One thing I’ve always struggled to be consistent about is fitness. I’ve gone through phases where I exercise regularly, and even grow to like exercising, but I’ve just never made it a huge priority in my life.
I’ve heard from pretty much every single woman than everything gets harder to maintain once they hit thirty — especially when it comes to pregnancies. We hope to have one more baby in the next few years, so I’ve made a commitment in my thirties to take better care of my body than ever before, and I’ve teamed up with Finish Line to share the changes I’ve made and the changes I hope to make.
Finish Line is an awesome online retailer that sells the top brands of shoes and other athletic wear, and I don’t know about you, but new athletic wear always makes me feel motivated to exercise.
Here are a few things I’ve implemented in the seven or eight months that have made a huge difference for me.
- Get quality athletic gear. I used to buy whatever was cheapest, especially when it came to shoes, and they offered so little support that I ended up hurting myself as I exercised. Finish Line has products at a lot of different price points so there’s something for everyone, and they’re all great quality name brands. I like to find athletic shoes that also double as everyday shoes so I can get more use out of them! I love these neutral Nike’s I found and can’t wait to wear them with joggers or jeans. I also love a good pair of athletic tights, and these Puma ones are so soft, super flattering, and hold everything in.
- Stop looking at the scale. It’s just a dang number and it doesn’t define who you are. I’ve learned to go off of how I feel. When I eat junk, I feel bloated, uncomfortable, and slow. If I eat well, I feel energized and comfortable in my skin. This is motivating to me to eat better!
- Make it easy to eat well. Whenever I run out of healthy food and I get the munchies, I always make bad decisions. So prioritize grocery shopping so you make sure you have healthy choices. I like to chop up a melon, or have grapes or cherries on hand for something easy to grab when I need to satisfy a sweet craving. I also make a big vegetable and egg scramble almost every morning so that I have enough for breakfast and lunch. If I’m hungry at lunch time and don’t have anything, I’ll for sure reach for the jar of salt and vinegar Pringles.
- Build a support system. When I first decided to make some changes, I joined a health and wellness challenge. Having people working toward the same goals, and making the same changes as I was made a huge difference. We supported each other, and having a challenge made it more motivating for me, and helped me develop better habits. I started a similar challenge with my friends after my other one ended, and I’m currently doing one with my sister in law. That support is invaluable!
- Set reasonable limits. I don’t like to cut out entire food groups, or say “I’ll never eat chocolate again,” because I know it’s unreasonable for me and I’m setting myself up for failure. My health challenge limited us to two desserts a week, and that was just enough to keep me happy without over indulging and killing my progress.
The older I get, the more I realize that if I don’t take control of my life, something else will. Right now is as good of time as any to make some changes with me and take care of yourself. Grab yourself a pair of shoes from Finish Line’s collection and let’s do this!
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