healthy eating

Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle (Read 5 People’s Stories)

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I’m sure that many of you have been struggling with maintaining your weight in these hectic times. It’s easy to get caught up in all the delicious treats, rich foods, and high calorie beverages. No matter what your goal is (lose weight, gain muscle or stay lean) there are things that can help you achieve it.  In this blog post, I’ll introduce five people who live a healthy lifestyle and share their tips for being fit and eating healthy.

Here are some common questions people ask about maintaining a healthy lifestyle

Read 5 People's ways of Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle

Shanna, finance clerk, Palmyra, NJ
 
1. What Nutritional Plan, If Any, Do you currently Follow? (ex. Keto, Vegan, Vegetarian, etc)
Vegan
 
2. Can You Please Describe How Long You have been living a healthy Lifestyle? (Eating healthy & Exercise) 
9 years
 
3. If Anything, What motivated you to change the way you eat and exercise? 
I want to live a long life as healthy as possible and avoid any preventable illnesses.
 
4. How do you Balance work & personal life with healthy eating and exercise? 
I don’t think anything is more important than my health so I always make it a priority. I exercise every weekday after work and every weekend in the morning. Working out is part of my schedule regardless of any other plans I might have. Meal planning has made a huge difference in saving me time in my daily life as well. It’s less work to plan out what I’m going to eat then everyday having to figure it out.
 
5. Did you do research about eating healthier or did you just wing it? 
I did research. I still do even after being vegan for 9 years. I like to get new meal ideas and see if there’s anything in my diet I can improve on or add that will benefit my health.
 
6. Is there anything you wished you would have known or done differently? 
That what you eat is even more important than how much you exercise. You can exercise every single day but you still might not see the results you want if you’re not eating the right foods or if you’re taking in too many calories.
 
7. What advice would you give to someone who is looking to change their Nutritional Plan?
Meal planning saved me a lot of aggravation and hours of time cooking. I really recommend that. And also eating healthy is not expensive if you don’t want it to be. Pre-made and processed foods are expensive but vegetables, grains, and protein don’t have to be. Making all your meals at home and not eating out saves a lot of money.
a woman smiling and standing in a roomJessica, Clinical Therapist (Gastonia, NC)
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1. What Nutritional Plan, If Any, Do you currently Follow? (ex. Keto, Vegan, Vegetarian, etc)
No fried foods; mostly fish, chicken and turkey; water mostly for meals, etc.
 
2. Can You Please Describe How Long You have been living a healthy Lifestyle? (Eating healthy & Exercise)
Basically, my whole life. I have been on a athletic meal plan since I was in 5th grade. It started with me running track and then transitioning to basketball.
 
3. If Anything, What motivated you to change the way you eat and exercise?
I didn’t really have a choice because as a athlete you had to workout and eat healthy or you couldn’t perform at your best! I would say what motivated me was just the mental and physical desire to stay fit.
 
4. How do you Balance work & personal life with healthy eating and exercise? 
I have a daughter but I also have a great support system which allows me to invest more time to healthy eating and exercising. I tend to prep my meals on Sundays which helps me take my lunch to work and not have to stress to cook when I get home from work! No one is perfect so it takes trial and error but I plan my week, that helps me stay consistent and focused on my goals.
 
5. Did you do research about eating healthier or did you just wing it? 
In the beginning I did a lot of research, which was overwhelming because everyone had their opinions or remedies to eating healthier. I found things that worked best for me but still Continued to have a open mind to new tips on eating healthier.
 
6. Is there anything you wished you would have known or done differently?
Take my time and make sure I do what best for me; don’t compare my journey to others; and be patient with the process towards achieving my goals.
 
7. What advice would you give to someone who is looking to change their Nutritional Plan? 
Take your time and make sure you do what’s best for you when creating the nutritional plan. Try not to compare your journey to others because everyone is different, what works for them May not work for you. Lastly, Do your research to make sure what your eating aligns with your body type.
 

a woman smiling for the camera Danielle, Realtor (Philadelphia, PA)

1. What Nutritional Plan, If Any, Do you currently Follow? (ex. Keto, Vegan, Vegetarian, etc) 
My motto is everything in moderation including moderation. I eat meat, gluten, dairy and carbs. Just a lot less than I did in my 20’s and early 30’s. And I eat a ton of fruits and vegetables every day. I also avoid anything with high fructose corn syrup and processed foods.
 
2. Can You Please Describe How Long You have been living a healthy Lifestyle? (Eating healthy & Exercise)
Currently I am 42 years old and have been pretty much involved in some form of exercise my entire life whether it be through sports or just general childhood activities. Going to a gym 4-6 days a week since I was 20 years old. And in the last 10 years attending classes also. As far as diet I feel as though I’ve always tied to eat healthy but I definitely did not have the luxury of the foods we have now, as a child. So I ate what was put in front of me. Since my mid 30’s made much healthier choices through education and advancement.
 
3. If Anything, What motivated you to change the way you eat and exercise? 
My BODY! lol … also exercised has always been a stress relief for me, which I have a lot. Also when I eat Healthy I feel better mentally and physically.
 
4. How do you Balance work & personal life with healthy eating and exercise? 
I always Put exercise and eating healthy on the forefront. I find the time to exercise even if I’m busy because it helps me in so many other areas of my life. Another motto of mine is you have to treat your “mind, body and soul” with love.
 
5. Did you do research about eating healthier or did you just wing it? 
Like with most things in my life I pretty much winged it. Those who know me know, and would laugh I’m sure 🙂
 
6. Is there anything you wished you would have known or done differently? 
That’s a loaded question! lol. NO – No regrets. You are who you are in life because of everything that’s happened along your journey.
 
