Getting Healthy: Tips for Making it Fun
We all want to be healthier. Being healthy and fit feels really good! The problem is that, for all of the greatness you’ll feel once you’re in shape and have been eating a healthy diet for a while, the process of getting there…well, it kind of sucks. Getting in shape is hard. Changing your diet is hard (and can be expensive). And when faced with forcing yourself through things that are hard, expensive and sometimes even painful? It’s no wonder so many ladies opt for the fast food and choose to stay on the couch.
Stop it. There are some actions that you can take to make the process suck less. Here is how you do that.
Go Slowly
A lot of people take an all or nothing approach to getting healthy. They toss out all of their old food (or, hopefully, donate it) and buy all new food. They spend hundreds of dollars on expensive gym memberships or equipment. Doing this puts a ton of pressure on you to be really good and really healthy all the time. The last thing you need right now is added pressure.
Instead, it is better to go slowly. For example, as you run out of one of your unhealthy food items, replace it with a healthier alternative. When you run out of Fruit Loops, replace it with some granola. Pick one new and healthy recipe to learn each week. This way you can get stocked up on ingredients over time. You don’t have to worry about buying a bunch of stuff you might only use once. Plus, healthy foods are going to taste strange and even wrong to taste buds that have gotten used to processed foods and foods laden with preservatives. You need to give them time to adjust to the fresh, good and organic stuff.
The same goes for exercise and fitness. Instead of dropping a bunch of money on a gym membership (a lot of which now also charge you if you don’t go to the gym at least a few times a week) or equipment, start with exercises you can do on your own at home or outside. Try Couch to 5K. Check a yoga video out of the library and try it.
Embrace Aesthetics
Ignore anybody who says that you shouldn’t worry about what you look like and that you should only be getting healthier to improve how you feel on the inside. Well…to a point. The heart of the message is true. You should be getting healthy to feel better and to improve your health. That doesn’t mean, though, that you shouldn’t try to look good while you do it.
There are literal psychological benefits to “looking good to feel good.” So–instead of simply tossing on your old sweats and stretched out t-shirts for a workout, invest in some really cute workout wear. You don’t have to spend a ton of money for this. There are lots of great deals online like Tommie Cooper workout clothes for women. Wearing gear that is built for exercising (it is particularly important that you choose the right shoes) and that makes you feel cute while you’re wearing it, helps improve your self esteem while you’re exercising. This means you’ll be more likely to go for that run through your neighborhood.
Track Everything
Part of what makes getting healthy such a downer is the feeling that you’re doing a whole bunch of work without seeing any results. This is because our bodies change slowly and that gives our eyes time to get used to those changes when we look in the mirror. That’s why, when we simply look at ourselves, we see our same old bodies. You might also be suffering from body dysmorphia, which can make keeping your motivation up really hard.
To combat these feelings, it is good to track everything. Keep a chart with your numbers on it so that you can see the changes that are happening. You need, though, to track more than just your weight. Track all of your measurements. Track the number of calories you eat each day and where they come from. This way you’ll be able to see that you really can eat however much you want when you eat things like fruits and veggies!
Finally–try to find a way to make it fun. Indulge your palate and find healthy ways to make the foods and tastes you love. Use motion dependent video games to get yourself up and moving if that’s what it takes. Use fun apps like the Gorilla App to get in shape and track your progress. Look for ways to turn the process into a game. You’ll get there!
