Nutrition and Fitness Goals

Today is all about nutrition and fitness goals! First, we’ll start off with some basics before diving deeper into a new Life With Elisabeth of overall fitness and nutrition. It’s a secret to no one that general wellness isn’t just about what you put in your mouth or how many minutes you exercise. I’ve done several posts on mindfulness and creating good habits for mental and emotional health, so now it’s time to focus on physical wellness! (You can find my post about self-care practices here.)

It’s been two years since I started regularly attending Pure Barre classes at my local studio. Taking classes regularly has helped me create better personal fitness goals, given me the courage to run multiple 5K races, and has shown me a sisterhood of women with goals even greater than my own. It’s helped me get to the point where I feel like I can talk about health and fitness in my blog!

Over the last two years, Pure Barre has become a huge part of my life. It hasn’t dramatically changed the number on the scale, but I’m happier with the reflection in the mirror than ever. I’m not going to preach any more about how much I love my Pure Barre studio (you can read more about that in this post). Instead, I’m going to take you on a journey toward better fitness and health – which is exactly what Pure Barre helped me to do.

Nutrition and Fitness Journey

Eating well and exercising are equally necessary for success in creating a healthy living routine. For so many people, one of these comes more easily than the other. Personally, working out has been the easy part for the last few years. Pure Barre classes in the morning and cardio at night, I’ve got all the endorphins a girl could ask for!

Eating right was a different story. Meal prepping for breakfast and lunch was easy, but at night I would devour everything in sight! I was having ‘cheat meals’ every single night and snacking was my worst habit.

Finally I started meal prepping bigger lunches. With 5 ounces of protein instead of 3 and with tons of veggies. I’m much more likely to add half of a sweet potato or cauliflower rice to my lunches now than I did before. It keeps me fuller longer, preventing me from overeating later in the night.

Another one of my downfalls was my constant craving for something crunchy! After so many mindless calories eating every chip in sight, I finally realized I crave crunchy when I’m thirsty. Anyone else? They always say to drink something when you think you’re hungry – well whoever they are, is right. When you’re craving something, you’re probably missing an essential vitamin that your body needs!

The Basics

In creating a new, yet simple workout routine, I’m listing some of my favorites! These are some basic items to have at home that will allow you to go at your own pace, while still seeing results!

Grab a set of hand held weights. I use 6 pound weights when I’m running up and down the stairs or doing basic tricep or bicep reps. Use heavier or lighter, depending on how much you think you can take! I also hold weights in my hands when I’m on the stair stepper for an added upper body workout!

Try doing three sets of 20 tricep reps. Hold the weights together, behind your head with your elbows glued to your ears. Raise the weights slowly as you extend your arms above your head and slowly lower back down. That’s one!

Using resistance bands is a great way to incorporate stretching your upper and lower body after weight work. This will help to create long and lean muscles. By bringing the band up over and behind your head and straightening your arms, you’ll loosen up your neck and chest muscles. Whether you’ve done weight work or not, these are commonly the most tense muscles we have! Check out this set I’ve linked below for different resistances!

The last thing I want to encourage as a beginner is a yoga DVD. This is so important for our entire wellbeing – mind, body, and soul. By incorporating some kind of yoga into your workout routine, your muscles will become more lean, flexibility will increase, and your mind will be more at ease. Try it and let me know what you think!

The Rundown

The items I listed above are just a few things that I have incorporated into my regimen. They have each made a significant impact on the way my clothes fit and how I feel mentally. The products I’ve linked are items I use and that I have been happy with, but see what works best for you and your body! It’s also important to never compare your beginning stages with the progress of someone else. Allow yourself to be a beginner!

I also wanted to point out that I am by no means an expert. In many areas, I’m a beginner, too! My goal is to take you on my journey to healthier living and to encourage those who are having a hard time getting started.

Your Turn!

Do you think this will work for you? Is there something holding you back from living more healthfully?

Try incorporating just one thing at a time and let me know what you think about this advice! Good luck!