Ways to start getting healthy + Giveaway!
I'm sure many of you had a New Year's resolution of being healthier, eating better, going to the gym more, or loosing weight. I'm sure you were super diligent about this resolution for the first couple weeks in January, then kind of tapered off until we find, here in the 3rd week in February, that it's just a distant memory. I'm no exception! Well, today I'm going to share with you 5 tips to help get your butt in gear and start on the path to getting healthy! (I know they help me!)
1. Stay hydrated
I feel like every day, there is new information that comes out as to how much water you should drink a day. 8 glasses, 1/2-1oz per pound you weigh, etc. It can be hard to get this much water in a day! I know I struggle more so on the weekends than the weekdays, but drinking water has so many benefits! It can help speed up your metabolism, curb your appetite, help with skin tone, etc. Especially if you're working out, you need to replenish the water lost by sweating so you don't get dehydrated.
There are a few tricks I use to help me drink more: drink out of a straw, get a pretty water bottle, make sure I have 2 water bottles filled and ready to go in the morning, and adding fruit or essential oils. I recently got this water bottle from Target. It's made of glass, so I can add a drop or two of my favorite citrus essential oils and have lemon or orange water ready to go! I know for some they can't stand the taste of water, so infusing it with fruit can be a great way to drink more!
2. Use a fitness tracker
Hubby and I got Fitbits for our first anniversary almost 2 years ago and it's definitely one purchase I don't regret making! They not only track steps taken, but also count flights of stairs, calories burned, distance traveled, and it tracks your sleep! You can sync it to your phone or computer to see all your stats laid out and even compare it to your friends! It's definitely interesting and eye opening to see how many steps (or lack there of) I take in a day. To compare, on a typical workday in the winter I sometimes average as little as 2500 steps a day, but when hubby and I were in Disney World, we were getting between 20k - 25k steps a day! Crazy! I know I can definitely do better in getting more steps a day, but at least this can be a reminder to get up and move a little bit during the day!
3. Have an accountability partner
Honestly, I think this is the most important on this list! Hubby and I have started going to the gym together, and I can definitely see differences in my workout intensity when he comes with me rather than me going alone. An accountability partner is someone that will help you stay focused and work towards your goals. It is possible to do it alone, but so much more success can be had when you have someone motivating you! My girlfriends and I also have a group on Facebook where we talk about working out and eating right- our successes as well as our failures! That way we can celebrate our achievements as well as motivate each other to get back on track!
4. Fuel your workout
Haha, I'm probably the last person who should be giving advice in this category, but it's definitely true that you need to eat the right foods to have the energy to get a good workout as well as being healthier overall! A big trend lately are the whole food diets- diets in which you cut out all processed foods, alcohol, grains, and dairy, and eat a natural plant and animal-based diet. I'll be honest, I don't think I could commit to that for an entire month (I love my cheese!) but I've seen so many success stories from others that have tried it! I have been trying lately to cut out processed foods from my diet (not 100% successful...) and cooking whole food meals at least once a week. Today is also the start of Lent, and for Catholics that traditionally means giving something up (or adding something positive) for 40 days. I decided to give up treats. Ever since the Christmas holidays, I've just fallen off the deep end with sweets. Hopefully giving them up will help my energy levels and maybe I'll even loose a few pounds :)
5. Wear the right (and cute!) gear
There is just something about new workout gear- just makes you WANT to go to the gym to show it off! :) I recently went to Gordmans to purchase some new workout clothes. (That store is definitely a place I could spend hours looking at everything!) I'd actually never looked in their fitness section before, but I was impressed with their selection of workout clothing! I also happened to go there on a day where they had an additional 20 or 30% (I can't remember which) off of clearance items, so I scored most of this outfit for next to nothing! The pants and the sweatshirt were about $4 each! Can't beat those prices :)
To reward you for making it to the end of this post, I have a little giveaway today! I'm giving away a $25 gift card to Gordmans for one lucky reader! You can use it not only towards workout gear, but they have clothes for men, women, and kids, shoes, home decor and furnishings, pet items, and so much more! You can enter in the Rafflecopter below. The giveaway will run until next Friday, February 27th. Good luck!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
But if you don't want to wait until you've won the giveaway to go shopping, here is a coupon for 20% any single item!
