My Top 10 Tips to a Healthier and Happier YOU!

Hi Ya’ll! I hope your day is going fabulous so far! If that is not the case, and you need a little jumpstart plus some inspiration to keep pushing on and keep reading! While I was just sitting around today I thought to myself, what are some of the best tips and helpful information that I could quickly share with you all to help you reach some goals and live a healthier lifestyle. Well here they are!

This list is not just some random crap I quickly threw together. These 10 tips are like commandments in my book and I do not go through a day without trying to mindfully utilize each and every single one of these. With effort, time, and determination, you can and you will reach your goals! As time goes by, your efforts will turn into a lifestyle and instead of working hard each day it will become easier until it feels like second nature. Of course this is when you create new goals to keep yourself from becoming stagnant, but you get the point! There is no quick fix to become a better version of yourself but utilizing these tips everyday will help!

1. I am going to start off this list with a question my friend once asked, “How do you eat an elephant?”. Well let me tell you how. Each and every day opens new doors and opportunities for you to thrive. Take each day and each decision in steps. Tale your time and really make an effort to ensure that your decision reflects upon the goal that you are working towards accomplishing. At first these decision will seem hard to make because your goal might unattainable or seem so far away. Patience is a virtue, and if you can mentally stay tough and push through it all, the progress will show with time!
2. Secondly, I have to say this because I believe it is extremely important and most people don’t, but BELEIVE IN YOURSELF! If you don’t think you can do it, you can’t. It is as easy as that. Yes, I am that crazy girl in the car yelling IM A WINNER. That’s how I turn up, find your turn up! Love yourself enough to allow your mind and body to heal and become healthy and in return you will mentally be much more focused and will find your inner strength.
3. By far my favorite tip that I tell people all the time, DO NOT bring unhealthy and dead foods into your home. This might seem so silly but believe me, if you have a box of cookies and chips in your pantry, you WILL eat them. Same with buying nutrition-less frozen foods. Well what if I don’t have time to cook? Well, find the time?! Or you  could opt to buy a prepackaged, whole-foods salad instead. Just don’t allow yourself to do it to save yourself from the temptation.
4. Read the LABELS. This has been preached and preached but I KNOW that most of you out there are not doing this. Stop buying foods that are loaded with sugars, fats, and unhealthy chemicals. Even in foods you deem healthy, such as OJ and yogurt, are hidden sugars and fats. If you can get in the habit of comparing all the brands before buying, this will aid in weight loss as well as a healthier mind and body. Don’t weight yourself down with a bunch of crap!
5. This one seems like a no brainer, but I can safely say that 90% of you out there do not drink enough water. Your body NEEDS water. Rule of thumb, drink 1 oz/lb of bodyweight if you workout regularly. If not try to drink .5- .8 oz / lb of weight. I strive to drink a gallon of water a day. I do this because it not only helps keep my tummy full and decreases snacking throughout the day, but it also will make you feel fantastic. Being dehydrated causes many issues such as headaches, irregular bowel movements, dry skin, and slowed metabolism. I start my morning with a huge cold water, and then throughout the day I drink a water with each meal and also in between! Seriously guys, out of all these tips, please do this one! I highly recommend it.
6. Alright, some might not agree, and it might be the body builder in me, but if you want lean mass, EAT YOUR PROTEIN! This is no joke friends. If you want to increase lean mass and lose fat fast, eat protein with every single meal. It is recommened that the average person consume .8 – 1 gram of protein / lb bodyweight! This might seem high a first but not eating enough protein is a common mistake the average person makes when dieting. If you are dieting, working out, and not eating an adequate amount of protein, you will lose lean muscle mass as well as fat. This becomes detrimental to fat loss since the more muscle mass you have the quicker you can burn fat! Don’t stunt the process due to your diet.
7. Make all of your meals and snacks serve a purpose. I see it time and time where we wake up, grab a bagel and banana and say hey, this is healthy and proceed to sit a desk for the next 5 hours. WRONG. All those 1/3 of your daily carbs you just ingested are wasted on nothing and will eventually turn to fat after not being utilized. Depending on your lifestyle/goals you have to plan your diet accordingly. Eat most of your carbs before and after physical activity as well as some in the morning to start the day! Do some research and learn the nutritional facts it in the food you are consuming.
8. Cook and prepare your meals at home. This is the most COST EFFETIVE and HEALTHIEST way to feed yourself. Not only will you eat healthier meals this way but you will steer clear from all the hidden sugars, sodium, and chemicals in many fast foods and on packaged snacks. I mean think about it, as good as that chip was, it is a hardened creamy paste made from processed goop that only harms your body. Do yourself a favor and make homemade chips if you need them. It does take time, but your body WILL notice.
9. Get in the gym. If you don’t have a gym, that is not an excuse. There are tons of online and at home workouts you can do anytime of the day. Working out is not for people to just look good. The physical effects that it has on your body are tremendous. As little as 20-30 minutes 3-5x a week is enough to keep your heart healthy, increase metabolism, increase serotonin, and aid in weight loss, along with TONS of other benefits. I know that everyone gets in a funk from time to time but as I like to say, respect yourself, by respecting your body. Unfortunately our bodies can only take so much before they start turning off and some of these problems are irreversible.
10. LAST but not least, going with my first tip, if you mess up don’t let it take over the rest of your day, or week for that matter! Stay tough and rise above the defeat! You can’t win them all but you can sure try!
    

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    “Happiness is a journey, NOT a destination”.

Well my friends, it was fun, it was real, but in all seriousness these tips will help you lose weight and find your best self if you follow through. Remember that that you are not alone in this journey to find you and to utilize the people and information around you. Don’t stop learning and keep trying to improve with each day! As that cheesy old 90’s? song once sang ” I get knocked down but I get up again, you’re never gonna keep me down”! Stay True. BE You. Have a great day!