3 Tips for Prioritizing Nutrition & Fitness

Today’s post is a guest post written by Paige. 

We often fail to make our nutrition and fitness a priority because we are so busy and other things take precedence. The danger is that we put nutrition and fitness to the back of the line so often that we put our well-being in danger. As obesity numbers in the United States continue to climb and more than 35% of Americans are obese, now is the time to make your nutrition and fitness a priority. These three tips will help you get started on the path to a healthier you.

1. Make Time for You

No, it’s not easy to make me time, but if you don’t take good care of yourself, you will find that it becomes increasingly difficult to care for others and do all that you need to do in a day.  Without some me time, you’re also running the risk of putting your mental health in jeopardy, which has driven many people down some very dark roads.

You need to give yourself permission to work on you and say no even when you feel guilty about doing so. The hardest part about making more time for yourself is doing it the first time. But, once you make time for you, you will find that you decrease your stress level, increase your energy level, and improve your mood.

These benefits only occur if you use your me time wisely, so take the time to do yoga, take a fitness class you’ve been wanting to join, or go for a long walk or hike. If you want to try a unique workout, look into using fitness equipment in your swimming pool.

Another option is to take a healthy cooking class so you will understand more about the importance of good nutrition and know how to cook meals that will deliver the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that your family needs. You may find a cooking class at a local community center, college, or university.

2. Plan Healthy Slow-Cooker Meals

One way to ensure your family eats healthy meals during the week is to choose and prepare slow-cooker meals for busy weeknights. You can prep the meals on the weekend and freeze or refrigerate ingredients as needed, or you can prepare them the night before and allow your slow-cooker to do all the work while you are on the job. Of course, you should opt for slow-cooker meals that include healthy, whole foods like fresh vegetables, low-sodium broth, and lean protein rather than those that call for a lot of cheese, salt, or sugar.

The key is to plan healthy, flavorful meals to get you through the week so you don’t find yourself running through a fast food drive-through after work or before a sporting event. You will know exactly what you are eating and when, and you will not reach for junk food because you will be prepared for the whole week ahead of time.

3. Keep a Food/Fitness Journal

Sometimes, the best way to prioritize nutrition and fitness is to log your progress and hold yourself accountable. By tracking eating and workout habits, you will be able to detect patterns, tally calories, and keep a record of your journey to well-being. A food journal may be something you write by hand or something that you keep in a file on your laptop. Make sure that you keep it handy and that you can quickly log your food and activity so you view the journal as a tool rather than as a burden.

You may find that it is easier to develop healthy eating habits if you log how you feel after a week of cutting out added sugar or fatty foods. Most likely, you will find that the better your nutrition is, the better you feel and the fewer cravings you have. If you struggled with addiction in the past, you will recognize the value of tracking your progress in a journal and seeing how your nutrition and exercise impact your physical and mental health and help you avoid a relapse.

If you want to make nutrition and fitness a priority, you should start by making time for you, planning healthy slow-cooker meals, and keeping a food/fitness journal.

If you don’t already have a fitness journal, here’s a well-organized one worth checking out.

This guest post was written by Paige at LearnFit be sure to leave her some love in the comments and stop by her blog to see what other valuable information she has to offer! Thanks Paige for sharing these great tips with us! 

What tip did you like the most? Do you already do any of these? What other things do you do to make it easier to make your health a priority? Feel free to share in the comments! Happy Friday! ❤

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