The obvious answer is NOW. However, we tend to wait until we can’t take our unhealthy habits anymore or there is a big life change/event coming up, such as getting engaged, going on a beach vacation, preparing to get pregnant, getting back on track after having multiple kids, etc. The reason people have to go on “diets” is because many of us often make our health the last priority. When in reality, this should never be the case; your health is all you have and nobody but YOU is going to prioritize it. The best way to love yourself and your family + friends is to keep yourself healthy + strong so you can be there for them. Your health should always be your number one priority no matter what.
The question is — why wait? Creating a healthy + happy lifestyle is a way of life; it’s not a periodic diet that only lasts until you can no longer sustain it and eventually go back to your old ways. This lifestyle doesn’t happen overnight or in a few weeks, but develops over months and years by making small, gradual changes or “little adapts” to make the transition as easy as possible all while learning to listen to your body. You’ll never “diet” again if you figure out what works for you. By starting now, you’ll never have to worry about any of these life events being a motivation to “get healthy” because you’ll always already be there. With this lifestyle, you’ll have more energy, feel less bloated, lose weight and start to crave healthy foods because you’ll actually enjoy eating them.
As my one year wedding anniversary approaches and I look back on the last 2 years, I think about how happy I am with my own version of “healthy + happy”. I’ve been on this journey since 2013 with many bumps in the road and learning curves figuring how to create the best “Jax” lifestyle. It hasn’t been all that easy with a lot of learning and healing along the way. I’m proud to say that I’ve finally figured it out and have been able to maintain my weight, muscle tone, strength + eating habits. The only thing I changed eating wise in my so-called “wedding diet” was not having dark chocolate or a healthy sweet EVERY single night! Honestly, it was for the best because sweets (even the healthy ones) aren’t meant to be eaten everyday. Now that I’ve convinced you that your healthy + happy lifestyle starts today, where do you begin?
Here are 3 easy tips to get your started:
1. Decide what part of your lifestyle you would like to work on first. Most of my clients are looking to focus on their nutrition. However, this can be totally overwhelming. I would recommend picking one meal a day to start with. For example, you could choose to work on making your snacks healthier or finding new healthy breakfast alternatives. It’s much easier to work on meal by meal versus changing your breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and dessert all at once. Once you get the hang of one meal, you can easily move onto the next. Lastly, I just want to highlight that I mentioned “lifestyle” and not just nutrition and fitness because some of you may choose to work on handling stress, sleeping, or toxic relationships first in your life. Living a healthy + happy lifestyle is not solely about just nutrition and fitness; it’s taking a holistic approach to your entire life.
2. Once you’ve determined what you will be working on first, set 3 monthly goals and 2-3 weekly goals to get started. The monthly goals are where you want to be at the end of the month. The weekly goals are the “little adapts” you will take each week in order to reach your monthly goals.
For example, your monthly goals could be something like this:
- Find healthier snack alternatives and recipes.
- Grocery shop weekly.
- Find a healthier version of my favorite protein bar.
Then your weekly goals would look something like this:
- Come up with 1 new whole food healthy snack to try.
- Research a new healthy protein bar to try this week.
- Create a grocery list that includes these new healthy snacks.
*Note: It’s definitely okay to take a few weeks to figure out what works best for you and try new things. Again, there is no right answer except figuring out what works best for you. You can always adjust your monthly goals if you feel like you’re ready to work on the next meal group before the month is up!
3. Be consistent! I can’t stress this enough. The only way to create this lifestyle is by sticking to your goals and holding yourself accountable. The more you do something, the more easily it becomes second nature. Also, don’t forget to be kind to yourself and have patience throughout the process! This is not going to happen overnight, but I PROMISE that it will work!
I hope this blog was inspirational and helpful to get you started on your own healthy + happy lifestyle. If you think you need more guidance and accountability, feel free to reach out for a complimentary 30 minute consultation to see if my program is right for you. (I provide you with everything you need to get started, including grocery lists and food guides as well as access to all of my health knowledge so you don’t have to do the research yourself!) In addition, please reach out if there are any specific health topics you would like me to cover in my next monthly newsletter. Happy October!
With Health + Happiness,
Jax
