“Skinny Girl” Lessons Learned on Getting Healthy

So I'd like to start with the caveat... these are my own lessons learned over the years, and I know I have lot left to learn, so please feel free to share your own lessons, too!

So, here it is… my lessons learned over the years on getting healthy, some of which may seem glaringly obvious (trust me, we could ALL use reminding sometimes), some of which will be just plain gross, and some, which you might ACTUALLY find helpful. Take ‘em or leave ‘em, they’re my gospel truths:

·         Have a Goal – I don’t care if it’s weight loss, a trip, a new pair of jeans, or a physical goal, like completing your first 5k, but for me, the motivation is in the results.  Set yourself a goal, and then hang it somewhere where you’ll look at it every day.

·         Have a Schedule – once you have your goal, you need a schedule of workouts to strive for.  Make sure your calendar is at your level and progresses in a healthy fashion, and that it includes some down time for your muscles (and your mind), or you’ll burn out.

·         Gym membership – to me, this is an important one… it needs to be somewhere I LIKE and somewhere that’s just a little out of the way; a place I have to actually go to.  Some like the convenience factor and that works for them, not for me, for me, it’s all about making it a PRIORITY, setting aside the time, and making myself get there.  I like places with a good facility AND fun classes, but it’s all up to you. 

·         Pilates ball and hand weights – I don’t have a lot of fancy home workout gear, but these two things really do make all the difference when I’m trying to do workouts at home.  You can look up tons of strength training or strength/cardio mix-ups online, or I have a few fun DVDs, but these to are my “go to” workout at home tools. 

·         Have FUN – Like Wii/Kinect? Use fun dancing or Zumba games as one of your weekly routines.  Like to go outside and hike? That’s great exercise; just make that a priority weekly (no matter the weather).  Miss all those fun elementary games we used to play, like kick ball, or wall ball, or jump rope? Those are all great, too! Grab a friend/partner/roommate and get off the couch. Even just jamming up the tunes and dancing around your living room is a great alternative (singing along is a bonus… clothing is optional…)

·         The Magic Bullet - REALLY is magic… (all right, sicko, I’m talking about the KITCHEN appliance, not that OTHER Magic Bullet) Amazing for morning smoothies or mixing my homemade juice with some protein to make it a meal… plus, I also make a killer Frozen Bellini as a treat when I’m doing well! Tip for quick smoothies? In this order: one banana (broken into 2-3 pieces), one cup of yogurt, mixed frozen fruit to the top of cup, one scoop of protein powder and fill with whatever juice you have on hand (I usually use OJ), it takes 47 seconds, you can screw on the lid and take it with you, and it’s delicious, and the tall cups or smoothie cups are the perfect size!

·         Juicer - A very close second to the Magic Bullet is my juicer.  These are really great to make juices for detoxing, juices for energy, juices for ANYTHING! My personal favorite combination is 2 small apples, 2 medium carrot sticks, 1 celery stick, half of a medium beet.  I also mix in some wheat grass powder, or juice a little fresh spinach to get some green in there. It’s amazing, it covers the “rainbow,” so to speak, and for a liquid, it’s pretty filling (although you should add some kind of protein if you’re making it a meal). My only caution? This juice, when it makes its way “to the other side” may cause you alarm the first time, as those pesky beets truly do make the ENTIRE journey to the other end… no, you’re not dying, it’s just dyed.

So you'll notice that my first step is goals.. right now I have two going on: 

1. Run the Missoula Half Marathon (now in 62 days!) - I have workouts goals and a schedule

2. Complete the 4 Weeks to Healthy Living, supported by Arbonne Essentials products, and lose 5+ pounds - I am currently on day 8, and going strong.  I helped myself out with this one by setting up an accountability group with some of the other women doing the program so we can all hold each other accountable.  

Good luck, everyone! Please feel free to share your own thoughts!