Who doesn’t want to experience fitness success? When I decided on my fitness journey, I had to make changes. It took time but I slowly got there. Learning is part of the journey. Change is not easy but it is doable.
I want you to succeed too and I believe these keys can help you. Give them a try. They have helped me.
We live in a time where we take our personal health issues and concerns very seriously. Most people want to do what they can to maintain their fitness. It’s not easy though but there are things that I have learned to change and that help me to maintain my fitness.
It is not easy for me, most of the time. Our circle of friends and family members are all at very different places with this too. I get you and I get that it is not easy to do and sustain.
important keys for attaining fitness success
Over the past 15 years, I have gained a measure of fitness success. Not perfection, but I am doing so much better than before.
The things that have helped me are:
- eat right – for me that was to cut out sugar (yes, you can)
- exercise daily – do something every day to move your body
- find the time – shift things around, be creative
- get enough sleep – rest and sleep is where you are restored
This is not an exhaustive list, but it is a good place to start.
eating right
I started this by first not putting sugar in my tea! We drink a lot of tea, at least 4 cups in a day. It was a small change but it had a huge impact on me.
It was hard and in the beginning, it was very difficult but now I cannot imagine having sugar in my tea.
If you want to cut something out, start small, build success for yourself. Sugar may not be your issue, but start small with what may be your issue. Here @amilliongraces, I have found a way and I want that for you too. Join in, let’s do this together.
Some people can go radical and make the big changes but I am all about success, don’t run before you can walk. You know what it is for you, start there.
Does it mean that I never have sugar or cake? No, but I TRY to keep that to birthdays and celebrations as I try to eat according to the eating plan that I love.
Alternatives that are great for me because I have taken sugar/cookies and chocolates away as a regular snack, I now enjoy:
- a sliced-up apple with peanut butter or
- a banana with peanut butter.
The variations to this are endless. The key is to keep it simple, use real food, and enjoy the new experience.
Do I have biscuits and treats?
Sure I do (very occasionally), but quite honestly I hardly ever feel good after that. I also do not keep biscuits, chocolates, sweets, or chips in the pantry! If they are in the house, well then I must eat them. That’s me, you may be different.
exercise daily & move your body
I’ve always needed to exercise to maintain my equilibrium and to clear my thoughts. The outdoors, the sun, and the fresh air are my friends and so are they yours. They are free too. Whether you can run a 5km or walk around the block it really does not matter, but do it.
Being outside is free therapy friends, and don’t we all need that sometimes?
I have gone on to learn how to run, and now I’m enjoying discovering the world of triathlons. You’ll find your activity that makes your heart sing. You too can grow towards your fitness success.
Is it easy, no – sorry friends, just trying to be real here!
But is it worth it? Oh YES, a million times over.
There is grace for you here @amilliongraces, join in the fun. It is so much easier to stay on the couch and veg, but don’t do that – go and grab some sunshine for yourself.
When we have a day off then we love to walk and take a hike in the hills or through the farmlands. When we get back then that’s when we’ll grab a book to read or grab a movie to watch. Keeping life real.
If you want to either give running a try, I recommend using Garmin to track your runs, to start running, and to get fitter. They have super plans to help you with, no matter what your fitness level may be. Give them a try. I love their plans.
do I have time for fitness success?
Going after fitness success feels like a stretch for most people, that is true. It has been this way for me too.
I’ve had kids at home and I’ve also had (and still have) a job to do. Most people I know are busy – it’s what we all suffer from. But what I also know is that we all have the same 24 hours in a day, and what we do with it shows us our passions and priorities. Not guilt trip friends, been there, done that, and have the t-shirt too.
But, I choose to do the best (on most days;) for my body, which then helps my mind and thinking. This, in turn, I think, helps me be a better person for my family. Dealing with my fitness is for me to do something every single day, no one else can convince me of it or do it for me either. True story.
I want to encourage you though, I do my best and it has helped my mood and my energy.
sleep well
I need my sleep, you need your sleep. Turn off those devices. Get some sleep. Try to keep it as regular as possible. When life happens try to get back on schedule as quickly as possible.
I have recently discovered how to keep track of this on my sports watch. When I look at the data, I can see a clear link between my wellbeing, my moods, and my reactions to how I have been sleeping.
I am not a night owl. I am an early bird. Sometimes I have worked on my computer late at night and then when I have tried to fall asleep, I’ve tossed and turned. This then directly affects how I want to eat the next day. Not a pretty picture. So, now I try my very best to go to sleep at 22.00 and wake up at 06.00 – this works well for me.
When I sleep well, my runs are better and so is my eating. How about you? How does lack of sleep affect you?
restrictions are real
There are days and sometimes seasons when you just cannot do what you want to do. These have been some of my restrictions and this is how I have overcome them, they may help you.
Small kids – when we lived in Mongolia, I homeschooled our kids and that didn’t give me much time for myself. The best I could do was to jump on the treadmill that we had at home. We, the kids and I, would often just go for long walks – the little guy in the pram and the sister, she walked along.
Too cold – Mongolia was also super cold for long periods of time, -25 degrees centigrade in the middle of the day for months. I once took a long walk in the temp and it was not fun, I don’t recommend that. This was where I mostly used the treadmill. Use your treadmill friends, it’s not for the washing to be hung up on!
Too dangerous or not appropriate – I’ve lived in both a dangerous country and also traveled in a country where it is just not wise for a lady to be running outside alone with leggings on or in shorts. In these places, I have either joined a running and walking club (safety in numbers), or my family and friends have walked with me.
Sickness and injury – this has happened to me too, more times than I would’ve liked. No one likes this, right! All I do is – take the time to recover, then start super slowly and day by day you be up to speed again.
gift those you love your best
I am a better person for my loved ones because I no longer have sugar crazies anymore and I no longer need to sleep every afternoon. I can go up and down stairs with ease, and I am in my fifties.
As I get older one of my biggest desires is to encourage people to eat well, move their bodies a bit, and try out new things. I do realize that some people face huge health challenges that I do not have to deal with – please adapt, and take it super slowly, but please get your face in the sun and do what you can.
I’m cheering you on.
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