In 2018 I lost 20 pounds and was able to keep it off, while still eating things I enjoyed, sharing meals with friends at my favorite restaurants and having wine filled gossips sessions on my girlfriend’s couches. Turns out, you can be a healthy person and still live a fun life. Who knew?
As I’m reflecting back on the changes I made over the course of the year, there were certainly big things that stuck out to me immediately, like cutting out dairy during the week and hiring a trainer. But there are also so many small things that I started doing that made huge changes in my diet, weight and overall health. New habits that anyone can do, that don’t cost a ton of money (if any at all) and that won’t make you feel deprived of the good things in life (like pizza). They’re the kind of small changes that make me wonder why I hadn’t started sooner, that’s how simple they are. And in comparison to how I lived my life in 2017, it seems like a drastic difference. And I suppose it kind of is, but in reality, it felt like small little steps I took over the course of a year, that slowly turned into a totally different, totally improved life.
Related: How Eliminating Dairy Transformed My Body
I wanted to share with you how I use to go through my days before I gave a shit about my body (sad but true) and how I go through them now that I care deeply about my health and well being. I hope if anything, this inspires you to start making your own small changes that just might drastically improve your health and increase your happiness!
My Morning: Before
8-11:30am
I would roll out of bed with an hour to get ready before I had to head out the door. I was always rushing around, usually running late and I certainly didn’t have time for breakfast. Somewhere in there, I would find time to guzzle some coffee.
If I had a few minutes before work (I was working as a manager at Victoria’s Secret) I would go to the bakery in the mall and pick up a Red Bull and a donut for “breakfast”. If I didn’t have time then I just didn’t eat until lunch.
I was not someone who enjoyed working out and didn’t feel particularly motivated to do so, but I at least got some exercise by moving around a lot on my feet at work. But that was about it. After I quit VS I was doing almost no exercise at all while working from home.
If I remembered and if I had them, I would occasionally take a gummy multi vitmain…or 6 because they’re candy. Very mature.
My Morning: Now
5:00am
During the week I am up at 5am every day because 1. I’m a psycho and I actually really enjoy it and 2. so I can have time to workout, enjoy my coffee, have a healthy breakfast and get ready for my day without the stress of rushing.
5:30am
I take some time each morning to drink my coffee, meditate and journal. I use an app called Simple Habit for my guided meditations and it’s such a peaceful way to start the day. I do my best to avoid looking at my phone other than when using the app during this time too. I like to write down what I’m grateful for in my journal so I can start the day off on a positive note. I wish I could handle just drinking water first thing in the morning instead of going straight for the coffee but 5am is early af you guys. I never claimed to be perfect!
6-6:45am
I head to the gym at around 6 which is my favorite time to work out. I hate working out in the evenings because I’m tired and the gym is crowded and all I really want to do at the end of the day is unwind and relax. I workout a minimum of 30 minutes but if I have time will do 45 or even an hour. I am not trying to be an insane body builder so my workouts are quick and efficient. I love to catch up on my podcasts while I workout too, which makes the entire experience way more enjoyable.
7-9:00am
Because I’ve already had one cup of coffee and I’ve just worked out, I don’t allow myself to have a second cup until I’ve fully hydrated. For me, that means 40 ounces of water! This usually isn’t a problem after I’ve worked out, so I guzzle guzzle guzzle (my favorite word) until I’ve hit my 40.
Then I have a small, but filling breakfast to start the day. I am never all that hungry in the morning but I don’t want to be starving midday and eat everything in sight so I make sure I get a little something something in my belly. I also like to make sure I’m getting some protein in there since I’ve just worked out.
I love the coconut milk yogurts from Trader Joe’s, veggie sausage links, protein waffles and smoked salmon as some of my breakfast options. I obviously don’t have all of that but those are usually what I reach for in the morning.