Linking up with: The Pleated Poppy, Tucker Up, Shopping My Closet, Because Shanna Said So, Get Your Pretty On September Farm, The Farmer's Wife
1. Stay hydrated
I feel like every day, there is new information that comes out as to how much water you should drink a day. 8 glasses, 1/2-1oz per pound you weigh, etc. It can be hard to get this much water in a day! I know I struggle more so on the weekends than the weekdays, but drinking water has so many benefits! It can help speed up your metabolism, curb your appetite, help with skin tone, etc. Especially if you're working out, you need to replenish the water lost by sweating so you don't get dehydrated.
There are a few tricks I use to help me drink more: drink out of a straw, get a pretty water bottle, make sure I have 2 water bottles filled and ready to go in the morning, and adding fruit or essential oils. I recently got this water bottle from Target. It's made of glass, so I can add a drop or two of my favorite citrus essential oils and have lemon or orange water ready to go! I know for some they can't stand the taste of water, so infusing it with fruit can be a great way to drink more!
2. Use a fitness tracker
Hubby and I got Fitbits for our first anniversary almost 2 years ago and it's definitely one purchase I don't regret making! They not only track steps taken, but also count flights of stairs, calories burned, distance traveled, and it tracks your sleep! You can sync it to your phone or computer to see all your stats laid out and even compare it to your friends! It's definitely interesting and eye opening to see how many steps (or lack there of) I take in a day. To compare, on a typical workday in the winter I sometimes average as little as 2500 steps a day, but when hubby and I were in Disney World, we were getting between 20k - 25k steps a day! Crazy! I know I can definitely do better in getting more steps a day, but at least this can be a reminder to get up and move a little bit during the day!
3. Have an accountability partner
Honestly, I think this is the most important on this list! Hubby and I have started going to the gym together, and I can definitely see differences in my workout intensity when he comes with me rather than me going alone. An accountability partner is someone that will help you stay focused and work towards your goals. It is possible to do it alone, but so much more success can be had when you have someone motivating you! My girlfriends and I also have a group on Facebook where we talk about working out and eating right- our successes as well as our failures! That way we can celebrate our achievements as well as motivate each other to get back on track!
4. Fuel your workout
Haha, I'm probably the last person who should be giving advice in this category, but it's definitely true that you need to eat the right foods to have the energy to get a good workout as well as being healthier overall! A big trend lately are the whole food diets- diets in which you cut out all processed foods, alcohol, grains, and dairy, and eat a natural plant and animal-based diet. I'll be honest, I don't think I could commit to that for an entire month (I love my cheese!) but I've seen so many success stories from others that have tried it! I have been trying lately to cut out processed foods from my diet (not 100% successful...) and cooking whole food meals at least once a week. Today is also the start of Lent, and for Catholics that traditionally means giving something up (or adding something positive) for 40 days. I decided to give up treats. Ever since the Christmas holidays, I've just fallen off the deep end with sweets. Hopefully giving them up will help my energy levels and maybe I'll even loose a few pounds :)
5. Wear the right (and cute!) gear
There is just something about new workout gear- just makes you WANT to go to the gym to show it off! :) I recently went to Gordmans to purchase some new workout clothes. (That store is definitely a place I could spend hours looking at everything!) I'd actually never looked in their fitness section before, but I was impressed with their selection of workout clothing! I also happened to go there on a day where they had an additional 20 or 30% (I can't remember which) off of clearance items, so I scored most of this outfit for next to nothing! The pants and the sweatshirt were about $4 each! Can't beat those prices :)
Pants/top/sweatshirt: Gordmans
Shoes: Target
Haha I wanted to show the outfit in action :)
To reward you for making it to the end of this post, I have a little giveaway today! I'm giving away a $25 gift card to Gordmans for one lucky reader! You can use it not only towards workout gear, but they have clothes for men, women, and kids, shoes, home decor and furnishings, pet items, and so much more! You can enter in the Rafflecopter below. The giveaway will run until next Friday, February 27th. Good luck!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
But if you don't want to wait until you've won the giveaway to go shopping, here is a coupon for 20% any single item!
