Eat, Drink, Love
The term "wellness" is trending across the world of podcasts, social media, blogs- you name it. We all want it, though the way to achieve it differs from person to person. An Instagram influencer may say that true wellness is going vegan and practicing yoga. A podcast host may say that wellness is practicing self-care by indulging when you feel like it and removing food guilt and body shaming. A doctor may say that wellness is eating a balanced diet, taking vitamins, and using sunscreen. The reason for so many definitions is that wellness means something different to every person. What works for one person may not be what works for the next. There is not a "one size fits all" answer to achieving wellness, but here are a few tips on how to get their- the way that fits you!
First of all, let's talk about the why. Why are you seeking wellness? The answer will vary, but this is an important thing to evaluate before seeking the how. For me, I gained 15 lbs after traveling for a few months last summer. I can blame it on the Italian pasta, too much wine, or not enough sleep, but the truth is- I wasn't taking care of myself. I felt self conscious about the weight gain and let it get me down for a few months. Finally, I decided to take action. It took a while for me to actually kick start my wellness journey, but once I began, I saw results immediately. I felt better about myself, I wanted to continue making healthy choices, and mentally I let go of some body shame that I had been harboring for decades. It didn't happen overnight, and it's still a struggle at times. I sought advice from fitness podcasts, personal trainers, body positive influencers, nutrition blogs, and I came up with a list of things that worked for me.
1) Don't Diet
You hear it all the time- don't diet. Yet, we all end up dieting at some point. I tried paleo, vegan, cutting sugar, cutting dairy, cutting gluten- and nothing worked. First of all, I couldn't stick with any diet for more than a few days. The reason, I discovered, is that I was probably literally starving myself. When you start a restrictive diet, you may not realize how few calories you are actually consuming. I have always been a light eater. So when I tried paleo, for example, I was eating the same amount of food I have always eaten, though the foods I was eating were so much lower in calories. A cup of pasta is quite different than a cup of spinach. One can be 100 calories while the other is about 7. It's no wonder that after a few days I was running to the cupcakes, pasta, and pizza- things that were high in calories to make up for my deficit. Dieting does not work!
2) Substituting Over Restricting
My favorite food is mac & cheese- a no-no on most fad diets. Even when I try to rule it out, I end up eating it when it's available because I LOVE it. The way that I can have my mac & cheese and eat it, too, is to change the recipe to incorporate veggies. Instead of pasta, I can substitute cauliflower. When making regular mac & cheese, I can add a veggie like kale or pasta to sneak in nutrients. Basically, add vegetables whenever possible. That small trick can make a huge difference in how you feel and overall health. This is also a great way to get in extra servings of veggies if you have a hard time eating them on their own.
3) Day by Day
Fad diets are not meant for long-term because they are so restrictive and the minute the diet is finished, you reach for all the unhealthy things and overcompensate. Rather than diet for weeks or months, have "diet days". This could be meatless Monday, Dairy-free Tuesday, Low-carb Wednesday, or Dessert-less Thursday. One day per week of cutting out things that you typically over-eat can make a huge difference! It's also easier to accomplish because it's just for one day. And after a few months of successfully completing your cutting out day, you can add another day if it's been working well for you. It's much easier to take wellness day by day than to for weeks or months at a time.
4) Workout When You Want
I was avid about working out in college. While I was never an intense athlete, I enjoyed running, yoga, and lifting small amounts of weight. Like most people, I got out of the routine and my mode of fitness became walking. This lasted for years and I only recently started to work out again. The fitness spark was fueled by my desire to lose weight, but it remained due to the mental impact of working out. The runner's high is real, y'all. I feel focused, energized, relaxed, and inspired after a workout and that is what keeps me going. Also, I never, ever force myself to workout (this is KEY!). When I want to run, I run. When I want to do yoga, I do yoga. I don't have an arm day, a rest day, a cardio day, and I don't even have a routine when I go to the gym. When I want to work out, I go, and I let myself decide what I'm doing in that moment. This has helped me to see working out as an experience and as a hobby, rather than a chore or something routine. And even just going once or twice a week has helped me to lose weight, gain muscle, and feel SO good mentally.
4) Mindful Eating
Eat when you're hungry. It's a simple statement, but very hard to accomplish. It's hard to know the difference between true hunger and emotional hunger in the beginning. The key is to add mindfulness to every aspect of eating. What am I feeling physically and what am I feeling emotionally? What am I craving? What is the situation? Am I actually thirsty or tired? Mindful eating isn't about saying "no" to every unhealthy option. It's about indulging when you actually want to indulge- not doing so because of emotional drivers. It's about eating food with a healthy mindset. Also, if you do give in to emotional eating, let it be. Don't hold on to shame or guilt because that only makes it worse. Try journaling after experiencing food guilt to discover the root of the issue, and also to remind yourself that it's okay to not be perfect.
5) Everyone's Got Issues
The most important thing that I have learned, so far, on my wellness journey is that EVERYONE has issues with eating, food, body image, health. We may all act like we have it together, but we all have struggles and insecurities that we bury. Once we are honest with ourselves and honest with others about these issues, they actually stop being issues. I started listening to a podcast called Diet Starts Tomorrow. The hosts, Sami and Aleen, have honest, raw conversations about their issues with food, dieting, body image. I resonate so much with what they are saying, it's as if they are expressing what is going on in my own head. To know that what they are struggling with is what I also struggle with helped me to release the need to be perfect. We ALL have similar issues that we are ALL hiding. What a breakthrough this was for me! The more we talk about it, the less stigmatized it becomes; The more raw conversations we have, the more power we give to ourselves and others to break down the shame and to begin a health relationship with food and with ourselves.
