Do you have little "rules" that you set for yourself?
I do! I used to think of them as my "skinny rules," but now that I prefer strength over skinny, I consider them just healthy habits! I like to make these rules so that one day, they will become habits. I have failed at making many rules into habits, but I wanted to share with you guys the rules that I have been able to stay true to; specifically, those that have made me a fitter, less lazy ME!
1. Always take the stairs if your destination is 3 or less floors away.
Nothing drives me more insane than when a perfectly capable person takes the elevator to go up or down one floor. If you have an injury, are carrying a heavy load, or have some other important reason to not walk, heck yes take the elevator, no question! But otherwise, there is no reason to not take the stairs one or two floors. My personal rule is to take the stairs if where I am going is 3 or less floors away. I have even added on to this rule this year, challenging myself to take the stairs to my 5th floor apartment after I finish a run or workout. Might as well burn a few extra calories at the end of a good workout!Elevators are awkward anyways.. like hey I know there are 4 humans in here but let's all pick a different part of the wall to stare at and pretend like we're alone.
2. Drink at least half your body weight (in ounces) of water everyday.
Do you bloat easily? Do you get constipated often? Suffer from random headaches or nausea? Do you feel tired, even on days when you have slept at least 7 hours? THEN YOU NEED TO DRINK MORE WATER.For example, I weigh 140, divide that by 2 and you get 70. So I need to drink at least 70 ounces of water a day. I find that if I make myself drink two big glasses of water first thing in the morning, it is a breeze to reach my goal by the end of the day. Knocking out a big portion of your water intake when you wake up will also help you not have to worry about having to leave your desk all day long to go to the restroom.
3. Unless it is raining, save the front row parking spots for people that need them and park a little further away.
You're young! Save the close up spots at the grocery store for the older people or the people with 3 screaming children. For sure don't circle the parking lot at your gym for a front row spot, you are literally there to get exercise! A couple of extra steps won't take up but a few more seconds of your life.
4. When watching TV at home, stretch!
I cannot stress this one enough! I started this habit in junior high and I believe that it is the sole reason that I am 24 years old and can still do all 3 splits. But more importantly, stretching helps relieve back pain, decrease the chances of injuries when working out, and will help your body stay mobile as you age!Anyone else suffer from sciatic nerve or knee pain? Stretching is a life savor for mine!
5. Always get at least 10K steps per day OR close your move goal... especially if you are not working out that day.
Even I have days when I am too exhausted to be active (aka hangovers). But it doesn't matter how terrible I might feel, I will make myself at least walk outside or on a treadmill until I get 10,000 steps. My Apple Watch move goal is 570. When I hit 10K steps I usually don't close that move goal. My rule is to hit the 10K mark, but if I have it in me to press on and close that move goal, that just makes me more proud of myself. :)
6. During the Winter, if the temperature gets any higher than 60 degrees, go for a run/walk outside.
I can't run outside when it's cold, I immediately get sick, and honestly, I just don't like running enough to force myself. I also despise treadmills, because they bore me. For these reasons I usually don't do much cardio in the Winter months and just focus on my strength training. SO, I have a rule that no matter what, if during the cold season it's randomly warmer outside, I have to go for a run!
7. If you absolutely must eat fast food, get the entree only, skip the fries.
You would be surprise to know that a lot of fast food meals aren't too crazy high in calories if you skip the fries and get a water or calorie-free drink. A regular burger from Mcdonalds is only 250 calories. Shoot, even the bacon & cheese quarter pounder is only 600. But a small fry is 380 calories and a large Coke is 290. Get the entree only, the protein is what you need to keep you full and it's a lot easier to work out later and burn 600 calories than it is to burn 1,270 calories!
I am in no way advocating fast food as a good option for people trying to close weight or get healthy! Calories are one thing...fat grams and chemicals are another.
8. Do not waste calories on fancy coffee drinks or soft drinks.
I made a "rule" with myself back in my freshman year of college, no more "frappes or sugary drinks, make yourself like black coffee."
That might sound impossible to you if you hate coffee and have always had soft drinks in your fridge growing up. If that sounds like you, I challenge you to try this:
Go 3 months without soft drinks (diet included) and only drink your coffee with a drop of cream and a single pack of sugar. After 3 months has passed, go ahead and taste a Coke or a White Chocolate Latte. Your taste buds will no longer be used to all the sugar and they will both taste like a milkshake. It will be a lot easier to resist, try it!
9. On days when I know that I will be going out to eat or going out to party, I always do at least 30 minutes of cardio on top of my normal weight training.
Do both! Not one or the other. The cardio will give me some more calories to play around with when eating/drinking more than usual that night, but weight training will make my metabolism higher for the next 48 hours. That way, even if I do drink myself into a caloric surplus, it's not quite as high as it would be if I skipped weight training that day.10. On days that you just absolutely do not have it in you to go to the gym- go to the gym.
I force myself to walk or drive to the gym. And then, if I get inside the gym and still have zero desire to workout, I will leave. But 9/10 times, if I force myself to go there, I will at least knock out some easy cardio.11. Don't allow yourself a glass of wine before bed unless you have worked out that day.
You have your guilty pleasures, I have mine. And mine happens to be enjoying a glass of red wine (or 2) or a Blue Moon while I sit in an Epsom salt bath before bed. With that being said, all the working out in the world can't undo a crappy diet, but I set this rule for myself because I like to set boundaries for the unhealthy habits in my life.12. Always volunteer if someone in your office needs someone to run an errand that involves walking.
When you have a desk job, jump at the chance to run an errand for someone else! Especially if you are younger than most of the other people in the office, it is just the polite thing to do! It helps save them a trip, and it adds to your daily step count.I work on a college campus and my locations are all very far apart. As much as my interns might hate me for it, we walk everywhere. Because of this, I often end my work day already having hit my 10K step goal! Every little effort like this helps add to my caloric deficit for the day.
13. If you have a private office (or really cool coworkers), hold a plank for one minute every other hour.
This is a new one for me this year! I try to hold all 3 planks for 1 minute at least 4 times during my work day. It forces me to stop typing, get up, and wake up my muscles. Planking engages your entire body! Plus, it is one of the best ways to flatten your stomach and shrink your waist.My boss told me that at his old location, he and his coworkers would do 10 push-ups each hour. Ask around your office, I bet you have some coworkers that would be down to try this with you!
