Time to make some changes

~ ~M

This past year was not the best year for my physical and mental health.  I think the fact that I stayed home the majority of the time was a big factor, but I have also had some recent health issues and found out that there are some lifestyle changes that I need to make.  With all of that in mind, I decided to set some goals for myself.  Here are some of the changes that I want to try and make part of my daily routine.

Goals:

1.) Drink one gallon of water daily, which equals four water bottles. 

I have always had a problem staying hydrated, and recently my blood pressure has been really high.  So I did some research and found out that drinking more water can help lower blood pressure.  The reason water helps is because when your body becomes depleted of water, it tries to secure more water by retaining sodium, which can then cause high blood pressure.  Of course, I also learned that drinking too much water can cause high blood pressure and other health issues, so I plan to stick with the daily recommended amount, which is one gallon of water per day. 

2.) Lose 5 lbs. a month until I’m at my goal weight, which is 125 lbs.

I’ve noticed my weight slowly increasing over the past year.  I went from 127 lbs. to 140 lbs.  I think a lot of this is because I’ve been less active, but I’ve also been eating larger portions of food and eating when other family members are eating instead of when I’m actually hungry.  So I think by adjusting when I eat and measuring out my food, I’ll likely do better.

3.) Eat oatmeal every day to help lower my cholesterol and eat Cheerios as my snack, which is healthier than chips.

Oatmeal is supposed to be a good way to lower cholesterol, and I recently had two different doctors inform me that I need to get my cholesterol under control.  I really don’t want to go on medication, and I’ve been told I’m too young to be having this issue at my age, so I know I need to make some drastic changes to my diet.  I’m planning to watch my intake of greasy foods and eat more whole foods.  I also love eating chips, and dill pickle chips are my favorite.  So I’ve decided to switch to Cheerios, which I also enjoy.

4.) Finish reading one book every month.

I find myself starting a lot of books but not always finishing them, and I really do love books.  I also find reading to have a very calming effect on me, and since I’ve been struggling with a lot of anxiety lately, I thought putting reading on my goal list would help provide me with a reprieve from the daily stresses.

5.) Walk at least 10,000 steps every day.

For the majority of 2020, I walked 10,000 steps a day.  Last month though, I had some knee issues, and I completely stopped walking.  Over the past few weeks, since my knee is better, I’ve gotten my regular walking routine back, and I’m starting to feel so much better because of it.  So I just want to continue doing this, and it’s probably a goal I will try to continue for the rest of my life. 

6.) Do a seven-minute workout every day.

I recently found this app called “7,” which is a free daily workout app.  (It’s the blue one in case any of you decide to look for it in the app store.)  I love the app already because you just hit the go button, and it gives you a different seven minute timed workout for each day of the week.  I ended up doing the workout with my family today, and it really kicked my butt.  Lol… It just shows me how out of shape I really am. 

7.) Journal at the end of each day and keep a daily planner.

Keeping a journal is something I’ve done off and on for years, but I want to start sticking with it more often, even if I don’t write a lot.  Plus, with the new school semester starting soon, I need to have a daily planner to keep track of my studies and daily goals. 

8.) Control portion sizes of food.

As I already mentioned, I need to be better about this, and I think measuring out my food will help.

9.) Avoid adding butter, salt, and creamer to foods.

I always lose weight when I eliminate butter and creamer, and I figure cutting out sodium can’t hurt either.

10.) Avoid soda and alcohol.  

I always feel so sluggish when I give into my cravings for soda, and I don’t typically drink a lot of alcohol.  Still, in recent months I started drinking more wine than I usually do.  So with all the medical issues I’ve been having, I’ve just decided to eliminate alcohol to see if it helps me feel better.  I figure it can’t hurt, and it’s something I can certainly live without.

Anyway, these are just some of the changes that I’ve decided to make.  I think all of these goals have the potential to become permanent changes in my life.  I hope everyone can do better in this new year.  We just have to keep on trying.

Happy New Year, everyone!  ~M xo

Photo credit: https://pixabay.com/illustrations/change-new-beginning-renewal-671374/

Published by ~M

“When the weight of the world is upon you and you're left spinning out of control. When you’ve been plunged head first into darkness, and you don’t know where to go. Simply follow that tiny flicker of light, far off in the distance somewhere. It’ll lead you to a place where love abounds and where hope is found everywhere.” ~M

50 thoughts on “Time to make some changes”

  1. Pingback: Time to make some changes – March 2021 – Putting My Feet in the Dirt
  2. Pingback: Time to make some changes – Part II – Putting My Feet in the Dirt

  3. great goals!! i hope you reach them and enjoy the process throughout a year full of joy and success!🤍

    Follow @everythingtips for tips and recommendations if interested! Your feedback or suggestions for improving my blog would be very much appreciated! have a wonderful day💗

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    1. Thank you… it really is all about making small changes gradually over time, so that we are eventually able to keep those life changing goals as part of our daily routine. I hope 2021 will be much better too. I think if we change our outlook and try to see the good in every day, we will see that life isn’t always as awful as it sometimes seems to be. Happy new year to you too!

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  10. Mine, mine. I thought I was the only one with reading but not finishing lots of book — except fiction of course 😉. I might join you in making more efforts with finishing my non-fiction library by at least 10%. I am starting with my Bible.

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  11. As for your chips, you might want to add an Air Fryer to your wish list. That way you can have your healthy chips with little or no oil, sprinkled with some herbs and spices. Like a homemade imitation of Pringles.

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  12. Funny or ironic, how drinking water can increase blood pressure, if one is suffering from Low Blood Pressure.
    At the end of the day, water 💦 balances and stabilises the both the body and blood pressure.

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  14. I had not heard that drinking water can help lower blood pressure. Or that you can drink too much water and cause health issues! 1 gallon per day is definitely doable, though. There are also gallon water bottles, with markers to help you drink it slowly throughout the day. I am thinking about purchasing one, personally, and you may find it helpful in meeting your water-drinking goal.

    For your goal to eat Cheerios as a snack, if that’s not working, a compromise could be to eat dill pickles, which I believe are also better for you than chips. Whenever I’m dieting, it helps me to have some “cheat” foods, which I think of as foods that I can eat as much of as I want – celery, cucumbers, and pickles.

    You can, if you want to, use Goodreads to help you track your reading goal. The site encourages you to set up a “2021 Reading Challenge,” where you set your goal for how many books you want to read for the year, and Goodreads then helps you track it.

    Regarding your alcohol goal, I have heard that a small glass of red wine is good for you, because of the tannins. Of course, I have also heard that you could just eat grapes. 🙂

    Good luck on your goals! 2020 has been a difficult year, but hopefully 2021 will be better.

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    1. Thank you… these are all wonderful ideas. I love dill pickles and cucumbers, but celery not so much. I may just eat more grapes! And I’m on Goodreads, but don’t think about using it much. Thanks for the reminder! 😉

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        1. Oh that’s great! I’m liking it too. I never thought I could ever feel like I accomplished so much in just 7 minutes! Lol… 😅

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    1. Thanks CQ, I wish you all the best. It’s hard staying accountable to ourselves sometimes so I figured by writing down my goals and posting them, I’ll likely have to answer to at least somebody. Lol…

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Just sitting here putting my feet in the dirt... if you want to join me, leave a comment.