I would like to clear up some confusion really quick, and hope it doesn’t come as a shock to you. This is absolutely nicht non no niet NOT a weight loss blog. Capish?
Do we talk about getting healthy? Check. About nutrition? Yep. About fitness? You bet. But weight loss does not necessarily equal wellness, guys. It’s about so much more than that. Lately I’ve been hearing a lot of things like, “If I could just lose my gut,” and “My weight is only thing that’s wrong with my life right now,” or the most cringe-worthy: “I’m so fat.” These things make my ears hurt.
Getting healthy is not about losing 10 pounds, or spot-fixing a problem. It’s about changing a lifestyle, and forming habits that support us and fulfill us. It’s about discovering what we truly desire, what makes us happy, and how to feel good about each facet of our lives. That’s why we cover so many categories here on CTK. Sure, the food we eat is the foundation for feeling good, and probably the first place we should look if things are feeling out of whack. But fashion, fitness, finances and a whole bunch of other things play a role in our well being, too. (P.S., if you haven’t read it yet, check out our free Feel Good Formula. We dive into some of these concepts and map out the five key steps to feeling good.)
Here’s the thing about getting healthy: it’s not a waiting game. And yet, how many times do we think something along the lines of, “I’ll just wait until the new year to start saving…” or “The diet starts tomorrow”? There are, in my opinion, a couple of reasons:
- We’re not quite sure what we truly want.
- There are so many parts of life that feel out of sync or chaotic right now, that it’s all too overwhelming.
- It’s too difficult and/or we don’t have time.
All of these things are valid, and it takes some time to work through them. The first step in getting healthier is making the decision that you’re worth it. From there, you can implement some simple healthy habits right away. Not tomorrow, not next month. Today. These don’t have to be daunting or time consuming. Try one thing every day for a week and see how you feel. It doesn’t matter which one, just start somewhere.
Want five simple steps to feeling really good? Click to download the free CTK Feel Good Formula.
1. Drink a glass of water every morning. First thing, right outta bed. No excuses. Come on, you’ve chugged a beer or two in your day, you can get a glass of water down quick. Major bonus points for squeezing half a lemon in there (kick-starts the metabolism) and a teaspoon or two of apple cider vinegar. The stuff is a miracle worker for boosting energy, balancing pH levels and aiding digestion.
2. Make one swap a day. Try to overhaul your entire diet overnight and you’re setting yourself up for failure. Start small. Write down everything you eat in one typical day, and decide where you can make a simple swap. Maybe instead of a second coffee in the afternoon, you opt for green tea. How about cooking one meal a day if you’re eating out or ordering every meal? You could try an easy egg recipe or a smoothie for breakfast instead of sugary cereal. One swap a day, no biggie right?
3. Start moving. We’re not talking crazy, don’t go trying Crossfit on me (jk, go for it if that’s your jam). But seriously, it’s getting really freakin’ nice out. Go for a short walk in the morning before work, you don’t need to sweat or workout for more than half an hour to get the endorphins flowin’. Who knows, maybe you’ll eventually decide you want to do Couch to 5K.
4. Change your mindset. Okay I said it doesn’t matter where you start, but this is a big one. Everything else is irrelevant if you don’t start shifting your mindset. Stop telling yourself you’re fat, eliminate the word from your vocabulary. Stop calling yourself ugly. Stop believing “it’s never going to happen for me.” Once you train your mind to think positive, you allow yourself the possibility to
Here’s the thing, friends: once you just get started, you’re already closer to where you want to be. Maybe you want to lose 10 pounds, sure. But I’d ask you to table that for a sec, and instead pick up a healthy habit. Commit to something because your health and happiness is worth it. The more healthy, enjoyable patterns you form, the closer to feeling good you’ll get.