It’s funny how often I over complicate things. I spend weeks planning, buying new gear and products, and creating an elaborate structure in order to live a healthier lifestyle. The planning is often the easiest part for me, but the implementation is what I often struggle with.
My sister and I talk about it often, but simple changes over the course of time are really what result in us reaching our goals. My belief is that by creating simple changes we’ll not only create lifelong habits but we also won’t be so hard on ourselves when we face slip ups.
My sister is a beautiful example of how simple changes can create a healthier lifestyle. My sister, over the course of a year, stopped being so hard on herself, reduced her soda intake, started moving more, and added more produce into her diet. They were simple changes, but they made a huge difference in her diet and lifestyle. Between September and December last year she lost 41 pounds and has continue to tweak her lifestyle this year.
I honestly feel like I have a hard time focusing on the simple changes. I tend to look at big changes and miss out on all of the little changes that can really make an even bigger difference in my life. Some of the simple changes that have made a huge difference in my life include:
1. Walking 10,000 steps each day! It’s honestly amazing to see how hard it is some days to walk more than 3,000 steps. If I wake up late, get ready for work, drive to work, sit at my desk all day, drive home, make dinner, and then sit on the couch while I blog and watch TV I barely break 3,000 steps! Making it a point to move more and to get close to 10,000 steps a day is a small change that can make a huge difference.
2. Drinking lots of water! I just feel better when I drink water, but sometimes it can be hard to do. There have been many days when I’ll nurse my coffee until the lunch hour (pre-pregnancy) and then have my first cup of water with lunch. By then I’m already dehydrated and tired because I hadn’t consumed water throughout the morning. A simple change is to start the day with a big glass of water before having your coffee. It’s a simple change and can start your day off right.
3. Eating more vegetables! Especially now that I’m pregnant, it’s amazing how easy it is to just eat carbs all day. Adding vegetables to my meals not only lowers my calories overall but it provides my body with nutrients and volume to sustain me throughout the day.
4. Eating breakfast! This is quite possibly my favorite simple change but for some I know it’s a real struggle. As you’ve probably seen on my Instagram, I love breakfast!! I love that you can have sweet, savory, and everything in between. Breakfast is incredibly important, but what’s more important is what you’re eating at breakfast. A bowl of cereal compared to a protein packed breakfast makes a world of difference. Don’t get me wrong, I love cereal, but I know how different I feel throughout the day if I eat protein with my breakfast!
Last year I was introduced to FlapJacked Pancakes, which have 15-17 grams of protein in them per serving! When most people think of eating protein at breakfast they think of eating eggs, tofu, or various meats, but FlapJacked Pancakes are a great way to enjoy your protein in a non-traditional form.
FlapJacked Pancakes come in three delicious flavors including Cinnamon Apple, which Neal and I enjoyed a few weekends ago with some black forest bacon…
Banana Hazelnut, which I must say goes perfectly with Nuetella…
and buttermilk, which is the perfect base for a gazillion pancake and waffle ideas. Last year I made these amazing turkey bacon pancakes with the buttermilk batter and am planning to whip together some blueberry lemon pancakes next week.
Enjoying FlapJacked Pancakes for breakfast is a great example of how to make small changes while still enjoying the foods and flavors you love. At least I know that I’m fueling my body, allowing myself to enjoy foods I love, and eating 15g-17g of protein at breakfast.
In the end, living a healthy lifestyle doesn’t have to be as difficult as we make it!! Small changes each day can really make a huge difference in our lives.
What are some of the small changes you make to live a healthier lifestyle?
FlapJacked provided me with samples of all three pancake mixes. I was not paid for this post or to write a review. All opinions in this post are truly my own.