Linking up with: The Pleated Poppy, Tucker Up, Shopping My Closet, Because Shanna Said So, Get Your Pretty On September Farm, The Farmer's Wife
great tips. I was actually reading an article yesterday and it said that women need 1.6 litters of water. Which is a little over 6 glasses of water.
ReplyDeleteIt's crazy how often they change the rules on that or who has what advice!
DeleteHaving a workout partner always gets me to the gym and pool. The cute workout apparel doesn't hurt either! I love your sweatshirt!
ReplyDeleteJill
Doused In Pink
Thanks Jill! It's so cozy :)
DeleteI love mixing it up with new workouts (group exercise classes, DVDs, Pinterest finds, etc.!)
ReplyDeleteValerie
I like doing that too! Zumba is always a fun thing to do and I love going on hikes when it's warm out :)
DeleteI think that wearing nice work out gear is key! And mixing up your workouts too! So you don't get bored. I have never shopped at Gordmans, but I have seen several bloggers style cute pieces from their store! Thanks for the fun! Susan
ReplyDeleteMixing up workouts is a great idea! I love doing zumba and also love hiking the state parks around where I live in the nicer weather!
DeleteI always add new music to my iPod and don't allow myself to listen to it until I am working out. It gives me something to look forward to during my next run and motivation to get out there.
ReplyDeleteCute workout gear definitely helps! I've also found that drinking from a straw makes me drink way more water throughout the day. So I bought a plastic tumbler that I pour my water into throughout the day. It's weird but it works!
ReplyDeleteCute workout gear definitely helps! I've also found that drinking from a straw makes me drink way more water throughout the day. So I bought a plastic tumbler that I pour my water into throughout the day. It's weird but it works!
ReplyDeleteI do the exact same thing! I'm always carrying two bottles to work, which can be a pain, but it works!
DeleteYou look super cute in your workout gear!! Eating healthier and getting into an exercise routine is my resolution every year!! Yet it never happens, I've been so bad with this I seriously need to get back into a gym or program. Thanks for the tips and inspiration.
ReplyDeleteMarta
www.sweatersstripesandsweets.com
Thanks Marta! I've been so bad about hitting the gym... but my health insurance gives me a refund for going to the gym a certain number of times a month, so that at least helps me a little to get going! :)
DeleteBummer, I can't get the giveaway app to open. But I definitely agree with your tips!
ReplyDeleteOh no! Unfortunately I'm technologically illiterate so I can't help :(
DeleteI usually download some new tunes to get me motivated to keep moving
ReplyDeleteThat's a great idea! Upbeat songs are always a great motivation!
DeleteI usually download some new tunes to get me motivated to keep moving
ReplyDeleteNew workout clothing always helps. I always can't wait to put the items on and go work out in them,
ReplyDeleteI agree, it's always fun to put on a new workout outfit and try it out!
DeleteI'm terrible at working out but am trying to get better at it. I've been really focusing on making sure I'm drinking plenty of water to start with. I've been averaging 90-100 ounces a day, which has helped me feel SO much better! I've also been trying to make sure I'm getting at least 8 hours of sleep at night, which is great, too. Little by little, I'm trying to add in more forms of exercise (some walking, some yoga, some very minor weight lifting, etc.). I can't wait for the warm streak we'll be getting so I can actually take a walk outside!!
ReplyDelete