I know that all of you have scoured the internet – blogs, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, and everywhere in between – in search of the secret trick to being “healthy.” Now here’s the truth that no one wants to hear: being healthy means living a healthy lifestyle. It takes work, time, and making changes in every aspect of your life.

This post is not going to be anything new or Earth-shattering. I am just going to tell you what I personally focus on to stay in good health.

All of that being said here are my personal tricks and tips to living a fit and healthy lifestyle!

1. Make exercising a habit.

I’m going to make this number one on the list because this may be the point where I lose most of you. No matter how many online posts, secrets, and tips you read, you CANNOT be healthy without being active. The easiest way to keep a consistent workout habit is to make it a part of your daily routine. For me that means working out when I wake up in the morning. I make sure to do 20-40 minutes of exercise everyday. Most days I do pilates, but any exercise will do.  If I wake up and don’t feel motivated enough for an intense, burpee-filled HIIT extravaganza, I spend 20 minutes stretching with a cup of coffee while I watch the news. Something is better than nothing, and hey – relaxation is an important part of a healthy lifestyle too!

2. Make healthy eating the norm.

No matter how much time you spend being active, you also cannot be healthy without eating properly! If you want to get fit and avoid health problems down the road, you need to make that you are feeding yourself well. It’s that simple.

3. Remember your Mental Health.

I’m sure that you’ve heard it time and time again, but you can’t feel good unless you feel good about yourself. I won’t dive in too deep here because being mentally healthy means something different for everyone. Do whatever you need to do to keep your mental health a priority. For some people this can be as easy as taking 5 minutes to relax with a cup of coffee in the morning. For others it may mean meditation, prayer, therapy, journaling, whatever. Just make sure to take the time to stop and think about yourself on a regular basis.

4. Add nutritious foods into your day to naturally eat less junk.

There are plenty of reasons that diets don’t work for a lot of people long term. How are you supposed to maintain eating habits where you feel like you are being deprived of things that you enjoy? Instead, try adding in your favorite healthy foods. If you start eating one more fruit and one more vegetable per day, you will be less hungry and you won’t need to reach for a bag of potato chips to keep yourself satisfied.

5. Everything in moderation.

So now I bet you’re thinking “But what about when I do want that bag of potato chips? You said I am not going to succeed if I feel deprived.” Well, you are right….and I stand by that statement. You should not deprive yourself of your favorite foods. You just need to find a way to give in to your cravings in moderation. Instead of eating a whole bag of chips, eat a veggie first and then have a handful of chips. Instead of eating a candybar, try a small piece of chocolate instead. It’s all about finding balance.

6. Don’t be fooled by “healthy” alternatives.

Just because a snack is marketed as health food, doesn’t mean that it is a healthy choice. Make sure that your food choices are not full of added sugar and processed chemicals. When it comes to ingredients – less is more. Read labels and look for ingredients that you know and can pronounce.

7. Keep good foods convenient.

Do you have a favorite fruit or vegetable? Do you like trail mix? How about hummus or guacamole? Great! If you have healthy foods that you like, keep them in stock. Then, when you need a snack try reaching for one of those. If you want to make it even easier on yourself, wash and cut your veggies in advance so that they are easy to just grab.

8. Find active hobbies

The theme of this post is turning into “if you like it, you’re going to keep doing it.” That really is the secret to succeeding at living a healthy lifestyle. In this case, find an activity that you like doing. This can be anything that keeps you moving – yoga, kickboxing, going for an evening walk, rock climbing, going to the zoo, anything at all!

9. Drink plenty of water.

There are so many health benefits to drinking water. The biggest benefit comes from drinking water instead of sugary, calorie-packed juices, sodas, and coffee drinks. Cutting out other beverages and drinking more water will lead to huge results when it comes to your health and fitness.

10. Invest in tiny tupperware

Yes, this really is one of my biggest secrets to staying healthy! It’s all about portion control. As you can probably figure out from my blog, I am cheap. I cannot bring myself to buy snacks in individual packages because they are too expensive and the packaging creates unnecessary waste. Instead of eating snacks straight out of a value bag, I pack snacks in tiny tupperware containers. When I go to work, I only bring the tiny containers with me so that I am forced to eat appropriate serving sizes. I also use the bowls at home for the same reason.

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*Note: When I buy trailmix and protein bars I always look for the least amount of sugar. When it comes to dried fruit, I always want no added sugar. Trailmix shouldn’t list sugar as an ingredient unless it is included in something like chocolate chips.

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