Creating a Healthier You
Written by Rachel Ealy, M.Ed., LPC
We often begin the New Year trying to accomplish resolutions that are impossible to reach. We may want to make a lifestyle change – but our thought process around making lifestyle changes is often flawed. We get frustrated with how challenging the change can be, cheat a time or two, don’t see results fast enough and drop the resolution all together. Raise your hand if this has happened to you (ME!). It’s getting toward the end of January and many people may be experiencing this cycle. What I have found to be helpful over the years is to create small goals that I can easily reach, to boost my confidence, and increase from there. For example, if you set a goal of going to the gym 5 days a week, start out with 1 or 2 days a week for the first couple weeks. Allow yourself time to rest and recuperate. Then increase to 3 or 4 days a week, and before you know it you will be consistently at 5 days a week. It is common to miss one or two days in the first week and feel discouraged and disappointed. The key is being mindful and intentional. Listen to your body – it is okay to take a break or skip a day if you need more rest. Don’t quit just because you missed one day. Another recommendation regarding the gym is to join a gym that includes group classes or team training. This can help with two things: consistency in your schedule and support from peers. My gym posts the schedule for classes well in advance so that I can block off time on my calendar. Then all I have to do is show up. I don’t have to make up my own workout or struggle with machines in the gym by myself – wondering if I am doing it correctly.
Here is a list of gyms in the Houston area that offer classes or group/team training:
https://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=Fitness+Classes&find_loc=Houston%2C+TX
You can also check out Class Pass to experiment with several different classes before committing to one gym. https://classpass.com
Another set of resolutions that I often hear (and have experienced myself) is losing weight. Whether that means starting a diet plan such as Keto, or trying to eat healthier. The problem – not allowing for cheat days or mistakes. I often hear about people trying to completely cut out sugar or carbs from their diet. Personally, I have not found this to be sustainable. Instead, try focusing on one thing at a time. For example, something I have started to do is pay attention to the added sugar content. Week one try limiting the amount of added sugar you are consuming. Foods that contain much of our added sugar intake include soft drinks, candy, cookies, cake, fruit drinks, sweetened milk, sweetened yogurts, and other dairy products such as ice cream. The American Heart Association recommends consuming no more than 25 grams of added sugar a day (Added sugars, 2018). Week two, continue with paying attention to the added sugar content and add one more thing to pay attention to such as caloric intake. I never wanted to count calories, but I recently downloaded an app called MyFitnessPal (https://www.myfitnesspal.com) and have really come to love it. I mostly use it to track what I am putting in my body. I am a visual person, and it really helps to see what I am eating so that I can either make changes or feel good about making healthy choices. Developing a healthy relationship with food is an important part of this process. Check out the app – you can upload your weight goals and it calculates your recommended caloric intake. It connects to many other fitness apps so that your exercise can be tracked right along with your food intake.
One thing that I know about myself is that I tend to become obsessive about tracking exercise and eating habits. For example – once I form a new diet and exercise routine, I don’t allow for mistakes. This also isn’t sustainable and can breed eating disorders and other body image issues. The key is personal awareness. I know the way I am with these types of apps, so I set a boundary for myself. During the week, I try to eat as healthy as possible and track my food intake. On the weekend I do not allow myself to open the app and I eat whatever I want. Another great feature on the app is the ability to track water intake. Water helps regulate your body temperature, lubricate joints and tissues, and get rid of waste through urination and perspiration (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016). Water also helps with weight loss, maintaining blood pressure and healthy organs, and it boosts skin health. The amount of recommended water intake varies from person to person based on exercise levels, the environment you live in, your overall health, etc. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine determined that an adequate amount of daily water intake is around 15.5 cups for men and 11.5 cups for women (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2017). Check out this water intake calculator based on your weight and exercise level: https://www.slenderkitchen.com/article/how-to-calculate-how-much-water-you-should-drink-a-day
Another part of creating a healthier you is making sure you have social support from friends, family members, and even a counselor. I would love to walk with you on your journey to creating a healthier you. Mental health is often set aside, but it is just as important as physical health. You don’t have to come to a counselor with a ‘problem.’ We can come up with a realistic plan together, discuss setbacks, develop a healthy relationship with food, and celebrate your successes. Here’s to creating a healthier you in a healthier way! You’ve got this! Contact us today to set up an appointment for adult therapy.
References:
Added sugars. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/sugar/added-sugars
Center for disease control and prevention. (2016). Water & nutrition. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/drinking/nutrition/index.html
Mayo clinic staff (2017). Nutrition and healthy eating. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/water/art-20044256