Related: Use My Healthy Trader Joe’s Guide to Start Off 2019 Right
Then I take my vitamins, of which there are many. There are so many nutrients that we miss out on as well as specific things your individual body needs that can’t always be supplemented with food. For me, I take vitamins that help keep my joints healthy and lower inflammation since I have arthritis. I also take probiotics, a multivitamin and a few others that help keep my immune system strong. These vitamins give me energy, have helped decrease inflammation, keep me from having tummy aches throughout the day and just make me feel better overall.
9-11:30am
Usually, around 10am I’m fiending for another caffeine hit (again, I’m not perfect and would prefer to stick to one cup a day but I don’t see this changing anytime soon for me) so I will make another cup of coffee. This is also when I have my mid-morning snack which is almost always a green granny smith apple. If I’m out of apples I’ll opt for carrots with hummus or berries but I always have a fruit/veggie serving at this time. This will tide me over until lunch.
My Afternoon: Before
12:00pm-5:00pm
Lunch was usually either takeout leftovers from the night before or something greasy and fast from the mall. I would get Panda Express or pizza and scarf it down. I usually was feeling pretty shaky up until this point from all the caffeine/sugar and the lack of food. I would also be totally fatigued after having such a large meal and would feel unmotivated for the rest of the day.
To combat my sleepiness, I would have more coffee or a second Redbull and then snack on chips/cookies/candy for the remainder of the afternoon. Yikes.
My Afternoon: Now
12:00pm
I pretty much eat every 2-2.5 hours so I have lunch every day at noon. I make sure my lunch is super veggie heavy and then add in a protein and grain. Lately, I’ve been either having big salads with grilled chicken or grain bowls with brown rice, tofu, veggies, and hot sauce. They’re easy and super filling without weighing me down and sending me into an afternoon slump.
I make sure to have at least another 20 ounces of water throughout the afternoon and just make sure my water bottle is with me, even if I’m out and about running errands.
2:00pm
Instead of an afternoon coffee, which sometimes I’ll crave, I’ve been opting for sparkling water or coconut water instead for a little pick me up. Obviously not exactly the same but I do mildly look forward to it. I’ll also have a protein snack at this time, usually a bar or a salami snack pack.
4:00pm
I’ll have my last snack of the day at around this time and I always make it another fruit/veggie serving. Usually a baby carrot/cherry tomatoes/bell pepper situation with some hummus.
My Evening: Before
6:00pm-12:00am
I would either drive through McDonald’s, order take-out or go to my corner store and pick up hot Cheetos for dinner. HOW WAS I NOT 600 POUNDS?!
Then I would eat everything in bed while watching Netflix and then snack on chips/sweets throughout the night. I would usually have a beer or a few glasses of wine until I was finally ready to go to sleep at 11 or 12. I would barely have any water throughout the day and often times would pick up a diet coke if I was thirsty. Wtf.
My Evening: Now
5:30-6:30pm
I cook and eat my dinner on the early side because I want plenty of time for my food to digest before I go to sleep. I have my lightest meal of the day at the point to ease digestion and allow myself to wake up the next day feeling light and energized.
I’ve been loving salmon with zoodles and pesto lately but will also do cauliflower gnocchi with marinara and veggies if I want a pasta fix without the carbs. Essentially it’ll be another veggie heavy meal with some protein added in.
6:30-7:00pm
If I’m craving something sweet that badly I’ll have a piece of chocolate and a glass of wine but typically I’m done eating after dinner. I always finish by 7pm and won’t have anything except for water after that point.
I’ll prep all my snacks/meals for the next day, especially if I know I’m going to be out and about so I can be prepared with healthy options. I make sure to drink another 20 ounces of water before I get ready for bed.
8:30-9:00pm
I get up early so I go to bed early too. I can’t function anywhere close to my best on less than 8 hours of sleep and am usually so tired by the end of the day that I can’t wait to crawl into bed. I’m a total grandma but I’m a grandma who’s feeling good!
What small healthy changes do you want to make to your lifestyle in 2019? Tell me in the comments below!
Xo, She
