♡ Being Healthy ♡

Hey guys, 

I wanted to make a post on being healthier to help some of you who want to be healthy but don't know where to start. I'll start off by talking about my weight loss journey. So when I was in 5th grade I weighed 175 pounds (I know it's a lot for such a young age) and by the time I was in 8th grade I was already on the verge of hitting 190 pounds. I wasn't very tall I was 5'3 during that time. You'd think I was very insecure and such but actually, I was super confident when I was in 7th and 8th grade years. I thought my body was perfectly fit, but then halfway through my freshman year I realized I couldn't go on like that. My diet basically consisted of sandwiches, chocolate milk, cheeseburgers, bread, soda, and you get the hang of it. I made the decision to go to a nutritionist and I changed my eating habits. In the month of eating right and working out I lost 10 pounds! Right now I'm closer than ever to my goal weight and I'm super proud! So here's how you can turn your life around with an easy healthy-eating guide.

Avoid:
-Processed Foods. Processed foods are just not good for you. They're super high in cholesterol and contain so much sodium. If you're ever in between buying an apple or those 130 calories snack things, get the apple! An apple might not sound too good compared to your Cheetos but your bathing suit will sound amazing in a month or so if you just stick to it. Besides there's so much hidden nutrition facts that they don't tell you about those 'low calorie' packaged snacks, next time you see it go look at the sodium on that. When you're reading nutrition labels, look at the ingredients. The first ingredient is what is in that food the most. I know this picture is hard to read but it's the best I have.

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-Soda. I know what you're thinking, 'I love Coke' 'But Mountain Dew is so delicious', and I agree. But the unfortunate part is, soda has no actual benefit for us. It's loaded in sugar and causes stretch marks. Or as the 'Skinny Bitch' book by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin say 'Soda is liquid Satan. It is the devil. It is garbage. There is nothing in soda that should be put in your body'. 

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-Foods with mascots. Have you ever noticed that foods with mascots are usually pretty unhealthy? Chester Cheeto, Ronald McDonald, Snap! Crackle! Pop!, Trix Rabbit, Tony the Tiger and so many more. 
-Junk food/fast food. This one is pretty obvious. I'll be 100% honest, if you ask me if I want to have McDonalds with you for lunch, I'm going to say yes. It tastes amazing yes, and I know it's hard but we have to avoid it :/

Include:
-Protein. Protein is great for getting that perfect toned stomach. Foods that are rich in protein: meat, almonds, broccoli, salmon, tofu, eggs and much more!
-Water! Water is so important, to keep your body hydrated make sure to drink 2 liters of water a day! To burn calories you need to have an adequate amount of water in your body so remember that!

-Vegetables and fruits. Remember how your mom always said 'eat your vegetables'? Well, she was right. They're amazing for you and can prevent many diseases. Click here for a chart with vegetables and their benefits. Here's a fruit chart!

-H2O! Water is so important that I put it on here twice :) Green tea is also important! Unsweetened preferably. 

Working out:
-Remember you can work out 1 hour a day and eat junk food all day and you will most likely not lose weight. It's like the phrase 'Abs are made in the kitchen'. Don't take me wrong working out is also important. If you don't have a gym membership try Insanity, Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred, Blogilates, and many more.
-Try to do at least 30 minutes of cardio 3 times a week!

My tips/suggestions for you!:
-Try to stay away from lactose. Recent studies show that milk actually has no benefits for us because it's made just for calves. Also if you're like me and you have allergies, milk does make that worse. So if you can stay away from it. There are so many alternatives to milk. Like soy milk. coconut milk, almond milk, dairy free ice cream and so many more. Just find your favorites! You can read this article to get informed! Click here.
-Eat 6 small meals a day rather than 3 big ones. Small meals throughout the day are the key to boosting your metabolism.
-Moderation is key.

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-Take a multi vitamin. While you're on a new eating routine you will lose a few essential vitamins so make sure to replenish that.
-Like I've said before. Keep yourself hydrated!
-Be positive. I can not stress this enough. Change doesn't happen overnight and it won't be easy but if you keep to it I promise you that you will see results. Also remember that your body doesn't have to look like a Victoria Secret's model to be beautiful. Don't give up! You can do this.

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-Don't count calories. I was guilty of this until a while back. A banana has 120 calories and 3 cheerios have 60 calories. but which one is obviously healthier? The banana, of course! Nutrition > Calories.
-Set goals and keep to it.

Just remember that it's your body and don't let anyone shame you into losing weight. And, if you do decide to lose weight do it the healthy way! I am not a nutritionist or anything like it but if you ever have questions or need motivation, I suggest you go to my fitblr! You can click there to keep up with my weight loss journey and motivate yourself. I'll also answer any questions you have about my journey or anything to do with health to the best of my abilities! Good luck! :)