Health

I believe that being healthy is the most important thing you can be, other than happy and optimistic and adventurous and hilarious. But those are just my requirements, and an entirely different post ;)

Over the past year I have gotten extremely out of shape and unhealthy. I used to feel so confident about my body, but now I only wear baggy t shirts, yoga pants, and second hand jeans because they fit looser. I was a size zero and in shape enough to see muscle tone everywhere, but now I'm a small size 6 and I have belly and thigh pudge. 

Needless to say, I am going to be making some drastic lifestyle changes. My diet needs to improve and so does my exercise regime. 

Here is how I ate and exercised 2 years ago: Two high school and club sports in addition to being a lifeguard and only healthy, mostly gluten-free clean eating.

Here is how I eat and exercise now: Virtually no exercise other than my retail job and I eat unhealthy, fatty, high calorie foods with lots of preservatives and bad ingredients. 

Well, no more!!! My revelation came when I went hiking over the weekend. I was not even half a mile into my semi-steep hike and my calves were on fire and I felt completely out of breath. I had to stop like 8 times on the way to the top. I was really disappointed in myself, I never wanted to be that person. I didn't ever want to "let myself go" or gain tons of comfort weight. 

I'm even more disappointed because I've always been really healthy and in shape and I've had other people tell me they looked up to me for my body and lifestyle and I feel like I have recently been living a lie. A big, chubby lie.

I'm going to create a 52 week healthy eating calendar, with a shopping list along the bottom and a meal plan along the top in designated days of the week.

I'm thinking that I will probably have "themed" days of the week, like vegetarian sunday, crock pot Tuesday, and fish Friday. I am also going to only do grocery shopping a week in advance, or even a few days. I want my food to be as fresh as possible and definitely preservative free. I am planning on only snacking on fruits and veggies and probably pretzels, because I really love pretzels.

To get myself steadily working out again, I am giving myself a goal to work out towards. Its called the color run. Its a 5k and while you are running, you basically get covered in powdered color so that you are totally covered when you get to the end. When I work out, it has to be fun or for something fun or I will not continue to do it. 

I'll periodically be updating my progress, potentially with some before and after photos. I have to be brave to do that though, but I'm pretty sure I will.

Wish me luck!