No More Excuses.
We’ve all been there. Feeling like our healthiest selves are nowhere to be found. Or like being healthy requires a ton of work, resources, time, and a long list of things that seem far-fetched or out of reach. But what if that was all an illusion? What if we could actually be healthier, feel better, and live a happier life with a few small changes that almost seemed too good to be true? Would we take the opportunity? Or would we subconsciously choose to stay “stuck”?
The choice is yours.
Sometimes, we almost want the answers to be more complicated than they are. It would be “easy” for my lack of energy, anxiety, poor-digestion, or any other ailments to be considered something that needed to be treated by medication. It would make sense, especially if I had been struggling with this for years on end. But what if the answer was even more simple than that? What if I just needed to drink water, eat fruits and vegetables, and go on daily walks? You know, all of those things we’ve been hearing since we were old enough to repeat the alphabet. It would be too good to be true if those little things ACTUALLY worked. But the thing is, they do.
We have grown into a society that look for the easy way out, or the quick fix. Sometimes, we just look for excuses. But I’m here to tell you that being healthy is truly simple. It doesn’t take hours in the kitchen, or thousands of dollars in supplements, or hours in the gym. It simply takes your dedication.
Let’s talk about a few simple rules and then we will get into how to get started.
Rules:
1. Baby steps are significant. You don’t have to change everything overnight. Start small, make it habitual, and then add on. We want to have small wins and victories so that our confidence grows and we build motivation to keep going.
2. Don’t make promises to yourself that you don’t plan on keeping. For example, if you tell yourself you are going to drink a gallon of water tomorrow, do it. Don’t break your promise, because then every promise that comes after won’t hold their value, and neither will your word. (This is where baby steps come in handy.)
3. Only do the things that you deeply desire. Just because your friend tried the paleo diet once and lost 30 pounds, doesn’t mean it’s going to work for you, and doesn’t mean you will even enjoy it. And just because someone once told you that you should lose 5 pounds, doesn’t mean you have to. Take a moment to pause and to ask yourself what it is that truly appeals to you. Only that answer is worth fighting for.
Getting Started:
1. Water, water, and more water. Yes, I know. It’s boring. BUT, you will be amazed at what water can do for you. It supports every aspect of your miraculous functioning human body, and sometimes dehydration can show up in forms of skin issues, poor digestion, migraines, mental fog, lack of energy, etc. If you don’t start by drinking plenty of water, you’ll never know if it was the water or the kale salads that made you feel better. Typically, I have my clients to start with 70 ounces per day and work their way up to 120 ounces depending on their activity level.
2. Replace processed foods. You know that granola bar you just ate? Or the bag of chips? Get rid of it and replace it with fresh fruits and vegetables. Remember to start small and replace one meal at a time. Anytime you catch yourself eating from a wrapper, swap it out for a banana, piece of fruit, or raw vegetables with hummus (as an example.) Simply choose fresh over processed.
3. Once you’ve nailed drinking water and avoiding packaged foods, start adding more greens to your plate. Can you add a salad to your lunch? Or eat a side of vegetables before your pizza? Maybe even a smoothie with spinach for breakfast? Focus on adding in the good and naturally you will crowd out the bad.
Remember, it may sound too good to be true, but once you bring awareness to your personal health and food choices you will slowly open your eyes to the areas where you can make small changes for big differences. Do this for you, because I promise you’re worth it.
xo,
Emma