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10 Ways Our Team Is Getting Healthier
It's February (already??), and that means statistically speaking, many people have already given up on their New Years resolutions. Yikes. If you've been wanting to set some goals to get even just a wee bit healthier this year and just not sure where to start or what to do, don't worry – we're here to help!
Below are some of the things that the PPP Team Members are doing this year – ranging from small goals to big goals and everything in between! (Pssst – If you're already checking off the “exercise” box in your Home Planner every day, we'd LOVE to hear what you're doing and what your goals are this year, too! 🙂 )
Laurie:
Even though I feel like I've struggled with my weight for forever, over the last few years I feel like I have a (fairly?!) good handle on a reasonable weight for me, and have figured out what works best for my body (at least for now?). After working on my weight loss goals truly almost my entire life, I'm incredibly aware that I constantly need to cycle what I'm doing, so if I try something and it doesn't work well, I'm pretty willing to swap to a new plan.
This year I'm continuing what I've done for the last few years by fasting (I use the Faster Way to Fat Loss method and it's been amazing). However, over the last few months I've added in Noom as well (I LOVE LOVE LOVE this weight loss app!). It's simple to follow, takes the guesswork out of figuring out calories, and I can tell a big difference in the quality of the food I eat on the days I log my meals.
I don't focus as much on carb cycling the way the Faster Way to Fat Loss program recommends (I probably should, but since I've been pretty content with my weight I haven't worried too much over it!). I do still “fast” most days from 8PM until 12PM, and then log my food into my Noom app on my best days.
And, I always (always!) work out during the week, because it just makes me function better at all I do. (I'm more focused, get more done, and am in general just a happier person on the days I work out!).
I work out 5 days a week between 5 and 5:30AM by using my Peloton (there are cheaper versions here), Les Mills Body Pump, and Body Combat. I love love love those classes, and highly recommend them if you have them nearby!
I also just signed up for these premium classes and can't wait to start incorporating them into my routine!
Jamie:
This year I'm basically just sticking to my lazy Keto diet and drinking lots more water!
I lost 55 lbs last year after doing the Keto diet for 6 months, and I spent the Fall just maintaining that weight. Over the holidays I allowed myself to take a couple months off plan, and put a little weight back on. So last month I re-started Keto (woohoo!). I'm hoping to drop my little 8 lb “Holiday Tummy” and get back to where I was feeling so proud of myself again. 🙂
Besides diet – I am tracking my water intake this year and trying to be SUPER good about drinking a ton. I've read that it's best to drink anywhere from .5 – 1 oz of water per pound you weigh. So if I weigh 150 lbs, I should be shooting for up to 150 oz of water. That's a little more than a gallon. I try to boss myself around and not drink a cup of coffee until I drink a cup of water. (And I drink coffee alllll day long – so that helps me stay on top of it!). Then when I go to get the kids from school, I bring a giant bottle of water and try to drink it all by the time I get home.
I'm not much of an exerciser, but I tell myself that when the weather gets nice I'll get out and hike a bunch. 🙂
Shannon:
I feel weird writing my routine out – but here it goes!
I try to run/walk about 20-25 miles a week, but if it's raining I do a work out video from home (here's one I really like!). I also do daily stretches to stay flexible.
As far as diet, I try to stay healthy by eating mostly organic produce, meat, eggs and milk (I'm a vegetarian when I eat out at restaurants). I try to eat healthier options, but do love me some sweets. 🙂 I mostly stick to dark chocolate or high fiber options for snacks.
I also make a lot of my own items so I can control what goes into them (i.e. cream soup, taco seasoning, meat rub, etc), so I do not have to buy items that have additives in them. Oh! And I take a daily probiotic as well!
Cheree:
I HATE to sweat!
That’s been one of my many excuses over my ummm 55 years on this earth not to exercise. But that changed last year when I realized that I had to get moving to improve my health (mainly some feet issues I was having). So, because I hate to sweat I decided to try out swimming and I fell in love with it! For the first time ever I have consistently exercised 3 or 4 days a week for a whole year.
I decided that for 2022, I wouldn’t make a resolution per say but would continue to swim when possible, make healthy eating choices, and maybe add in some strength training. However, after Christmas break it’s been a little challenging to get back to it. My motivation just wasn’t there.
