Beginning a health and fitness routine may seem daunting to many, especially to those who have never tried to change their lifestyle for the better. Whether your goal is to lose weight, gain muscle, or simply live a healthier life, the most common misconception is that being healthy is all or nothing. Mistakes happen and you will have periods where you will fall off the wagon, after all we are all human and it is important to still enjoy the simple pleasures in life. Trying to be perfect and restricting yourself of everything you love will only end in discouragement and make it harder to get back at it. The key to success is consistency and to create a plan that is realistic to you. My name is Natalie Johnson and in this blog, I will share my own research and things that have worked for me in order to help beginners take their first steps into their own health and fitness journey.

Getting Started

Taking the first steps into a healthier lifestyle can be one of the hardest parts, so for my first blog post I will start with simple tips and tricks to help beginners ease into their journey. Everyone is different, so what might seem simple to some might be more difficult to others, so start with whatever you are comfortable with and what seems realistic to maintain. Any healthy lifestyle change will be beneficial in one way or another, so start at your own pace and add on more lifestyle changes as you are comfortable with.

Out with Soda, In with Water

If you are an avid soda drinker, cutting out soda alone could produce results that you would not expect. Some might think that diet soda is a healthy alternative, but artificial sweeteners are metabolized the same as sugar so there are no health benefits associated with diet sodas. If you are anything like me and occasionally crave a little carbonation, a good substitute is soda water with a few squeezes of lemon and lime juice to simulate a Sprite.

Every Step Counts

For most people it can be difficult to set aside several hours out of their busy schedule for a gym trip, but any activity is better than nothing even if it is just a walk around the block. Try to squeeze in activity whenever you have a few moments to spare, such as walking around your office building during break, walking your dog a little further or more often than usual, or even a few sit ups during a commercial break. Start tracking your steps and aim for the recommended ten thousand steps a day. Many phones even have apps that track your steps for you, such as the Health app that comes with an iPhone.

Be Wary of Sauces and Dressings

People often think they are being healthier by ordering a salad, but most of the time the dressings that you eat with your salad could make it just as healthy as eating a burger. Typically, the creamy dressings such as ranch, blue cheese, or Caesar are the highest in calories and fat. Vinaigrettes are usually a healthier alternative, but it is important to make sure you are staying within the serving size because they are also high in fat. If you only like creamy dressings, Bolthouse Farms make all your favorite dressings but are lower in calories because they are yogurt based. The nutrition facts of sauces such as barbecue and honey mustard might also surprise you, so it is important to make sure you are aware of how much of a sauce you are using.

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