5 Healthy Practices You Can Start Today

Having trouble getting started on being healthy? Do you keep pushing it off until the next day, or next week? Do you not have the time or energy to work on getting fit? Tired of feeling hungry all the time? All those things are normal when you try to change up your lifestyle. Now, I'm not here to tell you that you have to lose weight, in fact, I suggest avoiding that mindset all together of wanting to lose weight and letting that be your goal. This is stuff that you can do that will just lead to having a more healthy lifestyle, not losing a bunch of weight. If your goal is to be healthier, then this is a good place to start.

1. Don't get that soda.

When you're out eating with friends, picking up fast food, or anything else that would involve getting a soda (caffeine free or not), just get water or unsweetened tea instead. All that extra useless sugar is really bad for you. Water is hydrating, and won't add any extra unneeded sugar in your diet. And often, your wallet will be thanking you too as getting a drink with stuff can add $1 to $2 charge to your bill that you don't need. This is quick and easy, and of course you can treat yourself every once in awhile to a nice soda, but every meal? You may be better cutting it out.

2. Download Achievement (Not Sponsored)

Achievement is a health tracking service that you can connect your health apps to, and make money (and it's available on both Android and Apple)! I'll admit it is slow going, you need to reach ten thousand points in order to get a $10 gift card. I've had the app since November, and I am at about four thousand points. But it has led me to track things I haven't tracked or had the motivation to do. I use my Fitbit, and Achievement motivates me to get those last few steps in, because the more steps, the more points. I now track my water intake as well, and that has improved my health. I track my sleep, which is a huge factor in feeling good and motivated. I track what I eat on another app that's connected to Achievement, and that gets me points too! What's a better motivator than money?

3. Find Something Active That You Love

Do you like to go play PokemonGo? Do you sometimes do yoga in the morning? Have a dog you love taking on walks? Have a Wii or other console that gets you moving? Make it a daily habit. This one is the hardest one on this list to do, but it's the easiest when it comes to adding activity into your life. If you love these things, take advantage of it. I don't know about you, but I hate going to the gym. I am usually miserable there, and it's the longest hour of my life. So I'm never motivated to go, because it's not fun. I can't afford fun classes like dancing, and in the winter I can't go hiking too much in my state because it's so cold. But I do yoga about three times a week on my Wii on my phone, and that feels great, and it's more fun. I also love going on walks in the sun and the PokemonGo app is a plus. Want to try running? I've not tried it myself, but there is an app where it motivates you to run with a game where you are running from zombies!

4. Take Off the Top or Bottom Half of That Bun

One of the first things I ever did to try to eat healthier is I started trying to avoid buns as much as possible. I, personally, try to get it lettuce wrapped. But sometimes that's not offered, or the bun is really good, or the bun is holding all the good stuff together. So when that happens, I take off whatever half of the bun I can. Carbs are important, I want to state that clearly, but too many carbs is very bad for you. So taking off one side of the bun cuts out a LOT of unnecessary carbs. It also leaves more room for the actual good stuff.

5. Be forgiving of yourself, and enjoy yourself.

I think that we, as humans, want instant rewards. We have trouble waiting to see the results of our hard work. That is why we have trouble with being healthy. We don't see it right away in our bodies. Toned muscles and smaller bellies are usually our goals, and when we diet and exercise, we don't see it in our bodies right away. You need to forgive yourself for that. Went out with friends, and ate a bunch of fried food smothered in ranch? Forgive yourself and have fun. Wanted that cookie in the break room, and couldn't help yourself? Enjoy it and let it go. You do not need to give up everything tasty and unhealthy. In fact, I would discourage it. Why? Because that is how you fall off the wagon. You don't see instant results, and then you miss out on yummy things. Being healthy is important, absolutely, but what's the point of living if you don't get to live? So have that cookie, have those fried foods, just also add in the small things. It does more than you think.

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