The winter months can be some of the most difficult when it comes to staying in shape, with the cold weather making workouts an unappealing proposition and the bounty of delicious food, but here are some ways you can try to maintain that slick physique or work on getting to where you want to be this December.
It’s important to remember one thing when you try to change your life: You are completely responsible for making it happen. Sure, you can get a workout buddy, but only you can argue with your inner voice that specializes in formulating excuses. Your mom, dad and significant other can only push you so far. This winter, you can choose to stick to old habits or actually decide to get, and stay, in shape.
Diet
This one is pretty obvious. Too many times you see someone who goes to the gym every day, but then stops by McDonald’s on their way home. This makes no sense. Diet and exercise should go hand in hand. Don’t waste your time. Although it can be hard, try to find a diet that works for you. Then you can eventually transition to a sustainable diet that allows you to live a healthy lifestyle while still enjoying yourself.
Exercise
This is another obvious one that everyone says but rarely does on a regular basis. I have been there, every weekend you tell yourself Monday will be the day you start your kick ass workout at the gym, but then the day rolls around and you start making excuses about why you can just start tomorrow. This goes on for a couple of days and then you convince yourself that next Monday you will get off your butt and actually go. Stop with the nonsense and start today.
Sleep
This one is one that not a lot of people realize they need to maintain a healthy lifestyle. The proper amount of sleep will not only lead to feeling good in the morning, but it can help your brain function much better than it can without the right amount of sleep.
Stay motivated
Staying healthy is really hard because it takes a lot of work. With fast food and countless sit down restaurants in your face 24/7, it is hard to eat right when the faster and cheaper choice is usually not the healthy option. On top of all that, your boys seem to always want to go out when you planned on going to the gym.
Make life changes not quick fixes
A lot of people think they need to do something drastic to start their healthy living lifestyle. They do things like starving themselves with a juice diet, or go to the gym for four straight hours, thinking that they can push themselves right away and keep it up. What you need to do to start living a healthy lifestyle is realize that you are making changes for the rest of your life.
No dairy
Did you know that you are probably drinking way too much dairy? Give your belly a break and try to stay away from milk even if it is the low fat version. Low fat dairy is just as bad as whole milk because it makes you less full and therefore more likely to consume a large amount. Try something like almond milk or lactose free and fat free milk. These alternatives may not taste great, but they will help you stay in shape.
Drink a lot of water
This is something that should be painfully obvious. You need to drink more water. Don’t even count the cups, just keep drinking all day. Drinking the right amount of water can flush your system out and help your body digest food better.
No sugar
There are so many benefits to cutting out sugar from your life. It has been proven to cut your risk of cancer, you’ll live longer and even feel much better on a day to day basis. Cutting sugar can be one of the best ways to maintain a healthy living lifestyle.
Read labels
We need to start caring about what we consume. The government has even started to make labels easier to read so that you know exactly what is in the food you eat. Since companies are adding substitutes and chemicals and processing their foods more than ever before, it is important to read labels now more than ever.
Make better life choices
This one is hard. The next time you have the choice between an elevator and the stairs, you need to choose the stairs. Instead of taking 15 minutes to find the closet parking spot, you should park as far away as you can and take those fifteen minutes to walk to your destination. This small choices can make you feel great, and make a big difference in your health.
