Making the decision to invest in YOURSELF and start making changes in your life is exciting, but unfortunately never easy. We’ve been there and experienced the challenges that come with breaking old habits and creating new healthy ones. In order to truly create lasting change, it takes time, patience, and dedication. Let us help you start creating lifestyle changes that will actually stick and make a big difference in your life:

Stay Hydrated:

You’ve heard this before, but we are going to tell you again, so please don’t tune us out! Water is a crucial part of your health and is essential to every function within the body. It lubricates your joints, delivers oxygen throughout the body, nourishes your skin, helps with weight loss, improves exercise performance, and so much more. Every day you lose water through sweating (regulating your body temperature), digestion, breathing (yes, you actually lose a lot of water this way), and using the bathroom. Losing water without replenishing it can lead to dehydration and other health issues. To keep your body functioning at its best, it’s important that you drink water like it’s going out of style! Here are some helpful tips to stay hydrated:

• Keep a big water bottle with you throughout the day (click here for an example)
• Drink electrolytes – they are the perfect water add-in for extra hydration
• Don’t just drink for thirst – drink to stay hydrated (you need 100-120 oz a day at least)
• Try eating more foods that have high water content (strawberries, watermelon, spinach, lettuce, etc.). 
• Drink a big glass of water right when you wake up
• Keep track of how much water you consume daily

Prioritize Sleep:

Sleep is crucial for the human body to function properly. It recharges your body and mind to make sure you feel great throughout the day, improves your cognitive function, boosts your immune system, and so much more. Your sleep quality goes hand in hand with your goals. Lack of it will make you feel sluggish, impair your thinking, and affect every process within the body. Here are a few tips for better sleep:

• Get an adequate amount of sleep (around 8+ hours a night).
• Create a sleep schedule and stick to it, while also limiting daytime naps! This will get  your body into a rhythm and can even help you get better quality rest.
• Supplement as needed. It’s not always easy to get the quality sleep we deserve, but there are products out there designed to help you get exactly that! 
• Avoid caffeine and limit screen time close to bedtime. Both of these can affect your ability to fall asleep and the quality of the sleep you do get.
• Exercise regularly
• Create a better sleep environment. Studies have actually shown that optimizing your bedroom for sleep through temperature, comfort, light, and noise levels can help promote better sleep!

Be Consistent:

As we all know, consistency is KEY! With all things, but especially when it comes to creating a sustainable, healthy lifestyle. Lasting results come from showing up for yourself and putting in a consistent effort day in and day out. Think of it this way: it’s the actions you take MOST of the time that lead to success. For example, if you’re consistently going to bed really late then you will consistently get poor sleep and constantly feel fatigued. So, what can you do to help yourself be more consistent? 

• Find your “why” – the reason you want to make changes. Finding your way is one of the best things you can do for yourself if you’re looking to make your lifestyle changes last. 
• Create realistic goals/habits for yourself. Set yourself up for success and choose goals that are attainable.
• Plan out a schedule (sleep, gym, nutrition, etc.) and stick to it. Think of meal prepping, gym sessions, and sleep as meetings. You wouldn’t skip a work meeting, so don’t skip these either!
• Find a workout plan or create your own that you work for your schedule. Check out our “Workout Library" for FREE workouts. Here you’ll have full access to killer workouts to help you reach your goals, ranging from: cardio based, resistance training, HIIT, functional fitness, at-home, and more.
• Keep going even if you make a mistake (miss a workout, don’t hit your calories, etc). You’re human. Mistakes are bound to happen. Don’t let that get to you, give yourself grace and move forward! Dwelling on it won’t propel you closer to your goals.
• Think of where your progress will be eight weeks from now if you do just 1% better everyday.

Watch Your Nutrition:

Nutrition is a huge piece of the puzzle and a critical part of health! It’s important that you prioritize balanced nutrition to ensure your body is getting all the nutrients and vitamins/minerals it needs to function optimally! Finding that balance will also help you stay motivated and lead to sustainable change. You don’t need to make huge changes nor do you need to change all your habits at once, but here are a few healthy changes that can make a big difference:

• Find and follow a nutrition plan that works for you. We offer nutrition plans on bowmarfitness.com
• Make sure your calorie intake aligns with your goals. If you’re trying to lose weight, you need to be in a calorie deficit. If you’re trying to gain weight, you need to be in a calorie surplus. If you’re wanting to simply stay where you are and potentially experience a body recomposition, you need to sit around your maintenance calories. Click here to take advantage of our calorie + macro calculator to determine where YOUR nutrition should be based on your goals. 
• Consume an ample amount of protein (lean meats, high protein snacks, protein powder). Protein can help curb sugar and junk food cravings, while also helping you feel fuller longer.
• When going out to eat, pick an option with the best nutritional value.
• Always have nutrient dense snacks around, so when you’re craving a snack you have options with high nutritional value.
• Prioritize whole, single ingredient foods and consume less processed foods.
• Eat the rainbow. By this we mean prioritizing fruits and vegetables of different colors.
• Treat yourself within moderation. It's okay to eat the foods you love from time to time, but do so while practicing moderation (without overdoing it).

Takeaway:

Creating new habits and ditching the old ones is tough. Meaningful change requires a time and commitment investment on your part, but utilizing the strategies and tips provided above can make it a little easier! Today we challenge you to take ONE step in the direction of your goals. What change will you make for a healthier, happier you?!