Work-Out But Don’t Stress-Out: Staying Healthy Without Being Consumed
Everyone wants to be as fit and healthy as possible. The goal of being in shape and looking great is a perfectly fine goal, because after all, it should mean that you’re working toward it by eating healthy and exercising on a regular basis. . . Right?
While yes, eating a well-balanced diet and exercising on a regular basis can certainly lead you to your body image goals, there is such a thing as too much diet and exercise. When you are concentrating too much on what you eat, and putting the rest of your life on hold in order to make sure that you fit in your workout routine, then you are being controlled by diet and exercise.
Nobody is saying that you should eliminate these things from your life altogether – diet and exercise are extremely important for a healthy lifestyle. However, there is a way that you can achieve a healthy balance without becoming borderline obsessive. How?Read on to find out.
How to Achieve a Healthy Balance of Diet and Exercise
Being conscious of what you eat and making an effort to exercise are certainly two things that are all well and good, but when you start letting these things become the main focus of your life, you might be working out and eating right for the wrong reasons. In order to achieve a healthy balance of diet and exercise in your life, strive for the following:
What’s Your Goal?
What is it that you are hoping to achieve through diet and exercise? Do you hope to attain the perfect body, or do you simply want to live a healthy life? If it is the former, than you might have a tendency to become obsessive with working out and exercising, and you might be doing too much of these things for the wrong reasons. There is no such thing as the “perfect” body, and no matter how much you diet and exercise, if this is your goal, you are likely never going to achieve it.
Confront Your Body Issues
If you working out and dieting are so important to you because you want to achieve the perfect body, start confronting your body issues. The sooner that you realize that you are beautiful just the way you are, the better off you will be, for so many reasons – and you won’t be as obsessive about diet and exercise.
Support System
Make sure you surround yourself with people who support your health goals, but who aren’t obsessive about them. It’s great to have a team who will root you on, but it’s not okay to be judged by others because you ate a burger and fries for lunch, and skipped working out for a day.
Be Conscious
Be aware of how much energy and focus you are putting on working out and dieting. Are these things your main concerns in life? Do you put other things on hold because of them? If so, then you may need to reassess your situation and put things into perspective.
Include Other Things
Yes, attending to your diet and exercise goals are important, but they aren’t the only things in life! Make sure that you are leaving room to enjoy other things in your life, too. Go out with your friends, enjoy some quality time with yourself (not by working out) – do the things that you love to do.
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Diet and exercise are important for a healthy lifestyle, but they can only go so far and do so much. Be proud of who you are, first and foremost, and you will have a much easier time finding happiness in your life. When you begin developing a strong sense of self-esteem in who you are now, then the positive changes brought through healthy eating and exercise will only feel that much better.
Naomi Shaw is a freelance writer in Southern California. She knows how easy it is to struggle with your image and self-esteem, and enjoys encouraging girls as they deal with this. She contributes health content to the Bellezza Spa blog.