7. What advice would you give to someone who is looking to change their Nutritional Plan?
Start small, baby steps. You don’t have to go totally gluten free and torture yourself, if you do not have a gluten allergy. I’ll have a burger or pizza from time to time but the other 5-6 days, I’m eating healthy. Read labels. Don’t believe everything you hear or the latest tends. Get to know your body and what feels good. Believe it or not your body speaks to you more than you know, if you pay attention. AND have a cheat day ! Or 2 ! Enjoy it and move on ! You only live once !

a person wearing a hat and sunglasses

Ida, Nutrition, Lifestyle Coach, Data Analyst, Philadelphia, PA

What Nutritional Plan, If Any, Do you currently Follow? (ex. Keto, Vegan, Vegetarian, etc)
Currently I follow healthy eating, organic, no GMO’s, no processed foods, no soda or anything bottled that contains high amounts of sugar or unpronounceable words. I utilize recipes from the DASH diet, the Mediterranean Diet, and eating a variety of the colors of plants based, fruits, etc. Drinking 60 oz of water per day.
 
Can You Please Describe How Long You have been living a healthy Lifestyle? (Eating healthy & Exercise)
I have lived this most of my life, for the last 15 years I have been much more conscious of it and have stuck to it in order to keep the inflammation in my body away, as well as keep my microbiome balanced.
 
If Anything, What motivated you to change the way you eat and exercise?
My health
 
How do you Balance work & personal life with healthy eating and exercise?
This is a tough one for me. I tend to become busy and forget at times. Prior to Covid 19 I worked in Center City Philadelphia, PA. Working in the city was nice I could walk to the Reading Terminal to pick up fresh vegetables and fruits, purchase fresh meats, and on the other side of the coin there were many temptations such as restaurants, donut shops, ice cream shops, candy shops, so being very conscious of heading down that road was always in the forefront of my mind. On nice days I could take a walk down to the Delaware River, and there was a gym for the offices I was employed by, I worked out in the gym with the gym manager daily Monday through Thursday for at least an hour every day. When Covid 19 hit I had to figure out how to adjust my life to do most of the same but from home which became quite a challenge. I found it was doable, I walk at least 3 miles every morning and exercise regularly.
 
Did you do research about eating healthier or did you just wing it?
Most of it was winging it at the beginning. I knew from my mother teaching me how to cook and bake healthy ways. Then I began to research, through that learned many ways to take many of my favorite dishes and make them healthier, adding more vegetables & fruits, changing oils to healthy oils, and learning which foods caused inflammation in order to avoid.
 
Is there anything you wished you would have known or done differently?
I would have gone back to school sooner.
 
What advice would you give to someone who is looking to change their Nutritional Plan?
Do NOT look at fad diets, do not look at diets that promise you will lose 50 pounds in 4 weeks, these eating plans are extremely unhealthy. Learning how to eat properly, removing processed foods from your life, removing sugary drinks. Learn to eat balanced meals, drink water, cook as much at home as you possibly can. If you cannot purchase strictly organic, remember the rules of the “dirty dozen” those foods that you can skip organic as long as they are washed, manage carbohydrates, work with your health professionals. Work with someone that does nutritional counseling and at times be open to working with a behavioral health professional.

a man smiling for the camera

Jesse, Reliability Engineer, Philadelphia PA

What Nutritional Plan, If Any, Do you currently Follow? (ex. Keto, Vegan, Vegetarian, etc) 
I follow the vegan lifestyle, more specifically I try to eat as alkaline as possible. Even more recently I have switched to intermittent fasting.
 
Can You Please Describe How Long You have been living a healthy Lifestyle? (Eating healthy & Exercise)
I have been health conscious for about 10 years, since my mid 20’s. But I switched to vegan about 2 and a half years ago. I have always been an active person and played all sports, but started working out when I was late teens. I would say within the last 10 years I went to a more regimented and scheduled workouts.
 
If Anything, What motivated you to change the way you eat and exercise?
As I mentioned I have always been extremely active. Once I hit my 30’s however I started to feel lazy and worn down. That’s around the time I started researching the effects of food and made the switch to plant based.
 
How do you Balance work & personal life with healthy eating and exercise?
It’s hard to prepare different meals and exercise while balancing work, now home school, after school sports and family time. I find it’s best to plan your meals out. I have also recently tried some circuit training (more famously, center 6 workout) to cut down the time on my workouts.
 
Did you do research about eating healthier or did you just wing it?
I did a lot of research. I mentioned I was feeling worn down, but I was also getting sick fairly often. Since switching , I have infinite more energy and have not been sick since.
 
Is there anything you wished you would have known or done differently?
I think early on I wish I would have valued nutrition more. So often when we think of fitness we think of the macronutrients (protein, carbs, fats). Where I was lacking was the micronutrients (vitamins and minerals). The macros are essential, but the micros are what makes our bodies function properly.
 
What advice would you give to someone who is looking to change their Nutritional Plan?
What ever nutrition and exercise plan you choose, make sure you enjoy it. That will help you to stick with it and be consistent. Consistency is key! With everything in life, have fun and enjoy yourself!

Conclusion

We’ve seen how the five people maintain a healthy lifestyle, but what is it that you want to change in your life? If you take away one thing from this blog post, let it be these words of wisdom. You are capable of anything and everything if only you believe hard enough!

Whatever changes you make will lead to an improved future for yourself. What do YOU want to change about your lifestyle? Let us help by sharing some simple ways we can all improve our health with just 15 minutes per day .

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1 thought on “Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle (Read 5 People’s Stories)”

  1. Great blog sis!!! My takeaway from the other women is find what works best for you and your body type!! Also, I’ll do more meal prepping, I struggle with finding time to prep but if I make it a priority I think I can do it!! I definitely going to try harder as I try to continue to eat healthy with the combination of working out!! Thanks for the tips ladies, appreciate your insight!!!

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