Forming a New Lifestyle

[Shpadoinkler]

I've been alive for almost 21 years now, and at the beginning of 2015, I'm in the midst of changing to a fit lifestyle. I've heard a time or two that forming a new habit takes 28-30 days, or about a month. I have a whole lifetime of habits to correct, so what I'm trying to change might take a little longer.

First, I'll talk about my old habits. Throughout my life, for being as skinny as I've been, I haven't lead an active lifestyle for the most part. Sure, I liked to run and be outside, and always had lots of energy. I never thought of myself as a couch-potato. But by no means was I an athlete, nor did I exercise regularly.

My diet was an eat-whatever-whenever diet. Because I have a high metabolism(and a little bit of a hyperactive thyroid) I've always been able to eat an excessive amount and not gain weight in the long run. I'd also think I was hungry when I often was not. (FYI: if you're dehydrated, you can't detect when you're thirsty--it registers in the brain that you're just hungry)
It was only in the past few years that I yearned to know what we humans need to eat for our bodies to function properly. And it was just recently when I really started thinking about the evolution behind all of it.

This is because I wasn't raised in mind of what I'm supposed to eat. I was completely ignorant to how food and water work with our bodies to keep us alive and healthy. When I was little I was raised with my siblings by a single parent who couldn't afford to give us optimal nutrition (and probably would be lost trying to know exactly the right stuff to buy--I know how it is).
As you could probably imagine, I was set up for a lifetime of blind health choices. As I said before, I didn't drink nearly enough water. I went through my childhood and teen years eating whatever I wanted--McDonald's, Hot Pockets, grilled cheese, randomness--you name it--never thinking enough about nutrition.

Naturally, I became aware of this error over time, and up until now I've gained a healthier amount of knowledge on the subject of nutrition and exercise. I finally have come to know that it's, in fact, a lifestyle. Now I know that when you eat, you're eating energy that needs to later be burned through activity--there's no getting around it if you want to be healthy.
So today, when I hear anybody talking about weight loss and diet, I get a little annoyed at how a portion of our society views these things. It seems like weight loss programs are a business tactic aimed at people who have the wrong idea about exercising and diet(something that goes together and should never be cheated)

I began forming my exercising habit last November. I kept the habit going consistently for a month, and exercised significantly less in the following month, and am still trying to force the habit. (And no, I haven't completely stopped!) One factor slowing me down is my schedule, but with enough focus I can make it happen either way. My diet has recently began to improve significantly, because I started reading SuperFoods Rx: 14 Fourteen Foods That Will Change Your Life. It's giving me great guidelines and has helped my understanding of our diet tremendously.


How would you describe your ideal lifestyle? Is there anybody who can relate to my situation? cat_question cat_question cat_question

[Westward Ho]

My ideal lifestyle is being able to stay fit and healthy in ways that are actually fun.
I have never been a "gym rat" (SO BORING!!) or into competitive sports or anything.
I always loved outdoorsy activities especially hiking and rock-climbing (real rocks because rock climbing walls just aren't the same to me crying )
It's unfortunate because I live in the flat midwest so I have to kind of like travel to get to any good hiking areas.. But on the flipside I am moving to the southwest soon, so you can bet I plan to incorporate lots of hiking into my weekly schedule!! The best thing about it too is that on sunny days you get your Vitamin D, and being outside enjoying the natural world is just good for your mental health.

On the other hand, I have also always liked fitness as an art form such as dance, where I can express myself through movement. Right now I am hooked on pole dancing, which is an incredible workout for the whole body. I don't think I have ever been in better shape physically since I started doing this.

As far as a diet goes, I am guilty of eating whatever I want whenever... I too have a fast metabolism and I used to eat REALLY BADLY. But I realized once that just because I don't gain weight, doesn't mean eating whatever the hell I feel like isn't affecting me in other ways. This, I think, is definitely my advice to you... There are a lot of little things that can be affected by diet, but more importantly, who knows what the long-term holds. I always hear stories of people like us, who, later in life find themselves with serious health issues from their diet. My main problem is that I don't eat a lot of sweets but my tendency is that when I DO eat them, I kind of binge on them which isn't really a good thing..

Overall though, I think that my diet is at least decent.
I try to avoid "white" breads, mostly consuming whole grains/multigrains
I only eat beef/pork once in a while, the meats I eat most often are usually chicken and meaty fish
I avoid fast food for the most part too.
I have gotten better about incorporating vegetables into many dishes.
That is the hardest thing for me, I think, because I have never really liked cooking so learning how to cook meals that are balanced has been like a chore to me.
IDEALLY, I would love to learn how to cook a lot of delicious and healthy dishes that are easy and straightforward... I just hate cooking haha. Im often opting for convenience, which is another problem of mine as far as diet goes.. rolleyes

[Westward Ho]

Another thing I realized once is that whenever I am craving something like chocolate, cookies, ice cream etc... It really means (at least in my mind) that I am craving sugar. And I find that if I just force myself to eat fruit instead my sugar cravings are satisfied! So that is helpful for someone with a sweet tooth as bad as mine is..