9 Lifestyle Tips to Help You Become Better Acquainted with Your Body

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Remember when you were 17 and you could eat an entire pizza, nap for 9 hours, and not gain a single pound? Unfortunately, for most of us, those days are long gone. The things we eat and the way we treat our bodies will affect our overall health and wellbeing in the coming years. Fortunately, by listening to what our bodies are trying to tell us, we can make lifestyle changes that will have a positive impact on how we look and feel. If you’re big on making sure your children are healthy, than it should be easy to start implementing these lifestyle tips to make sure you are too.  

What and When Are You Eating?

Have you considered keeping a food journal? To change your eating habits, you have to understand what you’re doing wrong in the first place. Calories can sneak into your diet via beverages and “healthy” snacks, and most people don’t realize they are inadvertently sabotaging their own diet. It’s not always the number of calories you eat; often times it’s the type of foods you’re eating that causes weight gain. Writing down every single thing you eat or drink can be a real eye-opener. This is one of the activities to help you lose weight that involve getting better acquainted with your body.

Another reason to keep a food journal is to keep track of how certain foods make you feel. Once you realize that eating unhealthy processed food makes you feel moody and sluggish, you’ll start gravitating towards healthier foods. Food journaling could also make you aware of a previously undiagnosed food intolerance. A staggering 83 percent of Americans with celiac disease had no idea they had this disease, which is exacerbated by eating gluten.

While keeping track of every bite you take might sound like a chore, it doesn’t have to be. There are apps available on your smartphone that will do all of the hard work, like counting calories, for you. Some food journaling tips to keep you on track include:

Look for Patterns

Do you stress eat? Is there a certain time of day you tend to binge on sugary treats? After a few weeks of keeping track of everything you eat, you’ll be able to identify patterns that could affect the way you approach losing weight.

Be honest

Nobody needs to see your food journal but you. Did you plan on eating one cupcake but ended up eating all four cupcakes? Then write down four cupcakes in your food journal. We promise this is for your own good.

Know Your Body Shape

Did you know the shape of your body plays a role in your health? Different body shapes are more susceptible to certain diseases, and your body shape could determine what you can do to lose weight. The three classic types are:

Ectomorph: This body type tends to be skinny, have a flat chest area, thin shoulders and waist, and is usually quick to metabolise fat. Think of a long-distance runner or a supermodel, chances are, they’re ectomorphs. The issues ectomorphs might come across are more typically in the realm of gaining weight and muscle, which can be difficult for them. Despite not being able to gain weight easily, healthy eating and a regular workout routine that includes weight training is a must!

Mesomorph: These folks are usually described as have good core strength, well-defined muscles, a more narrow waistline, and wide shoulders. Weight training and muscle gain comes fairly easily to this body type, and adept at several sports. They aren’t immune to weight gain though, and when it does happen, it tends to spread evenly across the body. If you have this body type, you have to be careful about slipping into a sedentary lifestyle or eating too much high-calorie, high-fat food.

Endomorph:Typically soft and round, endomorphs are the body type known for having a higher inclination towards fat storage and weight gain. They tend to be shorter and stockier with a slower metabolism, though with thicker joints. It’s definitely encouraged to undertake regular exercise, lower-impact sports like swimming and cycling being most preferable, and keep a healthy diet. In fact, one tip is to eat smaller meals throughout the day, upping the times you eat to six or seven as opposed to the regular three.

A Micronutrient Test

Every time you search the internet, you’ll come across another so-called health expert trying to convince you to buy yet another expensive dietary supplement. What if you could know for sure which nutrients your body is lacking? Now you can with micronutrient testing. Micronutrient testing gives you an in-depth report on whether your body needs vitamin and mineral supplementation to function properly.

You Might Be Thirsty

Chances are, you’re not drinking enough water. Adults need to drink at least a half gallon of water every day, and while most people think they are reaching their recommended daily water intake, they aren’t even coming close. Fortunately, there are several easy to use apps that will track your daily water intake.

Walk It Off

Making one healthy choice often leads to more healthy choices, and walking is a great place to start. Walking 10,000 steps a day is equivalent to walking 5 miles, and you’ll probably be surprised by how many steps you already take on an average day. Buy an inexpensive pedometer or download an app for your smartphone and get moving.

Take a Look in the Mirror

The numbers on a scale don’t tell the whole story. When you get out of the shower, take the time to really look at yourself in a full-length mirror. You could be losing fat and gaining muscle, so taking your measurements regularly is the best way to record positive changes.

This is also a great time to do a self-breast exam and a skin cancer self-exam. Early detection saves lives!

How Well Did You Sleep Last Night?

How much sleep do we really need? Everyone is different. Create a sleep diary and compare how many hours of sleep you had with how you feel the next day. Plus, lack of sleep might just make you even more stressed than you are.  Stress and anxiety are detrimental to your health. You need to identify and address the underlying causes of your stress, and you can do so by journaling for anxiety.

What is in Your Toilet?

We didn’t want to go there, but we have to. What ends up in your toilet can tell you a lot about your health. Familiarizing yourself with what your bowel movements should look like can help you identify when there is a problem.

Being informed about your health is important, it allows you to be proactive and make smart choices. By learning more about your body and making simple lifestyle changes, you’ll increase your chances of losing weight and keeping it off.