As every girl knows, we constantly focus our attention on our bodies—blame it on mainstream media or what you will, but the indulgence in trying to look our best is input into our brains from a very early age. You didn’t see any ugly Disney princesses now did you??
With that being said, as I mature into my late {yes, there I said it} late 20’s, I have really started taking care of myself… I take vitamins every day, I workout 3 to 4 times a week, I eat healthy foods—with a little indulgence every now and then—and I try to get the proper amount of sleep {for me personally, that’s about 7 hours per night}.
How do I do it?? It’s called a routine, a way of life… in this day and age, you look around and obesity is everywhere. It’s in the children eating fast food everyday and downing soft drinks like there is no tomorrow, it’s in the families who eat fried chicken and “southern comfort” food every night and assume that is a well-balanced meal, and it’s in the person who just doesn’t know when to say “I’ve had enough”.
I have never had a perfect body image by any means… when I went away for college, I most certainly put on the “Freshmen 15”, I ate late night food with friends because we could—it was like free money, and I definitely partook in my fair share of alcoholic beverages.
And just to prove my point, here is proof–pictures for all to see:
But that all changed when I woke up and knew I wanted to change for the better. Since then, I have stuck to a schedule…sure it can get off track because it takes a backseat to my life—hello vacations, parties and social obligations, craziness at work– but I make it a priority and it’s something that is important to me so I don’t have to worry constantly about “How Do I Look”?
So how do you get there you ask?
1. You need to get organized—you need to write down everything you eat for an entire week… once the week is over with, highlight all the “bad” foods you’ve eaten (this includes those little snacks at night, any sugary drinks, desserts, fried food, etc)…we all had to study the infamous food pyramid growing up and you KNOW what you should be eating.
And if you’re going out to dinner with friends, do your research–so many websites exist where you can find out the nutritional value of each ,menu option, so once you’re there, avoid looking at the menu and order what is healthy–this will help a lot!!
2. Get on a workout routine—start small and work your way up. Statistics show that if you do something 10 times, it becomes a habit. If you’re an early riser, get up in the morning and do it. The energy will help get your day going. If you’re more of an afternoon go-getter, try heading to the gym/running in your neighborhood/taking a class immediately after work. Do not pass go, do not collect your $200, do not go home until you’ve done something active!
3. Limit yourself—if you drink the occasional alcoholic beverage, skip the glass of wine each night and just do it on the weekends. Do you really need that glass of Shiraz before bed??? And watch what you drink, those sugary drinks can add LOADS of calories to your daily intake. Opt for a skinny girl margarita instead! {yes,I heart Bethenny Frankel}
4. And most importantly, invest in a weight scale… I know us ladies love to hate that pesky device that sits in our bathrooms and just stares us down—trust me, I’ve been there, too! But as someone who invested in one of these beauties, it is the GREATEST THING SINCE SLICED BREAD! You can keep track of your current weight if you’re simply trying to maintain, you can see the pounds melt away if you’re attempting to lose a few, and it’s a great tool to know where you stand. To be honest, I weight myself each and every day so I know if I have gained any weight so I know to cut back the next few days.
**This is the model I have–the Taylor Glass Bodyfat/Weight Scale, and I love it!!
So, what simple tips and tricks can you share that help you?? Or, if you have any questions, feel free to ask and I am happy to help =)
So are you supposed to look big in those pictures…because you don't. 🙂 love you
Great tips! I've started working out everyday and when I miss a day I don't feel so bad. You're definitely right.. it does become a habit and a lifestyle change. 🙂
Great tips! I also weigh myself everyday. Some people say to not do that, but I think it helps because if you gain a pound the next day, you know you need to cut back. 🙂
Great tips! I've found writing down my calories to be a HUGE help. It keeps me accountable and makes sure those little extras don't add up and push me over!
I love these tips. Getting into a routine hasn't been easy yet, but I'm working on it. Baby steps towards a better me 🙂
I totally gained the freshman 15 too I think everyone does.
Love all the tips I recently within the last month started weighing myself daily and I know when I'm over which is usually every Monday and then I get back down to semi happy weight by Friday. Which is where I am at today! As I'm gulping down my 62 oz water..
Love the tips. And you don't look at all heavy in your "freshman 15" pics lol…I am rare in that I lost 10lbs when I went to college! Maybe I should go back 🙂
I weigh myself daily. It's like boss telling me what I can and cannot eat for the day. I hate going on vacation or staying away from home unless I know where ever I am at has an accurate scale around! I'm in my late 20s as well, so like you said, lots of sleep, vitamins are vital to stayin you know "trim" 🙂
Thanks for all the tips. I definately gained the freshman 15, but I didnt gain it until the summer when I took off from school. Now I have to struggle to get it back off.
You do not look big at all in those pics.
To the gal who has ran 914 miles year to date…
YOU MOTIVATE ME, And I LOVE IT. Thanks Natasha for always being such a positive girl, it definitely works like a charm, or should I say as good as a new issue of Self Magazine (but your posts are more frequent, obviously).
Happy Friday. 🙂 PS Have you tried the skinny margarita? I've been dying to.
Great post! You're right, it's all about our choices, moderation and taking care of ourselves. Great tips!
Thank you for this! I was SO bad on vacation and need to get back to the grind tomorrow with the workouts!
Fabulous advice. Though I do lust for a scale (my bathroom is too tiny for one, believe it or not!)…I find that scales can also make me neurotic. When I've owned a scale, I've weighed myself 3,4, even 5 times a day! How crazy is that?! I just need to focus on eating and "feeling" healthy 😉
This is a great post full of fabulous advice! Even though it isn't the first time I've heard any of these things, it is always nice to have a reminder from a "real" person instead of a celebrity or infomercial. So many people advise against weighing daily, but it is the one thing that keeps me on track more than anything else. My scales have been broken for the past 2 months, and my weight loss has stopped. Coincidence? I think not! Anyway, thanks for taking time to share all of this with us! 🙂