SHOP MY LOOK:
If you’ve been following me for some time, you know that fitness and living a healthy lifestyle are both extremely important to me. I’ve learned over the years that I truly feel SO much better on the inside and out when I am challenging myself in the gym and putting good, healthy ingredients into my body. But what happens if something comes up and you’re unable to work out? Or you have a weekend full of eating junk food with your friends? I’m going to be completely vulnerable with you guys here because I have been in your shoes. It begins to take over your life. You find yourself skipping out on social activities, because you know if you go you’ll miss a work out or eat bad that night. Your friends start to notice it, as well as your family, but you don’t want to admit that it’s controlling your every thought. I’ve seen this happen to SO many of my friends, and have personally fell victim to it as well. So what can we do to find that healthy balance between living an active lifestyle and not letting it consume us?
Finding Balance in Life: 5 Tips
1. Make Realistic Goals
Who says you need to work out 7 days a week to be healthy?! Be realistic with yourself. I aim to work out 5 days a week, but sometimes things come up and I’m only able to work out 3 or 4. THAT’S OKAY! Don’t beat yourself up or think your entire week is ruined. Also, if you’re running on a time-crunch, remember that a short work out is better than no work out at all. If you can’t get to the gym, do an at-home work out or anything to just get you MOVING. Do squats while watching your favorite tv show, take the dog for a long walk or use the stairs instead of the elevator.
2. Stop Feeling Guilty
Whether it’s food guilt, alcohol guilt or it’s been a few days since you’ve made it to the gym, continually feeling guilty about enjoyable aspects of your life can eventually accumulate to stress, which can actually lead to weight gain. ENJOY YOUR LIFE! It’s okay to indulge in the pizza/french fries/stack of pancakes every so often. Learn what finding balance in life works for you. Personally for me, I try to eat healthy 80% of the time. I know if I stick to my healthy meals throughout the week, I can indulge in a few things on the weekend and not feel bad about it. Why on earth would you want to live a life where you can’t enjoy good food?! But when you do decide to eat something indulgent, or take an extra rest day from the gym, ENJOY IT.
3. Get Back on Track
How many times have we all used the excuse “I’ll start Monday!”? What’s so great about Monday’s anyways? In my opinion, they suck. Start today! Don’t allow yourself to dwell on the past. Remind yourself of your goals and take steps forward to achieving them today.
4. Understand the Mental Aspect
Exercising and healthy eating are simple tools to help you live a happier and more fulfilling life. They are meant to make the things you enjoy doing even more enjoyable. We all want to look good and we all want to be fit and healthy, but at what cost? It’s easy to get wrapped up in everything and let it start controlling your every decision. When you start weighing yourself every hour, compensating the extra food you ate with more exercising or start skipping out on social events because you don’t want to be tempted to eat the bad food, I would suggest taking a step back. If all you think about is exercise and food and how certain things will affect your body, then you’re never going to truly enjoy the things that make you happy. You’re not living your own life, but instead you’re living a life controlled by something as small as eating. In my opinion, that is not a life worth living.
5. Focus on Yourself
When you actually start to think about it, no one really cares what you (or your body) look like, except YOU. It isn’t affecting other people at all. So stop comparing yourself to others or thinking you have to eat the exact same as someone else. Listen to your body! You can find motivation from other people, but at the end of the day you just need to zone in on what makes YOU happy, healthy and enjoying life.
Do you ever find yourself getting caught up in the healthy lifestyle/fitness balance? What about work-life balance? We all fall victim to being hard on ourselves, but just remember to prioritize the things that make you happy in life. And on that note, Happy Halloween! Go enjoy an extra treat tonight without feeling guilty tomorrow 😉
Photography by Kate Elizabeth Photography
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