What do you think of the term wellness? Have you started a wellness journey, and if so, where are you currently on that journey? Have you applied any of these tips to your own life? What has worked for you?
First of all, let's talk about the why. Why are you seeking wellness? The answer will vary, but this is an important thing to evaluate before seeking the how. For me, I gained 15 lbs after traveling for a few months last summer. I can blame it on the Italian pasta, too much wine, or not enough sleep, but the truth is- I wasn't taking care of myself. I felt self conscious about the weight gain and let it get me down for a few months. Finally, I decided to take action. It took a while for me to actually kick start my wellness journey, but once I began, I saw results immediately. I felt better about myself, I wanted to continue making healthy choices, and mentally I let go of some body shame that I had been harboring for decades. It didn't happen overnight, and it's still a struggle at times. I sought advice from fitness podcasts, personal trainers, body positive influencers, nutrition blogs, and I came up with a list of things that worked for me.
1) Don't Diet
You hear it all the time- don't diet. Yet, we all end up dieting at some point. I tried paleo, vegan, cutting sugar, cutting dairy, cutting gluten- and nothing worked. First of all, I couldn't stick with any diet for more than a few days. The reason, I discovered, is that I was probably literally starving myself. When you start a restrictive diet, you may not realize how few calories you are actually consuming. I have always been a light eater. So when I tried paleo, for example, I was eating the same amount of food I have always eaten, though the foods I was eating were so much lower in calories. A cup of pasta is quite different than a cup of spinach. One can be 100 calories while the other is about 7. It's no wonder that after a few days I was running to the cupcakes, pasta, and pizza- things that were high in calories to make up for my deficit. Dieting does not work!
2) Substituting Over Restricting
My favorite food is mac & cheese- a no-no on most fad diets. Even when I try to rule it out, I end up eating it when it's available because I LOVE it. The way that I can have my mac & cheese and eat it, too, is to change the recipe to incorporate veggies. Instead of pasta, I can substitute cauliflower. When making regular mac & cheese, I can add a veggie like kale or pasta to sneak in nutrients. Basically, add vegetables whenever possible. That small trick can make a huge difference in how you feel and overall health. This is also a great way to get in extra servings of veggies if you have a hard time eating them on their own.
3) Day by Day
Fad diets are not meant for long-term because they are so restrictive and the minute the diet is finished, you reach for all the unhealthy things and overcompensate. Rather than diet for weeks or months, have "diet days". This could be meatless Monday, Dairy-free Tuesday, Low-carb Wednesday, or Dessert-less Thursday. One day per week of cutting out things that you typically over-eat can make a huge difference! It's also easier to accomplish because it's just for one day. And after a few months of successfully completing your cutting out day, you can add another day if it's been working well for you. It's much easier to take wellness day by day than to for weeks or months at a time.
4) Workout When You Want
I was avid about working out in college. While I was never an intense athlete, I enjoyed running, yoga, and lifting small amounts of weight. Like most people, I got out of the routine and my mode of fitness became walking. This lasted for years and I only recently started to work out again. The fitness spark was fueled by my desire to lose weight, but it remained due to the mental impact of working out. The runner's high is real, y'all. I feel focused, energized, relaxed, and inspired after a workout and that is what keeps me going. Also, I never, ever force myself to workout (this is KEY!). When I want to run, I run. When I want to do yoga, I do yoga. I don't have an arm day, a rest day, a cardio day, and I don't even have a routine when I go to the gym. When I want to work out, I go, and I let myself decide what I'm doing in that moment. This has helped me to see working out as an experience and as a hobby, rather than a chore or something routine. And even just going once or twice a week has helped me to lose weight, gain muscle, and feel SO good mentally.
4) Mindful Eating
Eat when you're hungry. It's a simple statement, but very hard to accomplish. It's hard to know the difference between true hunger and emotional hunger in the beginning. The key is to add mindfulness to every aspect of eating. What am I feeling physically and what am I feeling emotionally? What am I craving? What is the situation? Am I actually thirsty or tired? Mindful eating isn't about saying "no" to every unhealthy option. It's about indulging when you actually want to indulge- not doing so because of emotional drivers. It's about eating food with a healthy mindset. Also, if you do give in to emotional eating, let it be. Don't hold on to shame or guilt because that only makes it worse. Try journaling after experiencing food guilt to discover the root of the issue, and also to remind yourself that it's okay to not be perfect.
5) Everyone's Got Issues
The most important thing that I have learned, so far, on my wellness journey is that EVERYONE has issues with eating, food, body image, health. We may all act like we have it together, but we all have struggles and insecurities that we bury. Once we are honest with ourselves and honest with others about these issues, they actually stop being issues. I started listening to a podcast called Diet Starts Tomorrow. The hosts, Sami and Aleen, have honest, raw conversations about their issues with food, dieting, body image. I resonate so much with what they are saying, it's as if they are expressing what is going on in my own head. To know that what they are struggling with is what I also struggle with helped me to release the need to be perfect. We ALL have similar issues that we are ALL hiding. What a breakthrough this was for me! The more we talk about it, the less stigmatized it becomes; The more raw conversations we have, the more power we give to ourselves and others to break down the shame and to begin a health relationship with food and with ourselves.
What do you think of the term wellness? Have you started a wellness journey, and if so, where are you currently on that journey? Have you applied any of these tips to your own life? What has worked for you?
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