Happy Sunday! I feel like this weekend flew by, and I really wish we had an extra day. We didn’t get to sit by the pool this weekend, but I guess it’s good to take a break from that every now and then. Can you believe summer is almost over?
Today on the blog, I wanted to share five positive changes I have made to my life the past year. One of my mottos in life is “to be better than you were yesterday.” I am always trying to find ways to change my life for the better and be a better me for me. Making these changes below has not only made me a healthier person, but it has also made me a happier person. I am a better wife, daughter, sister and friend because of the changes I have made. Take a look at the list below to see what areas of my life have improved the past year!
- I’m consistent with exercising.
- Working out has never come easy for me. I am typically not motivated to go to the gym or go outside for a run. This all changed when I discovered Orangetheory Fitness last year. I joined last July and have been to over 200 classes since then. I am completely obsessed with the classes, and it is extremely challenging.
- One of the biggest reasons why I keep going is because every single workout is different. Like most people, I get bored with doing the same exercise over and over and over. I am so glad to have found something like Orangetheory, and I am really proud of myself for sticking with it the past year.
- I switched to safer skincare products.
- Last August, I decided to make the switch to safer beauty products. I hadn’t ever thought much about what I was putting on my skin until I heard about Beautycounter. After doing a little bit of research, I found out that a lot of the skin care products I was using were cancerous. I was really frightened by this, so I immediately started making the switch to clean beauty products. Today, all of my skin care products are non-toxic and do not contain these harmful ingredients.
- In addition to safer skin care, I also made the switch to using a natural deodorant. It wasn’t an easy transition by any means. Your armpits will be extremely gross and sweaty while you are making the switch. Most “normal” deodorants that people use are antiperspirants and contain aluminum. Natural deodorants are not going to prevent you from sweating because they don’t contain aluminum. My biggest tip with natural deodorant is to re-apply often! Also, if you are trying to make the transition, don’t give up. It will get better after a couple of weeks.
- I drink more water.
- Did you know that I used to drink 6 cans of Diet Pepsi per day? It’s true. Freshman year of college, I had a major addiction to pop (otherwise known as soda or “coke” for the Texans reading this). I don’t think I ever drank water unless I was working out. I can’t believe how unhealthy I was in college!
- The past year or so, I have really focused on drinking more water. My goal is to try to drink 70-80 fluid ounces of water each day. I usually don’t have a problem reaching this goal, and it seems like second nature now. I don’t crave pop anymore, and I feel so much better because of it. I will still have a Diet Coke every now and then, but it is more of a treat when I order one.
- I stopped drinking alcohol every day.
- At the beginning of the year, I was talking to Alex about resolutions and we both agreed that we wouldn’t drink alcohol on Mondays for the entire year. We have a bad habit of drinking a glass or two of wine every night, so I wanted to try to cut this out.
- We haven’t been perfect about this, but I can say with certainty that we have at least taken 1 day off a week from drinking (it hasn’t always been Monday). Some weeks, we don’t drink Monday – Thursday. Other weeks, we might only take Monday off. It really just depends on the week and what we have going on. I don’t ever want to get to the point where I have a problem, so this is a good way to keep myself in check. Wine will always be a huge hobby of mine, so I won’t ever give up drinking completely.
- I wear sunscreen every day.
- Being tan is not the most important thing in life. Sure, I love to look bronzed and beautiful, but not at the expense of getting skin cancer. I have already had to get several suspicious moles removed, and I am only 28 years old. The dermatologist constantly reminds to wear my sunscreen every single day because he knows how damaging the sun can be. Even if it’s a cloudy day, you should still wear sunscreen.
- Whenever I get a facial, the esthetician says the same thing that the dermatologist says: You must put your SPF on every single day. Especially on your face! I am trying to avoid wrinkles for as long as possible, so I make sure to really cake on the sunscreen when it comes to my face. I also wear a big floppy hat when I sit outside in the summer. I’ll do anything to prevent the sun from aging my face.
At the end of the day, I am still human, and I do make choices that are unhealthy. I think it’s all about finding some balance in your life. I don’t beat myself up for eating Mexican food once a week because honestly, I really enjoy it. It’s important to be healthy mentally as well as physically, so make sure that you are doing things in life that bring you joy. If being on a diet program is making you miserable and unhappy, then stop doing that. Instead, try to make a few lifestyle changes that you can stick with for several years to come!
What are some things you have done in the past year to be a healthier you? Have you made any big lifestyle changes that have improved your overall health? I’d love to hear from you and gather additional ideas for myself. Cheers to Sunday!
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