6 Healthy Lifestyle Changes to Kickstart Healthy Habits Now

There is no passion to be found playing small– in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living. Nelson Mandela

Many of you know that my lifestyle is very unconventional “Living Life as a Trucker Wife- you have to be very creative when trying to manage and balance your dreams with family life.” Traditionally you begin your life the beginning of the year in January. Well, as for me I don’t. My year starts in August. I live and plan my life goals by the “school model.” During my time of trying to cope with the trucking lifestyle I had to learn how to create my schedule and life around my kids and husband over the road commercial truck driver schedule in order to hold down the fort on my own. We live in Atlanta  and all our family lives in Florida. Therefore we have no support system here, everything is up to us. After reading Barbara Sheri book Scanner which is defiantly me. I begin to recreate my life so that it worked for my family untraditional lifestyle. I work only ten months per year from August to May. I’m off during all school breaks including the summer vacation during June and July. During this time I spend it writing, creating positive memories with my kids and riding over the road with my hubby. This life model works for my family situation and lifestyle. 

Update on Blog Post!

This summer you will notice that I didn’t write any post. No, I was actually negotiating a new contract with a company to be their In-House Holistic Nutritionist which so far has been a wonderful experience. The good thing is I’m a independent contractor. Therefore I still have control over my time-which is the number one goal for my family to lead a balanced lifestyle. In July I spent time with the hubby over the road and spent time creating positive memories with the kids before school started back on July 28. Now that it is August it’s time to get back to business. 

My Lifestyle Goals!!!

As a Professional Organizer we are really busy from September-May. The first of the year can be really busy depending on your expertise. However, I have never been a fan of New Year’s Resolutions.  They can be an excuse to delay something, that will likely better yourself, until a future date.  When January finally arrives you strive to stick to what is often an unsustainable goal.  By the end of February, if you made it that long, you have likely gone back to your pre-resolutions ways.  My motto is: 

Why put off something you want to do or change until a certain date.  There is no better time than NOW to get organized, eat healthier, exercise more, spend more time with friends and family, watch less TV and spend more time rebuilding your long distance marriage, start reading more, relax more…etc.

My new contract involve consulting clients in mindful eating and offer practical tools for healthy eating. Everyone has good intentions to make BIG changes at the start of a new year.  Research has shown that small incremental changes are more sustainable and produce better long-term results.  On that note, during the rest of 2016 I will be posting about small changes that trucker wives can make to improve their own and their families health. I believe that small changes can have a BIG effect on your health.  For example, cutting just 100 calories per day from your diet, will result in a 10 pound weight loss over 1 year.  That’s like cutting out 8 oz of soda or half a candy bar per day.  A small change that equals a BIG result.  Imagine what a dozen small changes can do for your health over the next year.

That being said, if you still want to wait until January to start a resolution, here are some tips to help you keep yours all year long:

As for me I’m starting in August and keeping things flowing throughout the entire year. I hope the posts are helpful for you and your families. 

Lesson One: 

Whatever Goal you Choose…

1) Make it achievable.  If your resolution is to lose 30 pounds in 30 days you will likely be setting yourself up for failure… or a trip to the hospital.  Studies has shown that the slower you lose weight the more likely it is to stay off.  Aim for 1-2 pounds of weight loss per week.  Consider regular visits to see a nutritionist for personalized nutrition advice, encouragement, and accountability.

2) Make it sustainable.  If your resolution is to go to the gym 7 days a week, when you have barely been able to fit in 2 workouts per month in the past, you might be over shooting.  It may be more realistic to aim for a trip to the gym 2-3 days per week and incorporate some other activities into your daily routine, ie, taking a walk on your lunch break, parking at the back of the lot, taking the stairs, exercises at your desk, etc.

As a professional organizer I’m keen to creating systems. To get more movement in my daily life I created a Morning Workout and a Evening Workout. Both workouts are the same. I just complete them twice a day one in the morning and one after dinner. 

Morning Workout 2x 

20 Jumping Jacks

10 Push -Up (So Hard For Me… LOL)

20 Squats

30 Scissor

30 Reverse Crunch

30 Regular Crunch

50 Mountain Climbers

After I drop kids off to school I go for a  2 mile walk. I wear 1.5 pound ankle weights and a waist trainer. The one I purchase is below. 

Evening Workout 2x

It’s the same I just add a ten minute run/walk movement.

20 Jumping Jacks

10 Push -Up (So Hard For Me… LOL)

20 Squats

30 Scissor

30 Reverse Crunch

30 Regular Crunch

50 Mountain Climbers

Run/Walk 2x

2 minute run in place

2 minute walk in place

2 minute run in place

2 minute walk in place

2 minute run in place

I do this because I walk 2 miles every morning and eventually I want to start running instead of walking so I’m building up endurance to do so. 

3) Write it down.  Studies have shown that people who write down their goals, and review them frequently, are more likely to achieve them.

I keep a food / workout journal. This way I can monitor my progress and be mindful of what I eat each day. 

4) Have a plan.  Don’t just say your are going to get organized.  Come up with a series of actions that you need to take and a date that you will complete them by.

My plan is not to diet rather lead a healthy lifestyle. My Top Three Healthy Living Lifestyle Goals are:

Goal 1: Become Mindful of what I eat each day. I created a clean eating menu that consist of a plant based diet and less processed, sodium, red meat, diary, and refined sugar. 

Goal 2: Become more Active. I began a walking routine and a morning and evening workout routine to add extra movement into my daily life. I have learned exercise comes in many forms. The bottomline is to get moving and burn more calories than you consume. 

Goal 3: The key to losing weight and living a healthy lifestyle starts in the kitchen. Your kitchen must be organized, functional, and have the tools and products needed for living a healthy lifestyle. Get rid of the junk. All processed foods, refined sugar, and unhealthy carbs replaced them with fresh fruits, veggies, and healthy complex carbs. Invest in the right tools that will help you live a healthier lifestyle such as a blender, potion size containers, nonstick cookware, and any other product you think you may need to eat healthier.  

5) Never get discouraged.  Sometimes we have to take 1 step back in order to take 2 steps forward.  Every time you have a setback use it as a learning opportunity and find new ways to prevent a similar situation in the future.

For example, Last year I lost twenty pounds in 10 weeks by following the Atkins Diet. However, I learned that I did not want to follow a diet but rather lead a healthy lifestyle. Last summer I gained all the weight back therefore I learned that it’s better to lead a healthy lifestyle rather depend on a temporary diet. Plus, I needed to practice what I preached to my clients if I was to expect them to be successful. 

6) Don’t be afraid to tell others and ask for their help and encouragement.  Often times it’s easier to be accountable to others than it is ourselves.  By telling others you may also find someone with the same resolution and you can help each other stay on track. 

I must say I have some really loyal and helpful clients. When I told them I wanted to practice what I preach and that I too was cleaning up my diet they have supported me just as much as I have supported them. It feels so good when you find people you can love, trust, and know they have your best interest at heart, as you respond the same way for their life goals. We build each other up what I beautiful experience. 

In January 2017…Consider making your New Year’s Resolution this: “To Make Gradual Healthy Changes to My Diet and Lifestyle”  Follow the loner-wife blog for updates on SMALL and EASY changes you can make that will have a BIG impact on you and your family health.

Be Inspired to Live a Healthy Lifestyle

Warrior Chic

XOXO