Although I was compensated by Puritan’s Pride for this post, I feel strongly that making One Small Change can truly benefit our lives. All opinions expressed here are genuine and 100% my own.
Can you believe we’ve been on our One Small Change Challenge for so long now? Some of you may have started at the beginning of the challenge and be at your 60 day goal. Some of you may be like myself and had a late start on your one small change — keep going! One thing is certain, challenging myself to small changes is a good motivator for staying on track to reach my bigger goals. I’ve learned an important lesson along the way and it’s all about not getting discouraged. Since my last post, I have been better about my diet and I have been consistent about taking my vitamins — they really do make a difference in how I feel energy-wise.
The thing is, I feel great when I’m on track. It’s that optimistic glow and there is nothing better than that “I can do anything” feeling you get after an amazing workout!
I’ve also been actively telling myself that it’s okay to get my exercising into my day in new and different ways. Instead of saying “Oh, I didn’t get to the gym today so I guess I’ll just not do anything today” — I say “I didn’t get to the gym, but I can do this instead.” I’m taking away my ability to make excuses and it’s working! When I am unable to get in my full work out, or don’t have time to get to the treadmill to run for 45 minutes, I can be happy with what I do have time for.
Happiness & Change can come in small doses.
I can be happy with stopping to do 20 standing crunches while I’m doing the dishes.
I can be happy with taking 10 minutes to do some breathing exercises or stretch my body out — have you ever noticed how refreshed you feel after just stretching? It’s wonderful.
I can be happy with myself for turning the radio up, getting away from desk and dancing like a dork for a few songs. Yes it happens :)
I can be happy with the squats that I do every single night while I’m brushing my teeth — since starting the challenge I’m up from 35-40 every night to 45 – 50, whew!
I can be happy with myself for choosing the apple with peanut butter, over the brownie as a snack.
And when I do get to the treadmill, which has been about 2 – 3 times a week, I can tell that I haven’t been slacking because I’ve been incorporating these small goals and challenges into my life — every day. As I’ve mentioned in my previous posts, keeping track of my workouts is a big help for my motivation. For the month of October I have logged a total of 7 hours and 24 minutes in just treadmill time — that’s 34.83 miles! Compared to last months’ 17.33 miles, I can actually see how making these small changes has given me a little extra oomph! And, it also helps me set a goal for the next step.
My goal for November is to bypass that 34.83 mile mark. I’d love to reach 40 miles — I know it’s possible! Your goals are possible too! When you start to think how impossible change can be — please, remind yourself that it only takes one small change to start the journey to better health. For example:
Getting at least 7 hours of sleep every night can decrease the risk of weight gain due to sleep loss by 15%
Snacking on fruits or vegetables twice a day can lead to a 10% weight loss over 6 months
People eating at least 2 cups of fruit a day are 30% less likely to have a heart attack or stroke
Drinking 2 cups of water 30 minutes before each meal can lead to a 44% greater rate of weight loss over a 12-week period
Meditation and deep breathing exercises for 15 minutes a day for 3 months can decrease Cortisol, the hormone associated with physical & mental stress
Adding just 20 minutes of walking to your daily routine lowers the risk of high blood pressure by 7.2%, high cholesterol by 7% & diabetes by 12.3%, over 6 years
Are you ready to get started? There’s still time to enter the One Small Change Sweepstakes! Also, be sure to keep an eye on the Puritans Pride Facebook page, Twitter account and Pinterest Profile — each of theses outlets are a rich resource for inspiration on your journey to change, great articles and fun ways to create a healthier life.
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Making one small change in your health habits can reap big rewards. Pledge to make one small change today. This your final chance to enter to win $2,000 plus prizes from Puritan’s Pride to help you stick to your pledge.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Puritan’s Pride. The opinions and text are all mine.
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