Coming into the new year, I made a commitment to myself to practice self love more. And I knew that loving myself meant taking better care of myself. In order to do so, I’ve set a couple intentions to keep throughout the year:
Have a healthy mind AND body.
In my attempt to have a healthier mind and body, I’ve decided to start practicing yoga. I always thought that I needed to do high intensity workouts when it comes to being active and healthy, and never thought that I would enjoy yoga. However, after hearing first-hand experiences from a few girlfriends, I thought I should give it a try. I recently started my membership at Core Power Yoga and have been loving it so far! I’ve been trying to go 3-4 times a week (mostly in the mornings) and I can honestly say that it’s helped a lot with my mood and productivity as well as my mental health and awareness. I feel more calm and stress-free, and also feel more mindful of my time and surroundings. Core Power Yoga offers different types of classes but I have been loving their yoga sculpt classes because it includes cardio and weights (yes, you heard that right!). If you're interested in checking them out, you can sign up for a free 7-day trial here. On my lighter weeks, I also try to go to the gym at least once or twice to do cardio and heavier weights.
Always remember: It's not about how you look, it's how YOU feel about yourself.
We all get motivated in the beginning of the year but it’s so easy to get side tracked, especially with our busy lives. But once you treat your workout as more of a habit than a chore, it gets a lot easier to be more consistent with it. Simply put, avoid all excuses and make your health a priority!
Keep a healthy, non-strict diet.
A few months ago, I found myself feeling more sluggish than usual and even got sick a couple times. I took it as a sign and started making healthier choices when it comes to what I eat. I started cooking healthier meals at home and have been incorporating more fruits and veggies in my diet. After a couple months, I started shedding a few pounds even though I wasn’t working out! I have been replacing white rice with brown rice, quinoa or greens, and I have been trying to avoid refined sugars. Note: this is my secret to getting those abs pop out!
Don’t get me wrong, this was such a HUGE challenge for me because I’ve always been surrounded by dishes that come with rice, and I have THE biggest sweet tooth ever. But since I crave healthy food when I workout, it got easier over time. It also helps a lot when you make yourself food at home.
Remind yourself that HEALTHY is better than SKINNY.
My biggest advice to you is to find out what works best for you and your body. Crazy strict diets are not always the solution, and I’m not planning on doing one anytime soon. I just try to make sure that I maintain a healthy diet by including fruits and veggies in my meals, and then I treat the weekends as my cheat days where I can indulge with friends and loved ones. With that being said, I’ve been able to keep a healthy weight and still live my best life. It’s really all about balance, and my goal is to simply feel good inside-out (without sacrificing too much).
That’s all I have to share for now! I will try to keep you updated on my wellness journey as time goes by, and I do hope that this post will inspire you to make better and healthier choices for yourself. You can shop a few of my current favorite workout essentials below:
Photography by KSOLE