We made it 30 days! Can you believe it?! How do you feel about yourself? I feel pretty dang good! I don't know that I've ever stuck with anything for 30 days.
So, what do you plan to do now? My next step is definitely going to be diet. I know, I don't like that word either. Maybe I should rephrase that. My next step is going to be changing my eating habits to include better nutrition and healthier foods. How was that?
I'm sure I'll be posting about my experience with cutting out sugar and eating healthier. I'm researching how to eat healthier, but in a way that is still convenient and enjoyable for my family. I have a husband and a daughter who do not like vegetables or fruit. Most healthy things are a big turn off for them. It makes it difficult to cook for my family. If you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them.
Today, I want to leave you with 10 Benefits of Physical Fitness (taken from functionalfitnessfacts.com):
1. You're more likely to live a long and healthy life. Regular exercise reduces the risk of developing heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and several types of cancer. It also reduces the risk of having a stroke. In one eight year study of more than 20,000 men, those who were lean but unfit had twice the risk of death as those who were lean and fit.
2. You'll control your weight. If you try and lose weight simply by dieting, you'll lose primarily water (which is easy to gain back), some muscle and a little bit of fat. If regular exercise is part of your weight loss program, you'll lose primarily fat and be able to maintain (or even gain) lean muscle mass. Most people who lose weight end up gaining it back because they don't exercise.
3. You'll have more energy, strength and stamina. People who complain that they don't have enough energy to exercise fail to realize that working out gives you energy. In one study, middle-aged women who lifted weights for a year became 27% more active in daily life than before they started lifting weights. Regular exercise also increases your strength and stamina, allowing you to better handle common activities such as carrying a heavy bag of groceries or climbing a flight of stairs.
4. You'll keep your bones strong. Both men and women start losing bone mass around age 35. Lifting weights can not only halt the decline, but in some cases can reverse it. This drastically reduces your risk of osteoporosis. Weight bearing exercises like walking and running also help keep your bones strong.
5. You'll keep your mind sharp. Multiple studies have confirmed that regular exercise is one of the best things you can do for your mind. It improves brain function, which helps prevent dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
6. You'll prevent or reduce low back pain. Strengthening your abdominal and lower back muscles can help prevent low back pain. It can also reduce discomfort if you already suffer from this pain. Also, you might be able to avoid back surgery by strengthening your abdominal and lower back muscles. In one study, 35 of 38 people who had been recommended for back surgery were able to avoid surgery by following an aggressive strengthening program.
7. You'll get sick less often. Regular exercise strengthens your immune system.
8. You'll improve your mood. A large amount of research shows that you have a better sense of well-being following a workout. Thanks to chemicals released in the brain during exercise, feelings of anxiety, depression, anger and stress are diminished during a workout.
9. You'll sleep better. People who exercise regularly fall asleep faster, sleep longer and wake up less often during the night than people who are sedentary.
10. You'll enjoy life more. Life is much more enjoyable when you're fit and healthy. You have more energy, strength and confidence, and you're more productive in everything you do.
Why is physical fitness important? The bottom line answer is that many of the problems commonly associated with aging, such as disease, increased body fat, and loss of bone mass, energy and strength, are often the result of a sedentary lifestyle and can be minimized or prevented by improving your physical fitness.
Great job!
After getting into the book Food Matters by Mark Bittman, I'm going to try to increase my plant intake and lower (not by a ton) my animal intake. I don't eat a lot of dairy, so that's now hard, but the meatless once or twice a week may be difficult. I like the idea of loading my plate with veggies and fruit and making the meat a side. I wouldn't know what to do with your non-veggie or fruit eating family!!!
ReplyDeleteI've been feeling like we need to eat less meat (and unhealthy fats and sugars). However, that doesn't leave a lot of options for my two picky eaters. If it were me and E, we'd be eating salads and veggies all the time. I've found a couple of good websites that I'll share soon.
ReplyDeleteAs far giving up meat, you could always do beans and meatless chili and things like that.