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Have you ever heard the phrase, “If you keep on doing what you’ve always done, then you’ll keep on getting what you’ve always got.”? While the saying holds true in most all aspects of our lives, it certainly is applicable in regards to our health and wellness.
Consider this: For the past several months, you have been working in a full-time position. Throughout the day, you have little time to run home for lunch. Instead, you head over to the convenient drive-thru at your favorite fast-food restaurant. In the afternoons, you find yourself so tied up in work that you are unable to eat or drink anything until supper, later that evening. Once you are home, you are so exhausted from your day that you resort to ordering a pizza for the family and lounge on the sofa in front of the television for the rest of the evening. Before you realize it, your jeans are tighter than usual and the pounds are creeping up on you.
Sound a little too familiar?
Perhaps this was the case for you over the course of this past winter. The South Dakota winter was in full-force and the last thing you wanted to do after a long day was prepare a healthy meal and venture off to the gym. Now that the sun has decided to make an appearance and the snow has melted away, why not change up your routine?
The changing of the seasons offers the perfect opportunity to reevaluate your daily routine and make some appropriate modifications. If you don’t have time to make it home on your lunch break, make a point of planning ahead. Pack a healthy lunch the night before and keep it in a lunch bag the next day. While your afternoons may be busy, waiting from lunch until supper to eat is an awfully long time to go without food. In your lunch bag, pack snacks, such as yogurt and apples, to keep you energized until the next meal. Don’t forget to stay hydrated! Keep a water bottle with you that you can refill throughout the day. In addition to packing lunches ahead, plan your menu for the week on Sundays or your day off. You are more likely to stick to eating well-rounded meals if you have a plan. Now that the weather is finally warming up, take a walk or a jog after supper to unwind for the evening. You will be amazed at how these simple lifestyle changes not only help with your waistline, but also help boost your energy and mood as well.
-Amanda Lambrechts, SDSU Senior Dietetic Student
