What are the biggest challenges to regular exercise and a healthy diet that you face?
How are these challenges going to change for you over the next five years?
The biggest challenge I face when it comes to regular exercise and healthy diet is TIME. Working full time, seeing patients independently, attending school full time and planning a wedding does not leave much other time. Because I am a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) and I work with children 4 days a week I get the added benefit of having exercise built into my job. This is an excellent bonus for a job that I already love, however because I am very active all day long the last thing I usually want to do is exercise when I get home. Despite having an active career I still probably need more exercise. An excellent way to ensure I get more exercise would be to use the equipment at my job during my lunch breaks and breaks between patients and include more exercise on my days off.
Because I have always been very active and have never struggled with my weight, a healthy diet has not always been my main priority. Since my career is in health care I am very aware of the importance for a healthy diet. Although I try hard to plan healthy meals and take healthy packed lunches to work, I find that a healthy diet often gets pushed aside when I get very busy. Today's society has made it so easy to get pick up because of it's convenience. As we all know convenient doesn't mean healthy. Although I try to make smart choices with my selections by substituting fries for fruit or a salad, water for a coke etc. I can't claim that I always do that. I think that bringing a healthy lunch from home to work and eating breakfast are 2 of the best steps toward eating healthier a person can do.
I will be getting married in May. Within the next 5 years I plan to take some time off of work to finish my master's degree and start a family. I think that having more time will improve my eating and exercise habits. I also think that when I have kids I will try even harder in these areas to keep them healthy and set a good example.
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Ashley,
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your upcoming wedding!!! I remember all the running around; flowers, cake, photos, engagement party, bridal shower, etc. Enjoy it!!! Words of advice when it comes to health, I have been married for 2 years and gave birth to my son almost a year ago. I was a size three before I had him, now… Hmmm… let’s just say, NOT anymore. Even though I was always thin and my husband claims I am still thin, I believe I arrived at the “comfortable” zone months after I got married. I started eating more, exercising less, and before I knew it I was 15 pounds heavier. Don’t allow this to happen to you. Stay active and proactive, encourage your future husband to do things you are currently doing now. Good luck!
Monica L.
I agree with Mloza1 having the extra time doesn't mean you will use it to exercise. Especially with children you have irregular days and night because the baby get their days and nights mixed up. You will find yourself sleeping more and perhaps eating more due to stress and anxiety. Plan now how you will incorporate an exercise plan before you have children, this will help in the long run. Congratulations on your wedding and good luck!
ReplyDeleteDear Ashley,
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your upcoming May wedding.I am really impressed with your time management skills. It's amazing how you have managed to do all those things at once.We all want to keep our body healthy by joining different types of physical activities but due to a lack of time these plans sometimes don't work.However, you are a good example and a inspiration to those people who always make excuses though they have enough time to do at least few minutes of exercise.
Wow Ashley your plate is full just wait until you have a family:) I can totally understand the time issue. I was fortunate to be blessed with a metabolism that I lose weigt fairly quickly, but I also struggle with trying to maintain a healthy exercise routine simply because I dont appear to have a weight issue. However I understand cardio is still important as well as a healthy diet.
ReplyDeleteAshley,
ReplyDeleteI think it's great that you are so ambitious. I will say that I was a person who really never struggled with weight and was always very active and ate well okay but not great. Now that I am much older I have noticed that my metabolism has slowed down and to deal with that I started just to eat less as in skiping meals and such which is the worst thing to do because it just makes the metabolism slow down more. I work full time and I am trying really hard to bring all of my lunches from home because then I can resist buying the fast foods that are so bad for you. I hope your wedding plans are going well!