Managing a Healthy Lifestyle!
Living a healthy lifestyle can look differently for every person on this earth. That is one of the first things I had to learn when I started the journey of loving my body and taking care of myself.
For many years when overweight and inactive, I would look at a thin woman and compare myself to them and dream and wish I looked like them. I had ingrained a vision of what beautiful and sexy should look like, which I wanted to look like.
I was a roller coaster dieter for many years. I tried many plans and fads that may have worked temporarily but were not long-lasting sustainable weightloss methods.
If you have read some of my previous blogs, you may have noticed that I now love the SlimFast Keto Plan. That is because SlimFast truly changed my life.
You can read my success story with SlimFast here: https://slimfast.com/success-stories/amanda/
SlimFast was the first plan that I learned essential life lessons. It taught me portion control. It showed me that it was not ok to wait until 2 PM to have your first meal. It showed me that eating many small meals and snacks throughout the day actually worked. You can read my full journey with the plan with my blog titled SlimFast.
Another big part of learning to be healthy was exercise. Now in high school, I was extremely active. I was on a drill and dance team. I loved to always be on the go. The only bad part was I was small at the time, but that was mainly because I ate very little to look that way. Getting married at the age of 18 and having my first child at 19 killed all hopes of being small. I just gave up on taking care of myself. I am not sure why, but it happened.
It was not until my divorce in 2017 when I realized I needed to get serious about being healthy. I knew that I would not be strong and healthy enough to one day (many, many years from now) see my grandkids if I continued on the path I was going down.
I slowly started to incorporate exercise into my day. This was a long process because even thirty minutes of walking was tough. I remember thinking, will my house ever come back into sight. I slowly began to get capable of more. I started riding bikes with the kids. Then I joined Tae Kwon Do with the kids. That was a massive step for me, but I did it, and I loved it. Over the past few years, I have been able to run a few 5Kâs, take a few different types of yoga classes, and now that I have moved away from my hometown, I find Zumba classes and enjoy long walks/runs.
Another small factor that I was missing for many years was time for myself. I focused so much on my children, family, and community that I would never stop and take time for myself. I now make sure to take a few minutes each morning to read my devotional and accomplish some neck stretches. This is important because I sit at my computer all day for work. I found this helps me get started with my day nicely. I also do nice things for myself every now and then, like getting my hair done, getting a manicure or pedicure, or getting a massage. These are things I love to do to make myself feel refreshed and fabulous.
As women and or mothers, it is as though we are built to be there for others. Take care of anyone and everyone that will let us. In this nurturing state, it is so easy to lose ourselves in the process.
My biggest advice to those who asked me to write this blog is to remember to make yourself a priority. Find a meal plan or eating habits that are healthy and fit your lifestyle. Always consult with your doctor on any of these decisions, and no matter what, try to always have a positive mindset with anything you are doing. A little positivity can go a long way.