Change Your Lifestyle in 30 Days!

What if I said it is possible? Possible to make better choices, physically feel a difference in your health, and be confident in your skin! STOP with the dieting already!! You need to make a lifestyle change. Not a temporary, quick fix. “Dieting” is just a band-aid. It’s not correcting the underlying issue, which is adjusting your lifestyle to fit YOU; fit your goals, your health needs, your way of life, your happiness.

I’m a huge advocate of self-development and I love the idea of always trying to improve and work towards becoming our best selves. It’s been said that 30 days is just enough time to solidify a new habit, or break an old one. The idea is pretty simple; think about something you’ve always wanted to add to your life, or subtract, and try it for the next 30 days! Instead of the time flying by and continued dissatisfaction each day, this time can be much more memorable and fulfilling!

What’s the secret to a “30-day challenge”? How do you succeed? Answer: Making small changes one at a time is the key! This is much more sustainable over the long-term rather than trying to change all your old habits and routines at once. The other most important thing to being successful at a “challenge,” is time. You must make this a priority. You must carve out time in your schedule every single day and devote it towards this goal. It comes down to every decision you make; ask yourself this question each time – Is this going to help you reach your goal?

When you make small sustainable changes, things you can keep doing, these are the changes that are more likely to stick. There’s nothing wrong with crazy, big challenges as they too can be fun and fulfilling, but they’re most likely not going to be the changes that stick. Small, realistic, daily goals is key. I can guarantee you this; the next 30 days are going to pass, whether you like it or not, so why not think about something you have always wanted to try and give it a shot for the next 30 days?!

So, are you wanting to look and feel summer-ready in the next month?! Then take on these new habits! I want to provide you some small changes you can adjust this next month. Follow some or all of these simple steps and you’ll begin to realize some drastic changes. This is a list of suggestions, not meant to be taken on all at once, but maybe choosing one or two of them a month to accomplish. Or if you’re feeling determined, take on them ALL!

• 1.Quit a bad habit that bothers you – Sugar? Alcohol? Smoking? Caffeine?
• 2.Get outside – vitamin D, more walking, fresh air; need I say more?
• 3.Increase your water intake – aim for 1 gallon a day
• 4.Do not grocery shop for anything you shouldn’t be eating – if it’s not there, we can’t eat it
• 5.Grocery shop on the outsides of the stores – this is where you’ll find fresh fruits and veggies, proteins, dairy/egg products, etc; the inside isles are usually all the processed junk
• 6.Give up tv or social media – I gave up television and now watch my Netflix during cardio
• 7.Get a minimum of 7 hours of sleep – seriously, I know you know, but seriously
• 8.Make an appointment every day to exercise – put it in your calendar like any other meeting/appointment; yes, it’s that important
• 9.Exercise for at least 30 minutes a day 5 days per week – ideally, try to get to 30 minutes of weight training 3-5 times per week and 20-30 minutes of cardio 3-5 times per week
• 10.Meal prep – All your meals! Except allow yourself 1 or 2 “fun meals” per week, ah balance
• 11.Eat 5-6 smaller meals instead of 3 large ones – eat around every 3 hours, this focus is to evenly distribute calories throughout the day – blood sugar stability, metabolism, etc.
• 12.Be taking at least a multivitamin, fish oil, and probiotics
• 13.Have veggies in at least 3 meals and try to make all 3 different – best way to eat veggies is raw/fresh, then steamed or boiled or baked or grilled (without oil, butter, etc)
• 14.2 servings of fruit per day only – serving equals the size of your fist
• 15.Try to have a little protein at every meal
• 16.Choose leaner proteins – egg whites, white chicken meat (breast), turkey breast, lean ground turkey, fish, protein powders, tofu
• 17.Eliminate sauces – save the calories and prepare food with spices and herbs instead for great flavors
• 18.Keep liquids to just water, tea, coffee
• 19.Have healthy snacks readily available so you grab for these instead when hunger strikes
• 20.Weigh yourself only 1 time per week and at the same time each week – don’t become obsessive, never a good thing as weight fluctuates all the time

If you really want something badly enough, you can do anything for 30 days! Challenge yourself, change yourself! – Dani Capanna, MS, DTR, CDM