the World Health Organization shows that 74.1% of America’s population is overweight or obese.  It’s not about quick-fix diets that don’t maintain our health long-term.  Our perspective has got to change.

For me it started out the same way as it does most people.  I used to be skinny.  Then I got fat.  Then I got a little skinnier again (but I still thought I was fat).  Then I got fat again.  You see a pattern here?

I thought it was just about trying to get back into my size 6 pants.  But I work closely with the health-care field and I slowly began to realize that I actually want to live a longer life and live it without the health complications that so many of the people we serve deal with.

I know now that it is not all about my weight (although in order to be the healthiest me, I do indeed need to lose weight) but it is about being healthier inside and out…mind, body and spirit.  And maintaining that change!

Things that my lifestyle change will entail:

• Learning to choose healthier foods and recipes
• Exercising 5-6 days a week for at least 30 minutes
• Getting more sleep
• Reducing my stress/anxiety
• Limiting negativity around me and increasing the positivity (this includes working on my body image!)
• Reading more
• Keeping a stricter budget (thus reducing stress level…both mine and my husband’s!)
• Finding a passion/hobby that will help fulfill me (blogging? haha)

I’ve been working on most of these for a year now, but I still have a way to go. I think it’s best to pick one or two things to work on at a time so you’re not so overwhelmed.  All of these are ideas I want to explore in this blog.

So, what kind of lifestyle changes do YOU want to make??

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