Healthy Lifestyle this Summer

“I will have the most fun of my life this summer and live a healthy lifestyle on top of that.”  That may sound to pie-in-the-sky, but it is important to hear yourself say it.  I am going to focus my goal of a healthy lifestyle this summer into tasks that I can look at (read my JP Morgan Success Story for specifics).  This will be a list to remind me what I should be doing each day/week to meet my goal of a healthy summer.

1. Eat Healthy: It is so often ignored and yet so essential.  Basics eat 3 mid-sized meals and 3 snacks per day.

    - Breakfast: bagels, cereal, toast, eggs, fresh fruit, oatmeal, yogurt, coffee

    - Lunch: Subway sandwiches, lean white meat sandwiches/wraps, choice of fruit, yogurt, fruit juice or green tea

    - Dinner: lean white meat meals, scrambled eggs, grilled chicken, pasta, fish, fruit juice or green tea

    - Snacks: granola bar, dry cereal, banana with peanut butter, oatmeal, water (always carry around a water bottle)

2. Exercise: Going to the gym might be hard, but it needs to be done to get that summer body in shape.  I want to go to the gym early before work or immediately after work.  Sometimes waking up early and hitting the gym may seem like a chore.  Force yourself to try it for a week (or even a day if you can’t muscle a week) and you’ll see how much time in the day you actually have.  Since you’re running and working out early in the morning, you’ll be more awake, more productive at work, and more energetic.  I would like to integrate the early morning workout 3-4 days a week and an after work visit to the gym the remainder of the days.  When going to the gym after 4 or 5 pm, you get to meet new people and you gain the social aspect of working out.  Yes you should be focused on getting in shape, but finding people of similar ideas and fitness goals in your gym will help you reach your own goals.

3. Participate in activities that I love.  This task is two-fold: find activities that you love and keep you active.  For example, I love to run, rock climb, hike, mountain bike, golf, swim, and toss around a frisbee.  Find those activities that you actually enjoy and won’t find a burden to participating it and do them.  Keeping these activities in mind can help you bridge the gap between coworkers, fellow students, or an acquaintance you meet at the gym.