Nutrition/Wellness Challenge: Where to Start?

Where to Start, How to Start Healthy Living?!

Whether you are starting from scratch or trying to get back on track, it can be overwhelming to know where to begin to set yourself up for success in becoming healthy.  First thing you need to do is to set your own personal goals of what you want to achieve: Do you want to lose weight, Do you want to add muscle mass, Do you want your clothes to fit differently, has your doctor told you to make a lifestyle change for medical reasons or Do you just want to gain overall self-confidence and be happy in your own skin?  All are great positive reasons to make a change in your life to be healthier! During this challenge we are here to support you and positively hold you accountable to your own goals. Below are some basic concepts to begin to incorporate to kick start your new healthy lifestyle:

• Food:

• • No clue where to begin or to know which is right for you; with all the “fad diets” in the market such as Paleo, Whole 30, Adkins/Low Carb, Keto, Intermittent Fasting?! – We will talk about each of these in the upcoming weeks’ blogs…. Right now the most important thing is to start eating healthy!
  • Remove all temptations:
    • Remove all restricted foods from your house
      • If you are unable to remove it completely from your house due to other family members, keep these items in a separate hard to reach area of your house (out of sight out of mind)
    • Decrease processed foods by making all of your meals or purchasing pre-prepped healthy meal plans, such as clean eatz
    • Make a daily menu one week at a time with healthy snacks on hand so you are not tempted to reach for a quick processed candy bar, bag of chips or worse, fast food
    • Focus on Fresh, Whole Foods:
      • Meats: both muscle and organ meats (some frozen meats is allowed)
      • Chicken/eggs: farm fresh is the best, but can be costly and those high in omega-3 store bought as just as nutritious
      • Vegetables – balance of all types of fresh vegetables – as long as they are not chemically preserved (e.g. not canned vegetables) – some frozen vegetables are allowed
      • Fruits – if you are not trying to limit your sugar/carb intake – all fresh fruit is beneficial – and same as for the vegetables as long as they are not chemically preserved
    • Sweet Tooth?

• • • • Focus on fresh fruit or homemade ice-cream with coconut or almond milk. If you still are craving chocolate – ensure it is dark chocolate and more than 60% coco
    • Physical Health / Exercise:
      • Of course we will recommend high-intensity mix of cardio and weightlifting with our CrossFit programming, however obtaining at least a moderate intensity level of exercise for 20-40 minutes a day for a minimum of 3-5 days a week will assist in obtaining a consistent health lifestyle. We will be providing a daily supplemental “COVID Challenge WOD” to our daily workout
    • Mental Health:
      • Value Yourself: Avoid self-criticism and treat yourself with kindness and respect. Take time for yourself
      • Take Care of your body – this Challenge is setting you on the right track!
      • Surround yourself with good people: supportive family members and friends
      • Stress-Reduction: we will have future blogs on specific techniques; remember to smile and see the humor in life – laughter can boost your immune system, ease pain, relax your body and reduce stress
      • Quiet your mind with relaxation exercises
      • Set realistic goals: write down your goals and the step you need to realize your goals
      • Take the time to Say Thank You: Thinking about those things you are thankful for in life prevents you from begin negative and complaining
      • Break up the monotony: While routines enhance a feeling of security and safety, a little change of pace can perk up a tedious schedule
    • Sleep:

• • • • Recommended for all adults to achieve a minimum of 8 hours of sleep a night. While many of us may go to bed in enough time to obtain these 8 hours, we have difficulty in staying asleep – we will provide tips on falling and staying asleep in future blogs
      • Start by trying to go to bed at the same time every day and limit your sleep schedule on weeknights and weekends to no more than one hour. This reinforces your body’s sleep-wake cycle.
      • Create a restful environment: Exposure to light might make it more challenging to fall asleep. Create a room that is cool, dark and quiet. Avoid prolonged use of light-emitting screens just before bedtime.
    • Begin a log/journal
      • Track your journey for the next 45 days
        • Log your food – whether you list what is eaten for each meal and snack or if you are taking it to the next level to track your macros – writing down you begin to hold yourself accountable to what you eat each day
          • You will be amazed at the small things you will be tempted “cheat” with throughout the day – the one bite of the co-worker’s birthday cake, the one bite of your kid’s chicken nugget meal…. They all add up to “wasted” calories that do not benefit your overall health
        • Log your workouts – writing down the workout you complete each day holds you accountable to show up to the gym or even to get a run or quick workout in at home
        • Log your sleeping habits – as you follow your journey on healthy living you will be amazed at the longer you eat healthy and consistently work out, how your sleep habits improve
      • Have a partner to share your journey over the next 45 days.
        • Having someone to discuss frustrations/setbacks and celebrate successes to keep you determined, focus and on track will enhance your experience and help you to make this a life long lifestyle change past these 45 days.

All of us here at CrossFit Sea Dog are in this together as we embark on the next 45 days making us a better version of ourselves to achieve our individualized goals.  As we all are coming out of the COVID-19 quarantine, we need some amazing positivity and motivation to keep moving forward and taking it one day at a time.  We are a family and will support and uplift each other today and every day going forward! Please let us know how we can further support you on this journey.  We look forward to seeing what each and every one of you can achieve!