Just a very quick video for you guys today with a quick announcement about this video series.
So please give me your feedback on these videos and let me know what you would like to see next. I want to continue to grow this blog and bring you the content you want and need to be healthier and happier!
Have a great Wednesday and I will see you Friday with a brand new recipe!
While it might officially be spring, I am currently watching the snow fall out my window as I write this. Ah spring in Chicago: Where you’re more likely to have a white Easter than a white Christmas. Oh well, I will just pretend that it is warm and sunny out there and soon I will be sweltering in the Midwest summer.
I had the realization the other day that for the first time in about five years Adam and I are NOT looking for a new apartment and NOT moving. This might not seem that significant, but to me it’s huge. Every single year since I graduated from college I have moved to a new apartment. I have written quite a few times about our moving endeavors so if you have been with me for awhile you know how much I hate moving. It’s just the worst to sit there and pack up all your stuff, schlepp it all to a new place, and then unpack all your stuff. I am really enjoying this time that I am not searching for a new place, then visiting those new places, and then moving to a new place. It’s just the best.
I will move physically but I ain’t moving apartments
There is one good thing that came from us moving so frequently. Because I didn’t want to pack and move junk that I wasn’t using we always went through all our stuff and got rid of anything that we didn’t need or use. We would fill big black bags full of clothes to donate and load up are car with stuff that we hadn’t used in years and drive off to Goodwill to give it all away. It always made me feel lighter and happier to unburden our house with unnecessary things.
Even though we aren’t moving, this weekend I decided to go through all of our things and do some spring cleaning. It’s amazing how many things you accrue over a year and stash into closets and cabinets and then promptly forget. Even though we haven’t been in our place for a full year yet, there was still a pile of clothes and things that we no longer needed. Again it felt great to get rid of the weight of that clutter.
Get it? Clean up your food, but not with actual cleaners. Cheesy, I know
Spring is a great time to not only clear out the clutter of your life but clean up your health as well. It’s time to get tough and look critically at the food you eat. Are you eating more sugar than normal? Are you snacking on junk food rather than fresh food? Are your portions way too big? Are you eating mindlessly instead of really enjoying your food? Take a look at what you do for exercise. Are you really pushing yourself to the best of your ability? Has your routine become boring so you’re just phoning it in? Are moving in some way each day? Do you enjoy the exercise you’re doing?
Ask yourself these questions and make sure the choices you’re making are serving your goal and helping you lead a healthier life. It’s a good idea to spring clean your life every once in awhile to increase your happiness and success.
Get to cleaning out that closet as well as that fridge today! Have a great Monday!
If you have never really cooked before it can feel overwhelming when you’re deciding what tools, utensils, and appliances to buy. There are so many things out there and they all seem necessary, especially to a new cook. In today’s video I highlight 3 of my most used kitchen tools that I think are essential when you’re starting out. Of course you will need more than three things in your kitchen, but these are a great place to start!
Remember, start slow when building up your kitchen and try to stay away from the dreaded unitasker. They will just take up space and usually are a waste of money.
Have a great Wednesday everyone!
On the surface, motivation seems to be a simple concept. It is a drive that pushes us towards our goals. It’s good to have motivation. People want it and look for it in many places. There are motivational speakers, videos, books, podcasts, sayings, and workshops. Some blame the lack of motivation for not achieving what they want and some have such an overabundance of it that they want to spread it around to others.
I think motivation is a little more complicated than a simple drive that propels us to what we want.
There are many different kinds of motivation. There is the motivation to get started, to keep going, and even the motivation to stop when we need to. I think this is what can frustrate people when they want to become healthier. They think that all motivation is the same and they look at others who seem to have an endless supply and don’t realize that those people have to work just as hard to be motivated towards their goals.
I can tell you from personal experience that the reasons I am motivated to stay healthy today are vastly different than the reasons I was motivated to start years ago. It’s also a lot of work (and yes, even after all this time it’s still work) for me to stay motivated to keep pushing towards my goals. There are days where I don’t want to workout at all. I think about the run I have planned or the weights I have to lift, and I feel like staying in bed or watching TV instead. There are times when I just want to eat a whole cake by myself instead of the healthy meal that I have planned. I used to worry that those feelings and lack of motivation were a bad thing. I thought that I was giving up or failing and I felt guilty. I tried to shove those feelings aside and convince myself that I was constantly motivated and constantly being healthy.
Over the years I’ve learned that those feelings are just fine and in fact they’re normal.
I’m a human being and I am going to lack motivation at some points in my life. Motivation isn’t in an endless supply for anyone. Even those people who seem to have it day in and day out struggle to keep it going. There are going to be days when being healthy is the last thing on your mind, where working out is going to be at the bottom of your list, and getting whatever food you may find in your belly will be the top priority.
Don’t feel guilty like I did about that.
Motivation is meant to be renewed every day. It is meant to be strengthened as you go along. It’s normal for it to fade every once in awhile and it’s ok for you to have to work to get it back. That’s what makes you a human. I used to feel like everyone in my life would judge me if they knew how I felt on those days that I had zero motivation to do anything healthy. I was suppose to be an example of good health. I put myself on display through this blog and my actions and I didn’t want to let anyone down. I’ve learned that pretending to be perfect is a bigger let down to people than showing them I’m just like everyone else.
I have my good and bad days just like you have your good and bad days. The fact that I pick myself back up and get back at it is what defines me more than my occasional lack of motivation.
If you’re feeling like you’re a failure because you haven’t been as motivated lately, or haven’t had any motivation at all, stop. You’re a human and you are doing the best you can. You get start fresh every single day, so start today and strengthen your motivation for you and your health.
I have a new video for you on the blog today. Many times when people decide to be healthier they focus on all the food in their fridge and forget the freezer. So today I offer some tips on how to use your freezer to create healthier meals.
Now go stock up your freezer and have a great day everyone!
Life Healthfully Lived 