Wellness in All Forms: Being the healthiest you, physically, mentally, & spiritually.
Today is day #1 of the Write 31 Challenge. What I have learned so far from this challenge (yes, I know it's only day 1...) is that I should have planned better ahead of time. Writing is not exactly something that I am familiar with outside of school papers and the 50 emails I sent at work today. But, I figured picking a topic and jumping right in would be just tons of fun. Welp. Here I am, at 10:45pm, on day 1, with a bunch of half thought out ideas and things I want to accomplish, and no hope of any of them becoming anything real. At least not today.
This reminded me of when I first embarked on incorporating fitness into my life. I had no road map (Pinterest wasn't a thing yet, y'all. How did we get by??) and really, only ideas of what I was supposed to be doing. Growing up, I was athletic and regularly active, but I also had (have) a major sweet tooth and a deep, deep love of bread. Deep love, guys. For as long as I can remember, I struggled with my body and what "healthy" actually meant. My second year of college, I checked in at my heaviest at 215 pounds and 5'8". I had surpassed the "Freshman 15" and was much closer to the "Freshman 40". There wasn't a great amount of change in my lifestyle between high school and then. I'm sure that the cafeteria food didn't help any, but I was still very regularly active; I worked out, played intramural sports, and I was more careful than most about what I ate. At 21, my doctor discovered that I had PCOS and that my thyroid was functioning very low, both things that contribute greatly to unhealthy bodyweight. Along with medication, I was given instructions, basically, to get it together. I needed a plan.
Just like anything else you take on, having a plan is crucial to success. I have found that most true in pursuing and living a healthy life. Since January of this year, I've been striving to be more in control of my health. This has meant taking the time to plan meals according to my nutrient needs, finding a workout plan that I like and sticking with it, planning for days off and treating the rest of the week accordingly, making my social plans around my gym and food commitment. Planning, planning, planning...Yes. But, it's so worth it. I recently (against my own will) started a new workout plan and calorie counting (gag) with my husband. Don't tell him this, but this whole calorie counting thing has rocked my world. I learned that I was under eating by about 1,000 calories, that I wasn't even getting 50% of the recommended amount of protein for my weight and activity level, and...I have been eating way too many carbs. Remember, it's a deep love. For three weeks now, my body has been getting what it needs. It's responding to workouts faster, it's sleeping better, it's getting stronger, and it just feels better to know that I'm giving it the best I can. Making the decision to not eat that beautiful extra slice of rosemary and olive oil bread is never going to be easy, friends (Kim...). But knowing that my body responds positively when I treat it well does make it worth it.
So. What we've learned today. Always show up with a plan. Starting by figuring out what your body's nutritional needs are will really help with the meal planning process. I like to plan and shop for a week of meals and snacks and try to get a few cooked and ready to go. Sometimes life gets in the way of our plans so it's always good to have back up! Along with meals, an exercise plan is a great way to keep up with your health and fitness. They keep us from wandering around the gym like we don't belong there, help us focus, and help us track our progress. I'm so looking forward to this month of challenging my inner writer and sharing my health and fitness journey with you!
What are some things you do that make living a healthy life easier?
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