It took me a long time to figure out that diet and exercise are both necessary for a healthy lifestyle and body weight.
My parents, siblings, aunts, uncles and cousins are all extremely overweight.
I grew up with snacks such as potato chips, ice cream and chocolate always accessible in the house. We ate big breakfasts that included bacon, sausage and waffles. Dinners often consisted of fast food. We went to McDonalds on a regular basis and often ordered pizza for dinner. No one in my family ever engaged in physical activity or played any type of sports. Because I was a chubby kid, I didn’t feel confident enough to try out for any of the school teams. I was shy, self-conscious and introverted. I had no clue how to go about losing weight or getting in shape. During college, I had access to free nutritional counseling as well as the gym. The counselor helped me a lot. She worked with me to develop a meal plan that I could live with. I gradually introduced more fruits and vegetables into my diet and eliminated fast foods, processed foods and anything that was overly high in sugar. I began focusing more on including proteins, grains, vitamins and minerals. I switched from drinking soda to water and herbal tea. I also set up a workout schedule. I visited the gym four mornings per week for approximately 90 minutes. On those days, I lifted weights, rode the stationary bike, worked on the heavy bag and did lots of crunches, lunges and squats. Two mornings per week, I ran around the track. I gradually increased my distance from one mile to six. I lost weight and elevated my strength and stamina. I’m now in my thirties and continue a healthy lifestyle.