Then I read an article that talked about how motivation will fail you every single time and that really it’s all about discipline. That resonated with me! Discipline is when you just do the hard stuff even when you don’t feel like it. I had plenty of days in 2021 when I didn’t feel like it and did it anyway. And, you know what? I never regretted getting that work out in or making good choices. But…..I did regret those days when I made a conscious choice to not do the hard things.
This past year I have improved my health and lost 25 pounds along the way. So, for 2022 I think I’m going to make DISCIPLINE my word and on those days I don’t want to get out of bed to exercise at 6AM, or eat cauli rice or kale ~ I’ll do it anyway.
Nicole:
This year I'm trying to be more intentional about staying active (and staying hydrated as well!). Since I work from a computer, I purchased a treadmill desk so I could walk for part of my day while I work.
I didn't really use the treadmill desk much over the holidays (eeek!), so I'm excited about getting back into the swing of using it more regularly! I love being able to “walk and work” at the same time! 🙂
Amber:
I've done Keto on and off a few times over the years, but this year I'm shifting to focusing more on increasing fruits & vegetables and having protein with every meal.
I'm also loosely tracking calories with MyFitnessPal, but not stressing over it too much at this point. I've used other tracking apps, but I think MyFitnessPal is best for me since it has almost all the foods I ever need to search for.
I'm just trying to get consistent activity in at this point (sometimes at the gym, sometimes walking or running – just depends on the day! 🙂 ). Consistency is key!
Cheryl:
This year, I've decided to continue my health regime that I began almost 20 years ago (kinda crazy it's been that long??). This includes walking two miles and running two miles each day (sometimes I need a break from running so I'll just walk the four miles).
My goal in 2022 is to incorporate some more weight training into my routine!
Staci:
Well last year I did fairly well with my goals. I did manage to lose 45 pounds so I am going to work on shedding just a bit more of that. My goals this year are to get healthier, lose weight (as always), and just in general feel better as I continue to age. I'm keeping up with walking five miles a day when the weather cooperates, and throwing in the Beachbody on Demand and my stationary bike.
Water still remains my challenge but not giving up! It is my downfall and I know it is the key to feeling better. Oh – and I am trying to get better about wearing sunscreen all the time!
Mary:
I used to be an avid runner and did a daily bootcamp class, but I have since started going to my local community fitness center with my teen kids & husband. They have all sorts of workout equipment, an indoor track, exercise classes, and more – and the best thing is the price (we pay $20/month for a family of 5)! If you have a local recreation center in your city, I highly recommend checking it out!
For my diet, I have been a Weight Watchers member for a few years and really love it – it focuses on choosing healthy habits and making a lifestyle change, not depriving yourself. They make it really easy to track your daily foods, water, fitness, and more with the mobile app – and they reward you, too! I have fallen off the bandwagon a bit over the past few months, but I'm back on track and ready to go.
When I need a little extra motivation, I love doing StepBet challenges – mainly because I'm SO competitive and hate losing. 😉 With StepBet, you pay a certain fee to join (around $40) and are given 4 Active Days, 2 Power Days, and 1 Rest Day with different step counts that are personalized based on your own activity. Everyone that completes their goal by the end of the game, gets a portion of the dividends back (if you don't meet your goal, you get nothing!). I have played 16 games and not lost yet!
Ashley:
I am working to get healthier in 2022! I have always struggled with my weight throughout my entire life! After having 4 kids, I decided I was done being heavy and it was time to make exercise a priority. Before Laurie moved, she asked me to walk with her in the mornings – this was a game changer for me!
We got up super early, however it has made the biggest difference in my life. I started seeing the pounds come off and started to tone up. We usually walked 2-3 times a week and got in 4 miles each time we walked. Every walk flew by because we were busy chatting along the way. 🙂
This also helped me be more cautious of what I ate & whether I was really hungry or just bored. On our off days, I would do a strength workout on the Peloton app and really enjoyed it!
Since Laurie has moved, I've had to change my plan a bit. I now do Beachbody on Demand and also walk/jog on the treadmill to help sneak in more cardio. It is a great feeling getting up and having my workout done before the day has really started!
Now we'd LOVE to hear what you're doing to get a little healthier this year – what are your goals and your new routines? Share in the comments!
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I’ve started walking each day. Trying to get all my check marks in and the one I was missing was the exercise. So made a commitment to myself this week to start walking. I’m starting at 30 minutes for now and hope to add 5 minutes each week. Lost 2lbs this week so it may be helping already.