We tend to get too caught up in the minute
and forget the easy, low hanging BIG ROCKS we can move by focusing on a few simple things.
None of this is new, it isn't sexy, and it is far from complicated, but if you are consistent, it is effective as hell and will have you feeling your best in no time.
Eat more vegetables.
Aim for two meals a day with a substantial amount of Green stuff.
How many times have you heard that? Yet is it still a thing. I have been coaching for a long time, and the abysmal amount of vegetables consumed by most people always gives me pause. We can ALL use some more vegetables. Deep greens, broccoli, brussels sprouts, kale, spinach, spring mix; adding these things into your diet a few times a day will make you feel GOOD.
I won't lie to you and say they will help you drop 10 pounds by Friday, but they will help you take regular poops, and by default, push some junk you most likely don't want to be eating off your plate.
Don't like vegetables? Suck it up.
Really, I have no better advice for you. Keep experimenting with different ones and cooking styles until you like them. I hate boiled Brussels but roasted they are the tits. Spinach makes me gag, that's a hard pass in any situation, but kale and spring mix are A-OK. You don't have to eat ALL of them, just enough to keep your body doing its job.
We are animals. Our bodies expect certain things, fibrous vegetables are one of those things. You must give yourself what your DNA expects you to eat!
Call your bullshit, eat your veggies.
More Water. Start each day with 16-32 ounces.
Another stupid simple thing we all can do, yet most still are not doing. Drink your water. Start each morning before your Coffee or any food with 16-32 ounces of water. It may sound like a lot, but you are coming off 8 hours (hopefully) of sleep.
Your body has not had any liquids, and that's a problem because our bodies need water to do their job.
Everything from our digestion, hunger cues, and cognitive function is dependent on having enough water in our system.
Dehydration does some jacked-up things to our bodies, yet most of us are chronically dehydrated.
Put down the Diet Cokes, step away from the Lattes, set your energy drinks aside. Get in the habit of drinking WATER first.
You will come to find you do not need all the other stuff; you are simply not getting enough water.
Start your mornings with a big ass glass of room temp water, like BIG. 32 ounces is a lot. Room temp so you can drink it fast. You will go from sad starfish on the sand to thriving in no time.
Sleep more…
Sleep is magic. Rest is an anti-aging drug. It is a super healer. It helps us not eat like assholes, reduces chronic stress. It really does some amazing shit. We should be excited to get in bed early whenever possible.
If you are struggling with your weight, look to sleep first. How many hours are you getting? Under 7 is shit, not enough for anyone.
Getting 8 hours will help you in ways eating a reduced-calorie diet wishes it could. You will be able to listen to your body's hunger cues better. Your leptin and ghrelin (hormones that regulate hunger) NEED that time in bed to function correctly. If the only thing that ever sounds good is carbs, chances are you are not getting enough sleep.
Hours BEFORE mid-night matter. Not everyone can control this, but if you are home and can get in bed before 12, do it.
The hours before midnight is when most of us get most of our deep sleep. You may be getting 8 hours, but if those hours are 12-8am, you are still probably coming up short on your sleep cycles. Blame our circadian rhythm. We are wired to get in bed with the sunset. Biology has yet to figure out Chicago Fire doesn't start until 9pm (pro-tip, record that, nothing is going on all weekend anyway). Deep sleep is when muscles repair and our BODIES rest. We need it. The more hours you log before mid-night, the better off you will be.
You all know the tricks to good sleep, stay off your phone before bed, and try to limit food and alcohol intake the hour or two before bedtime. Simple steps, but they have big payoffs.
Non-health related behaviors that are also totally health-related:
Develop a Gratitude Practice.
Gratitude is everything. The end. Period.
Do it. Start each day stating or (even better) writing something you are grateful for.
Life is good, even when it doesn't feel that way. It is our job to see that. We all have infinite numbers of reasons to be grateful for, yet we are a bunch of salty bitches complaining when the line in Target is too long…. Like what… it is wild how miserable some of us can be in a world literally filled with cool shit.
Make being grateful your default by developing a gratitude practice. Start each day stating something you are thankful for and repeat as often as needed to remind yourself that being stuck behind a slow driver, cleaning the kitchen and folding laundry are not the worst things in the world. They are all big blessings. You have a car to drive. A good thing that driver in on the road is keeping your angry ass from going like a dick and hurting someone. And yes, cleaning blows, but you would lay in traffic for the people you are cleaning up after, so calm yourself, think of the alternative. Amazingly, we have these little mess makers in our lives.
You can catch me smiling when I fold the laundry. I wouldn't have it any other way.
Set some boundaries.
You can be grateful for someone and not want to be always on for them. Boundaries are kindness. They protect you and the people you love and work with. Know when to use them.
Some boundaries don't even need to be stated. I found checking my email past 5pm is rarely productive. It will stress me out, make me feel like I need to get whatever task is done right then, and generally mess with my time with my family. So I don't check it until 7am now. Simple.
Is there the occasional ass who will email at 8pm then forward the same email at 10pm and say, "you didn't get back to me"? YEP! Bless them, I did not get back to them, and that feels good.
Teachers, I can't imagine what y'all have been dealing with this year. Working from home is weird for us all. Knowing when to stop and when to get something done is hard when we are two feet from your couch and desk at all times, adding little people and their crazy parents on top of it… yikes.
Boundaries are needed for all parties involved. You need your peace! And it is an excellent lesson for them (the kids and parents) to see life is not going to revolve on their schedule.
There were so many texts depressing, "did you see this" I simply didn't answer last year. That is a boundary. Protects my peace and does the other party favor too. They can't go down the negative bitching black hole alone.
Saying yes when it is really a no is rude to everyone. No is a freeing term.
You don't need to explain or quantify. Sometimes that makes it worse. It gives space to crack holes in your No. "Oh, you don't have to work tomorrow. The kids are off of school. You said last time you would; I really need help with this; it will only take a minute…". Leaving anything as just a NO is clean.
It is simple.
Protect your peace by setting some boundaries and saying no when it is a no.
Pray. Meditate. Talk to God. Write letters to the Universe…
Whatever calls to you, do it. There is extreme comfort in the belief that there is something bigger than all of us, guiding us at all times. Acknowledging that presence, asking it for help when needed, and (really important) saying thank you for all the really great things we have and are; THAT is a game-changer.
Create time to get quiet.
Let yourself be. Say a prayer. Use a manta. Meditate. Journal. Whatever floats your boat, just create space for you, and whatever you believe made you.
Talk to God. Ask the Universe to help.
Just trust me on this one.