Today I am joining up with a wonderful group of ladies for their Not Just a Mom Link Up. This month the topic is healthy habits and how to stay motivated.
I love this topic, as so many people start the year with strong health goals, but then it can start to fade as the year goes on. I’ve always been a relatively active person, but age and motherhood has for sure had an effect on my health. I have been concentrating more on my healthy lately, and am excited to share what I do. I hope that it can help others find the motivation they may need!
**Please note, I am not a health professional. Nor am a personal trainer. I am just sharing what is working for me.**
Focus on lifestyle changes (not diet)
One of the biggest healthy habits suggestions I have is to focus on making lifestyle changes, instead of thinking about dieting. Lifestyle changes include exercise, the food you eat, how much sleep you get, and so much more. Too often I have dieted, only to gain in back when I stop. And I am not interested in giving up wine or chocolate.
Making changes in your lifestyle allows you to hopefully maintain the progress you make. One lifestyle change I am trying to make is eating more veggies with lunch. Too often I only eat them at dinner, and I know that I should probably up my intake. I am happy to say that I have been doing well with this. Sometimes it’s a salad with lunch, other times it’s eating some carrot sticks.
Learned more about macros
At the end of last year I started researching a little more about macronutrients (aka macros). For those of you unfamiliar macros are the nutrients carbohydrate, protein, and fat, and are what provide your body with most of it’s energy. Looking at my macros is just sort of adding another layer to how I watch what I eat. Because I do want to gain some muscle, I try to get a little bit of a higher protein intake. And. while I am not super strict about anything, I do try to have a pretty balanced macro intake.
Drinking water
Honestly drinking water has never been a huge problem for me. There are some days that I kind of forget, but other days that I do awesome. I got a new 32oz water bottle for Christmas that has helped me keep better track of how much a drink. On a typical day I probably drink around 96 oz of water sometimes more. I also made cute little stickers to use in my planner to help me keep track, which motivates me. 😉
Record what I eat
While I do not consider myself “on a diet” I am trying to lose a few pounds. And the only way to do that is with a calorie deficit. Did you know that you need to burn 3500 calories to burn just one pound?? Basically that means you need to have a 3500 calorie deficit to lose one pound, which is why it can take so long to lose weight. The best way to create this deficit is through eating less, and working out. Please know, severely limiting your calorie intake, while doing hard core work outs at the same time is NOT good, and will only hurt you in the long run.
So what do I do? First I calculated my daily caloric intake, which is around 1800. This is how much I would need to eat to maintain my current weight. But, since I’d like lose a little weight I try to make a daily deficit of 500 calories, which would look like this: 1800-200 (calories burned from working out)- eating 300 calories less (which means I eat around 1500 calories a day) = a 1300 caloric intake for the day. Doing this should allow me to lose a pound a week. I also try to focus on getting a majority of my calories from “healthy” food, but I don’t feel guilty when I indulge in a treat.
I like to record what I eat using MyFitness pal. It also keeps track of my macros, plus it’s free. It’s an app plus you can also record things online. A handful of goldfish crackers here, an extra tablespoon of coffee there can add up. I know it may sound strange but being able to see what I have eaten helps to motivate me to eat healthy.
I also want to say this is what works for me. For some calorie counting is not a healthy habit, as it could trigger eating disorders, which are very serious. For me, tracking what I eat helps me to stay mindful of what I am eating.
Strength training and cardio
While I know some people do not like to work out, I actually enjoy it. I love the feeling of lifting weights, or how I feel after a good HIIT session (and if we ever get our workout room done, I’ll probably start using my elliptical again). On most mornings during the week I am up at 5am to get my work out in before my girls get up. I use Fitness Blender and either do a cardio/HIIT workout or strength training.
I think it is super important to mix cardio with strength training. In the past I have done lots and lots of cardio, but now I tend to do more strength training. I really do love how strong strength training makes me feel. In general I aim for three strength training and two cardio workouts a week.
Sleep
I am trying to get better at getting more sleep but it is so hard. Matt is a night owl, so in order to spend time with him I end up staying up later. Really I’d like to be in bed, ready to sleep by 10:30ish.
Limit Alcohol
I edited to add this habit, because I do think it has made a big difference. While I don’t drink a ton, I did enjoy a few extra beverages during the Christmas season. I decided to do dry January, and I really do think it made a big change. Now I try to limit my alcohol to the weekend, and try to keep it at a glass or two of wine.
Staying motivated
I actually don’t need a whole lot to stay motivated. I love how I feel after I’ve worked out. I mean, in the words of Elle Woods “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t shoot their husbands, they just don’t”. But really, I do feel happier after I work out. And since I have lost a few pounds (and a few inches) I know that what I am doing is working. 🙂
What about you? How do you stay motivated?