1. Go slow. Whatever changes you plan on making, focus on one at a time. Overwhelming yourself only leads to more slip ups. More slips ups means you’ll feel more discouraged more often. Discouragement leads to quitting. Do not quit.
2. The best first two changes you can make is a) drink more water and b) go for a walk. Just getting yourself into the habit of those two basic things can go a long way. Walking not an option? Anything else that gets your body moving and heart rate up a little.
3. Make sure you eat enough. Whether your goal is to lose or gain, your diet is important. Eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. Lean proteins, whole grains, and make room for things like ice cream and pizza. Just because you’re making healthy life choices doesn’t mean restricting the fun parts of food.
4. Find exercise you actually enjoy. If you don’t like running, don’t. If dancing is more your thing, find a class or simply throw on some tunes when cleaning house. Lift weights. Or don’t. Exercise is something you should enjoy doing; not something you make yourself do and hate every minute of.
5. Do not take anyone’s word for it. Not even mine and I’m almost always right! Talk to professionals. Do your own research. Experiment with things to find out what works for you and your body. There’s a lot of misinformation out there so a healthy dose of skepticism can save your life.
6. This is going to take what feels like forever. Give or take. You’re going to have setbacks. You’re going to plateau. You’re going to fuck up a lot. Expect it, get comfortable with the idea. It isn’t a race and you aren’t bad. You live and learn.
You got this. Now kick ass.
