Most Americans struggle to keep the extra weight off at some point in their lives. It can be so easy to let those extra pounds creep up on you, especially if you’re busy. But packing on added weight can affect more than just your body: you could be negatively impacting your overall health and emotional wellness too. For those going through recovery, this is especially important, because the body needs to be in top shape. Thankfully, you can make small changes that will have positive effects on your weight, your health, and your overall wellness.
Find a workout routine you can stick to
If you’re not used to exercising regularly, starting a workout routine can be daunting. But getting enough exercise doesn’t have to be boring and it definitely shouldn’t be stressing you out. You may just need to find a workout you actually like. First, spend a little time thinking about what you enjoy doing and be prepared to think outside the box. Love dancing in your living room? Or taking morning walks in the woods? Well, then those may be perfect ways to get yourself moving more! You can take a dance class to burn calories or go for a hike on the weekends.
If time rather than motivation is the issue, take a closer look at your daily schedule. Maybe you can get up a little earlier in the morning and get that exercise in? Or perhaps you could work a walk into your lunch break? You can usually squeeze small sessions of activity into your day, even if it’s only 15 minutes at a time, and make a major difference in your weight and health. You can even purchase small, singular items, such as kettlebells, resistance bands or a balance ball to workout at home if that fits your routine better. If cost is a concern, budget one item per month, and building a home gym won’t be as painful to you.
Create sleep habits to get better rest at night
Believe it or not, the amount you sleep has a lot to do with weight loss. Seems a little weird, huh? But researchers have determined that getting enough rest helps your body burn more fat. Since most of us are sleep-deprived, we may be sabotaging our metabolism and making it more difficult to lose weight. Just four nights of poor sleep (the amount in a typical hectic week) can slow down the metabolism of fat cells, researchers have found. So make a concerted effort to schedule in the seven to eight hours of restful sleep your body needs.
Eat a balanced, but realistic, diet
Nobody loves dieting, which is why you should stop dieting. Giving up all of your favorite foods sounds like a dystopian nightmare, but learning to create delicious, healthy dishes isn’t really that difficult. You can even search online for ways to make your favorite dishes a little healthier.
You can use meal prep so you don’t have to think about what to cook for every meal. However you get yourself to eat healthier, balance your diet with protein, fruit, veggies, and whole grains. Most importantly, don’t starve yourself! This is especially important for people who are going through addiction recovery, as developing a healthy, well-balanced diet is crucial to helping your body during the recovery process. Also, if you skip meals and starve yourself, that will only make weight loss harder for you to achieve.
Seriously focus on your mental health
As you work on getting your body healthy, don’t forget to keep your mind healthy, too. We often forget that our feelings can influence our actions, and therefore influence the way we take care of our bodies. So, if you’ve been struggling with depression or anxiety, getting help can assist you in your weight loss journey. Contact your doctor and discuss the issues you’ve been having so you can find a therapist or treatment that will help you. With your mind in a healthy state, you’ll have better focus for a healthy body.
Sometimes, what we need for our mental health is to take a break from the daily grind. And while that could mean packing a few bags and getting out of town for a few days (or even a few weeks), this isn’t always possible. Fortunately for people who live in San Diego, finding something to do around town isn’t too difficult. In addition to the seaside beauty of La Jolla Cove and the wonders of Balboa Park (which sports 17 different museums), you can kick around Gaslamp Quarter, which, according to Turnkey, is the “cultural epicenter” of San Diego and a place where you’ll find an abundance of restaurants and bars. Regardless of what you choose to do, whether it’s finding a new restaurant or introducing yourself to the world of surfing, make sure it’s something that brings you joy, which will have a profound effect on your mental health.
Losing weight isn’t always simple for everyone. Tackling weight issues can be a lifelong journey and one that requires more than better eating habits. You have to be willing and patient enough to work on all of those trivial habits that are keeping you from losing weight, and replace them with healthier ones. You may even benefit from some help to see the healthy weight loss results you want, like the instruction and guidance offered by Pacific Beach Training. For more information, contact Junior Leoso at juniorleoso@gmail.com or reach out to him on Instagram @junior.leoso or @pacific_beach_training.
