Getting Healthy

Weight and health and body image are touchy subjects for most people, and definitely some things I have struggled with throughout my life. I've talked about my whole up and down battle with becoming healthy before, and just when I think that I am read to bring the reins back in, I continue to do whatever I want over what I should be doing. Over the last 2-3 years my eating and activity habits have drastically changed. I went from working out and being active, to my only activity being walking on campus. I stopped paying a lot of attention to the foods I put in my body, and how often, to eating what I wanted whenever I wanted. I'll spare the whole story, as it is one I've blogged about before here and on other platforms. But, needless to say this whole wedding business has put this aspect of my life in perspective. Ever since getting engaged I've known that I've wanted to make some huge changes, but hadn't been quite ready to give it 100% for some reason. I don't now if I have been scared of failing, nervous about having to put in all of the work, or what it is, but it's been a long road to get myself into gear. After a lot of thought and consideration I have decided once and for all that I am really, truly, ready to get back to being happy and healthy. 

I reenrolled at the gym I belonged to last summer. There I have 24 hour access to all of the fitness equipment, and "free" fitness classes. So far I have been going to spin and Zumba, and even though it's only been a week, I'm already feeling great! My first spin class (45 minutes of intense cycling) I didn't think I was going to be able to finish. But, I powered through, did what I could, and went to another class a couple of days later. Zumba is much easier for me. I love constant movement and the dance element. It makes the hour fly by and feel more like fun than work, even though I am sweating and exhausted by the end. It also helps that one of my wonderful friends, Kristin, also joined this gym and loves going to the workout classes with me. It's so much easier to be doing this with someone else than just going at it alone!

As for eating, when Joe and I moved in together I started making weekly grocery lists and doing some meal planning on Sunday night's. Between our families and weekly friend dinners that have been in place for years, so far I only cook 2-3 times a week. But, I try to make the meals we do make at home as healthy as possible. We make sure to stock up on fruits and veggies to snack on instead of chips and other junk food, and try to have a salad with each meal to bring in more veggies. I definitely have a huge sweet tooth, which has proved my biggest hurdle, but thanks to Pinterest I am finding some healthier alternatives that still give me my sweet fix. This week I'm also going to give the least scary spinach smoothie I could find a try. (There's something unsettling to me about something as sweet and fruity as a smoothie being loaded with veggies.) I know so many people that sing the praises of "green smoothies"and the like, so I'm going to ease into it and see what all of the hype is about.

Right now I don't have a solid goal in mind. I have an ideal number of pounds I'd like to shed in my mind, but I'm not holding myself to it right now. Really, I'd just love to feel good about me - what I see in the mirror, how I feel on the inside, and how I feel in my clothes. I just want to feel as healthy and happy as I can without driving myself crazy. If the number on the scale widdles down to the absolute ideal goal weight and that makes me happy, then good. If I just feel great in my own skin and become happy with myself without needing the number on the scale to be "perfect", then awesome. This is more about me feeling good about myself, and less about aiming to reach something that could turn out to be completely unobtainable.

I want to feel amazing on my wedding day, and every day. I want to feel and look like the best version of myself and finally feel like I'm at a place where I can be committed to doing it and feel motivated to do this for me!