Wellness
My husband and I began strict exercise and diet modification March 1st. The end of August will mark 6-months into our journey of wellness. My exercise routine begins with weightlifting in the morning followed by a brisk half-hour walk. Later in the day I try to get a half hour of Kayaking, and another half hour walk. This routine gets changed periodically.
My morning eating routine consists partially of overnight oats. I put ½ cup of oats in a cup, add one 8-ounce glass of 30-calorie almond milk, and cut up a few raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries and throw that in. I obviously make this the night before and get it out after my shower each morning. Before I eat it, I drizzle a little honey on it. I absolutely love it. At around 9:30 or 10 I eat a very small handful of plain walnuts. I follow up with a normal half portion of lunch and a very clean dinner. Before bed I will have a small apple with a little peanut butter or a banana and highly concentrated beat juice. I try to balance my calories so that I have enough energy to exercise and few enough calories to lose weight. That is always the most difficult part, as my greatest goal is to feel energized, not sluggish.
My wellness goals are to:
- Feel healthy & energized
- Improve my overall health- body & mind (physical, mental & emotional)
- Lose weight
So far, over a 6-month period, I have lost probably 18 pounds. I would be discouraged if I didn’t look at the big picture. My concentration and energy level are better, and my overall health is excellent other than a hereditary blood pressure concern.
I am not a supplement person. I am not against them; I would just rather get my nutrition from my food when at all possible because I’m a foodie at heart. The Italian girl in me loves to eat.
Over our 20-year marriage, my husband & I have adopted exercise routines for a larger majority of the time. We haven’t been as strict with our diet. We have come to the point more recently where our diet was getting way out of hand and we needed to make improvements.
The longer I stay disciplined, for the most part, the easier it is to stay disciplined. I absolutely love my morning walk. It’s like therapy. It clears the cobwebs and helps me with my focus and positivity. Pretty soon, though, I’m going to have to make the switch from my morning walks outside to my treadmill.
If you have hit my age and everything that comes with it, or you are looking for an overall improvement in health, I would encourage you to begin an exercise routine if you don’t already have one. You may not even realize how bad you feel into you notice how great you’re beginning to feel.