Keeping It Simple Life Style

I get it. So many of us want to be healthy right now. So many of us want the easy way out, and we don’t want to put in the work it takes to succeed. I’m going to lay it out straight here. Creating a healthier lifestyle will take some effort, but I can guarantee that you will be so pleased with your results. At my heaviest, I topped out at 216 pounds. I changed my life by making healthier lifestyle changes and lost over 50 pounds. I didn’t count calories, fat grams, or even watch portion sizes. When we eat real food, our body simply knows how much we need. I quit drinking and quit smoking for starters. I stopped eating at fast food chains and started eating live, whole foods that were not processed. I was fairly active but I maintained an exercise routine. While I was managing these changes quite well, I still struggled with sugar. I am a sugar addict, and getting off this stuff was probably the hardest thing to do. (The sugar struggle is a whole other story!) What I wanted to share with you is how you can simplify your choices and make getting healthy a lot easier for you. Plain and simple, we have to just get back to basics here; the old-fashioned way.

1. Stop with the fad diets! I see so many people who try these diets for many reasons. Bottom line is, they don’t have lasting success and they’re actually not healthy for our systems. My family and I live by a simple rule to make life easier. It’s called the 15/6 Rule. Basically, you eat at least 15 homemade meals at home, that are whole, live, unprocessed foods (preferably organic and/or non-gmo). Our motto is “If God made it, you’re good to go. If man made it, RUN!” The other 6 remaining meals for the week can be enjoyed out with friends, family and so on because let’s face it, “life” happens and we aren’t always able to eat at home. Following this strategy though, will make it easier for you to stick to your healthy lifestyle because you won’t feel left out, you won’t be missing anything, and you won’t be feeling like you’ve “blown it’. So, go ahead, have your cake and eat it too…just one piece is good though.Speaking of having your cake, the 15/6 rule also applies here as well. I originally started off using the “Belly Fat Cure” that says keep your sugar intake of 15 grams per day (or lower) and 6 servings of carbs per day. This really does work well and it’s easy to keep up with. Be sure to read your labels!
2. Start moving! Our bodies were meant to move and you will hear me say this all the time. Honestly, you will feel more energy and less achy when you start even the smallest exercise routine. Again, getting back to basics here, I always suggest three very simple exercises to start with that take up no space hardly at all, they’re done quickly and require no equipment. It was my grandfather who taught me this routine, an old retired Navy man who has long since passed away. It’s just simple squats, simple push-ups, and regular ab crunches. Start off with 10-20 reps, for 1-3 sets. Do whatever your fitness level allows at first. (Also check with your doctor if you need.) You can always add other exercises to this routine and switching things up is good, as our bodies become real efficient when we have the same routine. I also recommend doing a Tabata type or HIIT type cardio workout. There are plenty of Youtube videos out there to help you with this and they can be done in about 5 minutes. You have to make time for exercise. You don’t need hours to get this done, just a matter of a few minutes a day can make all the difference.
3. Evaluate your mindset and fix it. I saved the best for last. This one can be a struggle for most. We have to get out of the “all or nothing” mind trap. So many people that I coach have this idea in their head that they have to quit absolutely everything, all at once. And sometimes you do but I’m not talking about dire situations here. For most of us, just making this process more enjoyable is just being able to take it one step at a time. Little by little. We are always our own worst critic. We tell ourselves things like, “You ate that cookie at lunch so you might as well eat that pizza for dinner.” Or, “You are never gonna be able to lose the weight you want so just eat whatever you want and be happy.” But you end up NOT being happy in the end. Does this sound like you? Our words and thoughts are powerful so focus on positive self-talk. Be realistic with yourself and don’t beat yourself up. You can reach any goal you set for yourself when you realize that mind, body and spirit are all connected.

I hope these tips will help you on your journey to a healthier lifestyle for long-lasting, healthy results. They’re simple and they work. To our health!

Want to talk? You can reach me here.

I am not a doctor, a chemist, nor a dermatologist. I am only a mom, sharing my opinion of life experiences and what I was taught in the AFPA certification program, who wants to provide a more natural and healthy lifestyle for my family and others. The information contained on the Honey Hill Naturals or blog websites is provided for informational purposes only, and is not meant to substitute for the advice provided by your doctor or other qualified health care practitioner. The information available on or through the Honey Hill Naturals newsletters, or (including, but not limited to, information that may be provided by writers, editors, healthcare and/or nutrition professionals employed by, or contracting with, Honey Hill Naturals and / or their associates), is not intended to diagnose or treat any disease or prescribe medication. Information and statements regarding dietary supplements or ailments on any of the above sites or newsletters, may not have been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States of America.