Twenty-twenty-three was a year of maintenance for me when it came to health and wellness. With my wedding in July, nothing worried me more than not fitting into my dress. When I went for my second dress fitting, the woman who did my alterations was nervous because I had gained a bit of weight. The dress fit more snugly than it did at the first fitting. Of course, it made me even more stressed and anxious about my weight. Convincing myself it was because I was weightlifting and bulking, I didn’t want to accept I had gained weight.

After our wedding day had come and gone, I was able to breathe. So excited to begin dialing in on my health and only focusing on that. I set the goal of 10,000 steps daily and for the most part, have maintained that goal. Some days aren’t perfect, but I’ve hit 10,000 more than I’ve not.

The holiday months of October through December are always a challenge for me. It’s more about my willpower than anything. Can I resist the Halloween candy? Do I need all of the desserts? In 2023, the answer was no. I didn’t need them but I also couldn’t resist them. It’s something I’m working on.

Here I am now, in January of 2024, and here’s the latest on what I’ve been doing for my health.

Drinking my greens—

In the past, I’ve tried Athletic Greens, and I’ll be honest, I do not enjoy the flavor. I decided to try a different company and enjoy it so much more. Plus, it comes in little packets for convenience and travel.

Every morning before I even have coffee, I drink my greens. This starts my day off on a good note and makes me feel really good.

Taking a probiotic—

Bloating has been a constant issue for me for years. To this day, I don’t know the exact cause, but I have a general idea of the foods I can and cannot eat. By taking a probiotic daily, it helps reduce the bloat, giving me more energy.

I used to take a capsule every night before bed but found that I didn’t notice much of a difference. Instead, I am using the same company that I get my greens from. The probiotic is a power that comes individually packaged. Many refer to these as “pixie stix,” because they melt on your tongue.

Personally, for the time I have been using them, I love them. The taste is not bad and I have not been nearly as bloated as I have been in the past.

Alternating cardio and weights—

From about November to December, I was strictly doing weight lifting. Unfortunately, for me, I was seeming to gain weight. It wasn’t until recently that I decided I was going to alternate days of running and weights.

I’ve always loved to run. It’s been my choice of exercise for years. After completing my first 10K race back in March of 2023, I took a long break from it. But, it feels so good to be back at it again.

My body has regulated digestion and bloat very well since making this change. Plus, I’m at a lesser risk for injury by not running every day.

Likewise, I have been using the Moves by Madeline app for weight training. It’s a self-paced weight training program that anyone can do at any time. I do the daily moves, but there are other programs within the app you can choose.

Weights have never been a part of my workout regime, but I’m enjoying the results I’ve been seeing since starting this program.

10,000 daily steps—

This isn’t a recent thing for me. I’ve been working hard on getting 10,000 a day for about a year. Some days certainly are not perfect, but it has encouraged me to move a lot more.

Utilizing my Apple watch, I can track my steps throughout the day. On days when I have only hit 1,200 steps by 3:00 PM, I am out walking until I get to 10,000. It’s been a great push of motivation. So, in combination with my running and weightlifting, getting my steps in is crucial.

Like many things in life, consistency is key. Unfortunately, I haven’t been extremely consistent with all of these listed above until the last few weeks. It’s been most important for me to fit my exercise time closer to the morning rather than the evening. I get super tired around 4:00 PM and I know I am not giving my body a fair chance.

As far as my eating habits and food:

Drinking less alcohol—

I’ve seen many people on the internet recently share that they’re giving up alcohol for good. While I think that might be in my future, I’m not at that point. In moderation, alcohol is a great way to relax at the end of the day. For my husband and I, we enjoy having a beer or a long drink after work and hanging out together.

While that is true, I am cutting back on it a little bit. The headaches and dehydration that come with alcohol aren’t my favorite. Not to mention the calories and sugar, too. Which is why I am cutting back. Those things often lead to poor sleep quality, which is important to me.

So, not giving it up entirely, just having one every once in a while.

Eating less sweets—

My husband and I like buying dark chocolate as our late-night sweet treat. It wasn’t always that way. We used to be really big ice cream people a few years ago. I can imagine that’s why I gained the weight I did.

One tip I have for anyone who cannot quit sweets is to find healthier alternatives. If you love ice cream, find a lower-sugar/calorie ice cream. That’s the great thing about the world we’re living in today—there are so many healthier options available, always. Plus, if you get the healthier option, there may come a point where you just don’t want it anymore. This has happened to me!

Incorporating more vegetables—

I didn’t grow up eating a lot of vegetables. I didn’t like them. Instead, I ate a lot of cheese and a lot of carbs. After meeting my husband and moving in with him, we started eating a lot more vegetables.

Now, they are in almost every meal we make.

Tacos = lettuce, peppers, onions

Kabobs = onions, mushrooms, peppers

Chicken & rice dish = broccoli, onions, carrots

We eat a great amount of asparagus and green beans in the summertime with our grilled chicken or burgers, too. Now, it’s rare when we don’t have a veggie for our meals.

Eating gluten-free—

We’re not always gluten-free, but anytime I make a homemade dessert, it’s gluten-free. The same goes for homemade soup or sauces. We only ever buy gluten-free noodles for spaghetti or other pasta dishes as well.

Neither my husband nor I are strictly gluten-free, but we do find that it helps our stomachs digest foods better when we eat that way.

When I experimented with a 100% gluten-free diet a few years back, I saw incredible results. Of course, less bloating, I had more energy, and I felt better. I’m considering doing it again to see how I’d feel now.

For this new year of 2024, I did not set resolutions like I normally do. Instead, I vowed to myself that I would continue progressing with the journey I’ve already started.

Lord willing, we hope to begin our family this coming year, so fitness might look a little different. But I am hopeful to continue the health and wellness path that I am on even with obstacles.

My body has been through so many different changes over the years. But I feel by far the healthiest I’ve felt in a long time at this moment.

The ultimate goal is to lose at least 10 lbs. However, as long as I am staying active and working hard, I will be proud of any accomplishments.

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