“COVID 30”?

The “COVID 30” may be a name I have made up but probably not. It is what is happening in households nationwide. It can cause many negative issues down the road and should be controlled as quickly as possible. So what is the “COVID 30”? Well it is kind of like the “freshman 20” or the “newlywed 30” . It is what happens when people get bored, stressed, emotional, even a little crazy. When people have an abundant amount of time, and not much to do within that time they tend to veg, to sit in front of the TV, play video games, stare at TikTok, whatever it is and usually what is next to them is something to snack on. I have seen it over and over and I have even done it myself. I can sit down and watch a show with a bag of chips next to me and the next thing I know it is an empty bag of chips. So thus the cycle begins: you wake up, you get stuff done around the house, and then since we are not allowed to do much outside the house you sit, and then you snack. After a while the snacking catches up with you and you realize the scale says you are a bit heavier than you were before all of this started. So how do you fix this?

• First and foremost you have to want to change this. You have to change your mindset and tell yourself “NO!” when it comes to snacking. This means when you have gotten something done and you want to “reward” yourself with ice cream or some other yummy treat, just say “no”. Since when did you become a dog that needs a treat for doing something good? I don’t mean to insult but I hear so many people (including myself) say “I deserve this, I worked so hard” or something like this, and so they buy that extra large coffee, or burger, or whatever it is, instead of actually doing something good for themselves. Instead of that treat take your dog for a walk, I promise you he’ll love doing something with you.

• If you have made the decision to try and get healthier you need to know that GRACE has to be a big part of the process. What I mean is this: most people push hard in the beginning, they start a diet, a new workout, they throw out all the snacks in the house, etc and then they realize what they have done and quit. Give yourself grace, you are not perfect and those perfect trainers in the workout videos you watch are not perfect either. You will mess up but if you accept this as a road bump rather than a road block you can keep on track even if you stumble.

• Eating healthy is not starting a diet. It is a change in the way you eat. There are so many resources available that help with deciding the right kinds of foods to eat. Remember to also check with your doctor especially if you already have medical conditions that can be affected by a change in food or exercise. It is not just about the calories listed on the side of the box or bag. You have to notice the fat content, amount of proteins and even what the actual ingredients are that make up the food you want to eat. A lot of foods are processed in a way that the nutrients that should be in them are not, which is why it is good to go organic or raw whole foods as much as you can. Supplements can help with the nutrient deficiency of foods by adding in vitamins and minerals into your “diet”. I personally love Adovcare products and help people learn about and purchase them through my website. I have used the Advocare supplements for a few years now and have helped people in the weight loss journey. I highly recommend that you do your own research and find what fits you best.

• Exercising is essential! The saying is true about weight loss and having a healthy lifestyle, it is achieved with 80% what you are eating and 20% exercising. I once read that if you do at least 3 miles or 30 minutes a day of exercise you will start to see the change in your body. Now the change won’t just be in the muscle mass you see or the loss of fat around the belly, it will be in the way you actually feel. Runners get the runner’s high after a race, there is a certain “high” you feel after a you do a walk, or a workout that just energizes you for the day. I try to encourage people to exercise in the morning since it will set the mood for the day. Exercising is usually mind over matter, with that being said if you have never exercised or it’s been a long time, start with something easy like a walk and work you way to more difficult exercises. Once you start challenging yourself the only person standing in your way is yourself. Signing up for a gym membership helps keep you accountable especially if you sign up for classes, but mostly with the money you spend each month to keep the membership. If you are just starting out grab a friend (virtually if you must) and do a Couch to 5k routine or use a fitness app, one of my favorite apps is the FITon app which has trainers that put on classes for free. You can invite friends to do the workouts with you or you can even challenge them which will push you and them to try harder. However you do it, exercise is key for a healthy lifestyle.

• Lastly and more of a fun one, get into this new lifestyle. Get the workout clothes that make you feel good and fit well when exercising. I really love the brand Just Strong, just use the coupon code HEABAR10 at checkout. Start to see that experimenting with new foods and ways of preparing them can be great for the taste buds as well as your waistline. Enjoy the “off scale” victories. How many inches have you lost? Have you noticed you have more energy? Start enjoying the outdoors more, play with your kids more, walk the dog or the cat if she allows. Start to see that the benefits outweigh the sore muscles from the previous days workout. If you can’t find the fun or feel the benefits of a healthy lifestyle you will give up. It will be hard to achieve a healthier way of living but it will be worth it. Your body will thank you. Remember you only have this one body you and you alone are the only one that can take care of it. Until next time:

You can be mentally stronger than you physically feel