What I Learned about Food, Diet and Myself

Since May of this year, I've focused on improving my health. I've completely overhauled my diet and have made a real effort to make exercise part of my daily life. Six months later, I'm still going strong. My day to day has improved so much I can't imagine going back to how I lived my life before. I wanted to outline what I learned about diet and exercise. Most importantly, through this process, I ended up learning a lot about myself. I am not a health professional so you need to do what works for you. 

There is no magic solution

The diet industry pushes this idea that this one pill, book, 5 min workout etc is finally THE THING you've been searching for to give you the results you've wanted your whole life. That's bullshit. I'm sorry to break it to you, but unless you are willing to do the (hard work), nothing will change. 

Consistency is key 

It doesn't matter if you take a Zumba class or run. At the end of the day, the only that that matters is consistency. Whatever activity you decide to do, you must be ready to do it 5 times a week to see any real results. 

Motivation is a fantasy

I've heard people say, "I just lack the motivation. Once I get it, I'll be able to exercise." I was one of those people. I would get super pumped about a workout and then...lose motivation. News flash. You can have all the motivation in the world but unless you take action on a daily basis, nothing will change. Get out of your head and get moving day after day. 

Exercise is like brushing your teeth

Thinking of exercise as something I need to do every day like brushing my teeth really helped me. This simple mind shift made me think of exercise as a "need" versus a "nice to have."

Sustainability is another key

Whatever change I made, I made sure it was something I could sustain for the foreseeable future. No juice cleanses for me. I slowly eliminated refined sugar and most animal products from my diet. I know that I can sustain this diet for a really long time. 

Focus on the gains

Oftentimes we get into this mindset where we think about all the things we need to give up to achieve a better body and/or better health. Chocolate, butter, free time, whatever... Instead, I chose to focus on all the things that I was adding to my life. More nutritious food, more energy, more strength. 

Slow and steady wins the race

I made small changes over a long period of time. I had time to get used to each change and therefore didn't reject it completely and fall back into old habits. 

I'm stronger than I think

This is the most valuable and surprising thing I learned. This is the first time in my life where I changed my eating habits and incorporated exercise and kept at it. There was never a moment where I felt like giving up. Something clicked inside the deepest part of me and pushed me through the daily workouts. Once I started seeing results, it became even easier to continue. 

For now, I eat mostly plants and exercise for an hour a day 6 days a week. This may seem really drastic but I didn't get here overnight. Life will inevitably throw me a curve ball and I may need to readjust my diet and workout schedule as I go. This feeling of vitality that I feel every day is just too good so I know I will always come back to this healthy lifestyle.