Photo from Google Images |
The big
secret to losing weight and getting healthy isn’t such a secret. Since I’ve
been trying so hard to be more health conscious, I have been bombarded with ads
and brilliant new secrets to shedding extra pounds. It is as easy as trying this product or using that workout DVD. It’s as effortless as
wearing this wrap or swallowing these diet pills. I have read countless
articles where women claim to have lost fifty pounds while using this exercise product or eating that weight loss bar. I would be lying
if I said some of these products didn’t dupe me. But at twenty seven years old,
I have come to find the one not-so-secret tip for losing weight and being
healthier. Eat well and move your body. That’s it! No pills, bars, fads,
shakes, wraps, patches, or machines needed. Just eat well and get moving.
I won’t speak
poorly of particular healthy living programs that encourage participants to use
portion control methods while still eating the foods they love and exercising
regularly. I have friends who participate in or coach others through these
programs and these women have done incredible things. But that’s my point. It
isn’t about dieting. It is about changing your life to eat the foods your body needs
and working to get in shape and become stronger.
Looking over the top of the Mayan Ruins in Belize after having hiked and climbed my way up. |
I am also
learning to find an exercise routine that fits my lifestyle. I enjoy the gym,
but sometimes I make excuses and decide to head home rather than walk a half a
block down the sidewalk to the fitness center for a quick workout. Once I’m
there, I’m in the zone, but now and then my struggle is getting there. That is when a gym buddy comes in handy. You may
have heard me mention my fellow gym-goer and colleague, Jackie-O (no, not the
real Jackie, but that’s what I’m calling her here). The great thing about
Jackie-O is we keep each other motivated. When she does well, I feel good and
when I do well, she feels good. We want to see each other succeed and we keep
each other accountable. Most of the time.
In addition to the gym, this month
I started yoga at Mansfield’s Main Street Yoga. A few people have reminded me
that yoga isn’t the way to lose weight. I understand that doing one hour of
yoga once or twice a week isn’t going to help me drop fifty pounds, but it is
one of the many ways I’m getting my body moving, and it will improve my flexibility
and strength regardless of whether or not I lose weight. Also, if those people
could feel the extreme soreness in my entire body after my first session of
Balance Yoga, they might change their minds about that.
I have
also tried running. Full disclosure: I despise running. I loathe it. But that
first day that I set out for a run this year, I felt my body working in ways it
hasn’t worked since high school, and the next day I had sore muscles that I
didn’t realize were used in running.
This
summer I plan to do a lot of hiking. This can combine my love for the outdoors
with my need for movement. I recently took a trip to Belize and did quite a bit
of hiking there. Some of the hikes were challenging (for someone as out of
shape as me), so much that I doubted my ability to finish them. But when I did finish, soaked with sweat and out
of breath, muscles burning through my body, I felt a sense of pride and accomplishment
that made me want to do it again and again.
This is
what healthy living does for a person. It changes us into an even stronger
version of ourselves. It boosts energy without supplements. It helps us lose
weight without diet fads. It gets us excited to set new goals and crush them. It
isn’t always about what hot product is on the market. It is a lifestyle change.
For me, it is a process. I am learning new things every day and striving to
make better choices, and not beat myself up when I slip up. But today I’m
better than I was yesterday, and tomorrow I’ll be even stronger, and all I have
to do is eat well and get moving. Oh, and drink plenty of water!
I LOVE this! Well said!
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ReplyDeleteGreat reminder of things I've also found to be true. As I try to get back in shape and lose weight again, I can't give up! Great article.
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