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Deciding to live a healthy lifestyle can be overwhelming at first. There are so many things to consider.

What the heck is quinoa?

Can I run in these shoes?

Is this yogurt good for me?

Those spin class seats do not look comfortable.

What if I don’t like kale?

Girl, take a deep breath. You don’t have to become a kale-loving-green-juice-sipping-yoga-master all in one day. If you try to go all-in and workout 7 days a week at 5 a.m., chances are that won’t last long. You’ll decide that this whole healthy lifestyle thing stinks, and you’ll never want to do it again. Make your changes slowly, adding in a new change every few days or once a week.

Here are 10 easy changes to make to your daily life to get you started on your healthy lifestyle!

Drink More Water

Drinking enough water has so many good benefits: it keeps you hydrated, flushes out toxins, your skin looks gorgeous, and it keeps you regular! Swap out the sodas and fruit juices for water and you’ll feel the difference! Try adding in some sliced lemon and mint or cucumbers to make your own infused water. A cute water bottle helps, too! This palm leaf one is so summery.

Need some inspiration for getting more water in? Check out this post.

Go On A Walk At Lunch

If you’re not ready to commit to working out 5 days a week, try getting up and going for a walk at lunch. It helps with digestion, gets your heart rate up, and counts towards the 150 minutes of cardio you should be getting a week. Plus, the fresh air will refresh you, too!

Eat More Fruit

You’ve likely heard somewhere that the sugars in fruit make it “bad”. Not true! Fruits contain a form of sugar called fructose, which is different and nowhere near as harmful as the glucose and sucrose found in added sugars and things like artificial corn syrup. Plus, fruits contain good-for-you fiber, vitamins and minerals. Snack on one after lunch or dinner to curb your sweet tooth!

Meal Prep Your Breakfasts

You don’t need to exhaust yourself and cook for six hours to meal prep every meal and snack for the next ten days. Start small. Meal prepping your breakfasts ensures that you eat something healthy and will reduce stress as you’re scrambling to get ready on that all-too-early Monday morning. Plus, if you eat a healthy breakfast, you’re more likely to make healthier decisions throughout the day. Make overnight oats, fix up some egg white muffins, or pre-assemble ingredients for smoothies. I promise, your early morning self will thank you.

This post has great ideas for quick meal planning.

Schedule Your Workouts

Write down your workouts in your planner and treat them like a work meeting so you won’t be tempted to skip out on them. It really does help! Pencil in your favorite workout class on a Thursday and you’ll make healthier choices knowing you have that class the next night. Mexican food for lunch doesn’t sound as appealing when you know you’ll be on that bike five hours later!

Go one step further and print out a calendar of the month to fill in your workouts after you’ve completed them. When you look at the fridge and see all that you’ve accomplished, you’re more likely to stick to your goals!

Cook Once, Eat Twice

When you’re cooking your evening dinner, double the recipe so you have leftovers for lunch the next day. This ensures that you have something healthy and home cooked- way better than takeout! Put it straight into your Tupperware from the skillet and into your lunchbox to save yourself time the next morning.

This quinoa turkey meatball recipe makes a bunch- perfect for multiple meals!

Stock Up On Healthy Snacks

If you’re a snacker, odds are you’ll reach for whatever is closest and not whatever is healthiest. By loading up your pantry and fridge with healthy snacks, you’re more likely to make a good choice rather than heading for the vending machine when that 3 o’clock hanger strikes. Some healthy options include greek yogurt, chia seed pudding, fruit, all natural peanut butter, unsalted nuts, skim milk mozzarella sticks, hummus and veggies, and protein muffins. 

Plan Something Fun

If you’re living life just waiting for the weekend, you’re going to spend way more of your life waiting than doing! Schedule something fun for yourself during the week, like your favorite yoga class or happy hour with your girlfriends. Setting aside this time for yourself will reduce stress and increase the endorphins in your system, which are hormones that cause you to feel happy. Your mental health is just as important as your physical health!

Indulge in Self-Care

Somewhere between the busy to-do lists, demanding job, messy car and that dress you still haven’t taken to the dry cleaners, we as women tend to forget about ourselves. Making time for the things you love is extremely important for maintaining a healthy life. Set aside Sunday evenings for you- a glass of wine, a bubble bath, and an exfoliating mask. You can’t pour out into others if your tank is empty.

Get Enough Sleep

We’re all guilty of laying in bed, scrolling through Instagram while occasionally glancing at the clock to calculate how much sleep we’ll get if we go to sleep at that exact moment. Put your phone down, turn the tv off and catch some zzz’s. Whatever you’re scrolling through on your phone will be there tomorrow. Getting 7-8 hours of sleep not only makes you a happier person, but can help you hit your fitness goals and be less stressed. Setting an alarm for your bedtime seems silly, but it’s a great way to remind you to start to wind down.

Remember to take it easy and not tackle all of these things at once! Living a healthy lifestyle doesn’t have to be complicated. You’ll love feeling strong, confident, and happy!

Thanks for reading,

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