9 Struggles Of Trying To Adopt A Healthy Lifestyle
You have decided that after all these years, after all the failed attempts of achieving your new year’s resolution that you’re finally ready to make a change. “I want to become more active and fit,” you write down under the ‘New Year’s Resolution’ heading in your notebook for the 5th year in a row.
‘How will I achieve this?’ “By working out 4-5 times a week,” which has resulted in your gym membership and a huge sense of relief and accomplishment after you’ve signed a one-year contract. I finally did it, you think proudly. I am committed to leading a healthy lifestyle and getting that dream body of mine.
Unfortunately though, no one really told you about the 70/30 rule. Why the f*ck am I gaining more weight?? Okay, don’t panic, it must be muscle.. I mean muscle weighs more than fat, that must be it, you begin to rationalize as you regret ever stepping on the scale. You’ve been working out 4-5 times a week, sometimes even more, so why is this happening?!
A quick google search and a skim read through a couple of pages, you realize the amount of emphasis placed on ‘healthy eating.’ Of course you were aware that you should eat more vegetables, but WHY ARE THERE SO MANY RESTRICTIONS?! You had assume going to the gym was enough, or at least would counteract the bad food you put into your body.
“It’s not a diet, it’s a lifestyle change…” Crap. I wasn’t ready for that.
1. Eating 5 times a day
Many fitness articles recommend eating five times a day to speed up your metabolism. If you happen to miss one meal, you assume your body will not be able to function properly therefore you’ll put on more weight. (Not to mention the stress of planning your five meals, or even remembering to eat during a hectic day)
2. Breakfast
You’re not a morning person, and you’re first meal was always brunch (or even lunch). Now, you MUST eat breakfast.
3. Farewell, Max Brenner
If you have a huge sweet tooth, this is going to be the death of you. No longer can you eat that favorite dessert of yours without a huge overriding feeling of guilt. There’s how many calories in that?!
4. There are alternatives for everything
If you’ve looked into healthy eating, I’m sure you’re familiar with oats, sweet potato, stevia, chia seeds, quinoa, and a bunch of other foods you never knew existed.
5. Why is everything so expensive?!
Why???
6. It’s time-consuming
In order to eat healthy and stay on track, you need to meal prep. You also need to portion control to go into a calorie deficit.
7. The fitness girls on Instagram
What was intended to be your source of motivation for you to get your ass in the gym, becomes a guilt-tripping, self-loathing device when you’ve had a bad day.
8. Feeling like an outcast or pretentious bitch
Your friends are always going out to eat, and when you order a salad or decline to go for a dessert-run afterwards, automatically you’re judged because you think ‘you’re too good for them.’ “So do you only eat salads or something?”
9. When your cheat meal becomes a cheat day (or week)
You’ve been doing so well, so you decide to reward yourself with that favorite dessert of yours. Next thing you know, you’ve demolished a whole box of Krispy Kremes. You feel so guilty, and to prevent this from occurring again, you decide to remove ALL temptations… by eating them.
Although you’ve had a few setbacks and some days, you feel as though you are reverting to your old habits, you decide to push through and commit to this lifestyle change. It is called a lifestyle change after all, therefore it isn’t going to be something that can be accomplished easily. Keep pushing through, and all your effort and sweat will reward you.
Just remember that you’re not the only one feeling this way. 
