A College Student's Attempt at a Healthy Lifestyle

  Mind Over Matter A week into my 75 Hard challenge, I can safely say that I have found that most of life when it comes to uncomfortable situations and endurance is mental. I am a thousand percent more likely to keep doing things when I use positive self-talk and encourage myself that I can. Do I want to do 20 more reps of bicep curls or sprint for 20 more seconds at 10 miles per hour on the treadmill? Probably not, it's extremely uncomfortable. However, as long as I keep repeating to myself that I can keep going and I can do hard things in the moment, I quite often come out on the other side accomplished. Therefore, my challenge for you this week rather than my advice for you is this: Change the way you talk to yourself. Instead of this: I can't do... I don't deserve... I will never... Try this: I can do hard things.  I do deserve to get what I want and work for.  I will achieve my goals and dreams.  And if you're doubting me or asking why, I can promise you that posit

  Progress Over Perfection   An extremely rude awakening I’ve had lately is that I’ll never be completely perfect. Perfectionism is a common theme in modern society, and it is something I believe my generation was raised on. Throughout my childhood and up until I went to college, I was ingrained to and focused on proving I could have perfect grades, a perfect social life, a perfect resume, and a perfect self and body image. As amazing as that outcome may have sounded, the process of constantly pursuing perfection is where I believe I lost myself. So, I wanted to share a few ways I have recently learned to celebrate small victories rather than constantly punish myself in the big picture:   I believe getting out of bed every day is an accomplishment. As minor as it may sound, it’s the first step in the right direction of each day.   I document anything and everything I’m proud of. Whether it’s an A on an assignment or a PR in a running time, I take pictures to create lasting memories I c

  75 Hard   I’ve always been a firm believer that success never comes from within comfort zones. I’ve always put myself in uncomfortable situations to test my limits and endurance, from things as small as trying new workouts/heavier weight in the gym to moving six hours out-of-state for college. What I’ve found time and time again is that the mind and body are capable of more things than we can even imagine limiting ourselves to. To continue this trend, I plan to put myself to the test for the next 10 weeks with the 75 Hard Challenge. Created by entrepreneur, CEO, and best-selling author Andy Frisella, the 75 Hard consists of 75 straight days of:   1. Taking a daily progress picture   2. Sticking to a diet with no cheat meals (I plan to follow a low-carb diet with a 200-calorie deficit)   3. Actively reading 10 pages of an entrepreneurial/inspirational/motivational book   4. Drinking a gallon of water   5. Completing 2, 45-minute workouts, one being outside   I hope that, through thi

  Facing Fatigue   We all definitely have days where being active seems extremely daunting. Dealing with this feeling of fatigue has been especially difficult for me lately, especially with trying to balance the feeling of guilt if I take “too many rest days”. After a busy weekend and working 7 hours today, was one of those days for me. I ended up going to the gym anyway because I had taken the weekend off and I’m visiting home this week, so I probably won’t have as much time as I normally do to dedicate to working out . I really don’t have any tips or advice that worked for me in terms of fatigue other than maybe to try some workouts with a little lower impact such as light weights, walking on the treadmill, or bodyweight training. I just wanted to offer a little encouragement I probably could’ve used whe n deciding whether to face the fatigue or to just give up entirely today: If you need that additional rest day, there’s nothing wrong with taking it. If you need to do a little less

  A Rest Day in My Life   Rest days have been tough for me since the beginning, whether I’m exercising three days per week or six. Especially now that I’m into a habit of working out daily, t aking a rest day makes me feel like I’m breaking it. I’ve heard this can be a challenge for a LOT of people, so here are 2 of my best ways to get through a rest day.   1. Active recoveries   Just because I’m giving my body a break from strenuous exercise on rest days doesn’t mean I must be completely sedentary. On rest days, I find it helpful to do things like go for a walk with friends, take low-impact Peloton rides or workout classes, and other things that keep my body moving but allow my muscles to recover in time for my next strenuous workout the next day.    2. Distractions    I’m extremely prone to exercise guilt when I miss a workout. There will even be days when I’m on track to work out, but my body is telling me it’s a bad idea. I’ll listen, but it’s not easy on my mental health in terms

  Running 101   Running is something I’ve always loved to do but have just found harder lately to stay entertained doing on a treadmill. Especially with the start of February and the cold weather, I don’t want to run outside either. I know some people who even hate running in general. So, th is is one of the  biggest things I’ve found that ha s made running not only more bearable but something I’ve fallen back in love with, as well. Get running shoes that are comfortable AND ones you like wearing.   It’s also useful to note that it’s unwise to wear the same shoes to run as you do on a normal basis because they’ll wear out faster and you’ll have to buy new shoes in less time. I got new running shoes for Christmas, and I absolutely fell in love with them. My old ones were functional but not the cutest things I had ever seen, but I swear that when I got running shoes I liked, I wanted to run more just for the sole purpose of being able to wear them.     What are you waiting for? Hit the