It may not be slim down season, but if you want to be healthier and happier, you should do it for you.
Outlined is a simple, four week challenge to jump start your journey to optimal health. The weeks build upon one another, so you keep adding goals, trying new things and learning what works for you and your body.
WEEK ONE: FINDING BALANCE
The theme of this week is is transforming your diet into a more balanced one. For most people this means cutting back on starchy carbs and eating more vegetables. Start off the week by observing the meals you normally eat. Write them down. After two or three days, go over your diet history with a highlighter and a red pen. Highlight the good stuff and make changes where you can. Also make notes of your hunger levels and energy so you can come up with an eating plan that works best for your body.
Also start reading labels during this week. The shorter the ingredient list, the better. Watch out for anything with added sugar. Sugar is hidden in all sorts of foods. Also watch out for any ingredients that you can’t pronounce or don’t recognize as a food. If you don’t know what it is, don’t put it in your body. To cut back on label reading time, eat more whole foods — whole foods are foods that don’t have labels — fresh fruits and veg, beans and grains from the bulk bins, good quality meats from your butcher.
WEEK TWO: SWEAT AND SLEEP
The theme of this week is working your body and getting adequate rest. Schedule some sweat sessions — at least 3 times a week for 30 minutes each time. Write these session in your calendar, make an alert on your phone, whatever you have to do to remind yourself. If you can get a partner to get sweaty with you, even better. Make sure you mix up the way you sweat — cardio, strength training, yoga, group fitness classes, walking, running, paddle boarding, biking — don’t let yourself get bored.
After all this added movement, make sure you give your body some R&R. You should be able to wake up in the morning, without an alarm, feeling rested. Everyone has a magic number. It will take a little experimentation to find yours. Record how many hours you sleep, and how you feel in the morning. Figure out what you magic number is and then aim to get that amount of rest each night.
WEEK THREE: FOODIE FINDS
Take time to menu plan. Get out some cookbooks or do an online search to find some recipes that work with your healthy eating goals. Try to pick things that have ingredients or flavors that are new to you. Keeping your eating plan exciting will help keep you on track.
Also make sure you are still keeping track of what you are eating, drinking, your energy levels and your sleep. Go over this record at the end of each week. Make notes about what went well that week and what you can improve on.
WEEK FOUR: SHOW YOURSELF SOME LOVE
None of these changes will be sustainable or meaningful unless you have self love. Treat yourself kindly and gently. Reward yourself. Schedule time to do things you love. Start a meditation practice. Use visualization. If you don’t think you are worth anything, your healthy habits won’t stick.
