Invest in Yourself: Health

“The sculpture is already complete within the marble block...I just have to chisel away the superfluous material.” - Michelangelo Buonarroti

January 19th is when the majority of people abandon their New Year's Resolutions. But I want you all to keep going strong! That's why I am committed to focusing on my New Year's Resolution Word: INVEST - Invest in Yourself, Invest in Your Environment, and Invest in Your Experiences. My first post emphasized Investing in Yourself: FINANCES. Part two of the Investing in Yourself section brings you HEALTH. It's time to chisel away the excess and reveal the masterpiece!

BE Great

I cannot imagine a better opportunity to highlight the importance of investing in your health than this weekend's seminar with my friend Beth (@bethygeddy). She hosted her first BE Great event that emphasized both physical and mental health and wellness with workshops, workouts, and networking. Because health is something you not only need to invest in but you also have to work at day in and day out.

The schedule was filled with interactive sessions to get both our minds and bodies energized. Topics included confidence (Danielle Mercurio), journaling (Beth Geddio), overcoming hardships (Erica Ligenza), and mind-body connections (Alanna Gardner). These were coupled with a yoga flow and bootcamp cardio routine.

Ran into my friend Davida (@vidafashionista) who got to experience her first yoga class...Chatu-what? Chaturanga!

Mental Health

A big part of our mental health involves our own self-perception and self-confidence. All of today's speakers touched upon providing ways for us to pivot our mindset into positive thinking starting with the inner voice inside our head. Eliminate negative thoughts. Start to incorporate uplifting statements.

"It's not a rejection, it's a redirection." - Danielle Mercurio

Focus on being receptive to those statements whether from yourself or another person. Don't make an excuse, deflect, or give credit to someone else. Don't blame something, become something. Don't go through something, grow through something. Don't just survive in this world, thrive in this world.



As Beth Geddio discussed with us, another great tool is journaling. By writing down your thoughts, you are able to unload what is weighing you down to help you process and problem-solve.

Beth Geddio, founder of BE Great Events

Fitness

Fitness is all about setting a precedent for yourself, whether that is committing to exercise on weekends, three days a week, or building up to every other day. The answer lies within what works for you. BE Great's group fitness routines reminded me how much fun a sweat sesh can be when you have a buddy to share in the experience. Friends can be both an accountability partner and a post-workout brunch date.

Davida (@vidafashionista) was my accountability partner

I also love doing the Blogilates PIIT28 program. I had done it before, which meant I knew I could do it again (learn more HERE and HERE). They say 13 days makes a habit and I'm on my 6th month. At this point, given the precedent I set for myself, it has become not just a habit but a lifestyle. Doing this routine coupled with the occasional ClassPass group workout helps me stay focused and fit.

Get $30 off your first month of ClassPass by clicking HERE.

Another thing I have started doing is Apple Health "competitions" with my friends through my Apple watch. It's a fun challenge and one that motivates me to get moving even when I might not feel like it. This is especially true when I get a notification that says my friend just completed a workout or has closed all of their health rings.

Food

We had some incredible sponsors at BE Great that focused on health and nutrition. These included Honeygrow, Snap Kitchen, Nooma, The Juice Philly, Hungry Harvest, Frutta Bowls, The Soulfull Project, and A & M Factory.

One thing that I am really proud of but have not been very vocal about is that since August, I have been actively working toward my goal weight and muscle tone. With simple changes and substitutions (think "eat this, not that") as well as portion control (i.e. actually reading the package descriptions to realize the serving size in 1/3 the bag and not the entire thing), I have not only surpassed my goal weight but improved my tone.

What do I mean by substitutions? Essentially more vegetables and fruits, less carbs and empty calories. Instead of chips and dip I go for carrots or celery and dip. Instead of cereal with fruit I go for yogurt with fruit. I tend to "graze" throughout the day on smaller meals rather than three big meals and avoid eating those late night snacks.

My next goal is endurance, which is why I will be tackling the upcoming Broad Street run! Who's with me?

Can you spot me?!