How I Became Healthier by Implementing Very Minimal Changes to My Lifestyle

In March of 2008 I was diagnosed with High Blood pressure. My doctor's suggestion "MOVE"! And no she did not mean my place of residence but to MOVE MY BODY more. A good cardio-vascular workout three times a week will do the heart wonders she said. She recommended walking but I wanted to try joining a gym since I had several friends and family members who were current members at the local gym since I need a little accountability. I decided to try some of the group exercise classes. There were quite a few offered at the local Y - from cycling to step aerobics to yoga to belly dancing.

Unfortunately at the time I did not have very much control in my abdominal and oblique (the side abdominals) muscles so I wasn't able to do the belly dancing and I instead opted for Pilates (strength training and toning) and Step Aerobics (cardio). Although the step workouts were extremely difficult (I got sick after my first workout) I am now able to participate in the entire workout and actually enjoy my Pilates workouts.

Having a background in yoga (that I do for relaxation), Pilates came relatively easy and although the workouts are not easy by any means they are still very enjoyable and the effects are very apparent. When I started Pilates I could not squat, walk long distances, or see my backside (my butt) but now I can squat, jog, run up stairs, and utilize parts of my body I did not know existed previously.

I trimmed down (from a size 22 to a size 12) and lost over 40 lbs in the last 18 months since beginning my exercise routine. And my blood pressure, although not perfect, is now in pre-hypertensive stage instead of full blown hypertension.

Another thing I implemented in my lifestyle to become a healthier person was to remove white carbohydrates (mostly) from my diet. Occasionally I still indulge in white toast with my over easy eggs or white rice with my Chinese food but I mainly stick to whole grain/wheat carbs now with great success. Since this is the ONLY diet change I made I truly believe in the power of whole grains in weight loss now.

And for all you pasta lovers out there who say you can never get used to the taste of whole grain pasta I said the same thing. There are several brands out there now that are exceptionally tasty and do not have the sticky, pasty taste that the first whole grain and whole wheat pastas did. Barilla Plus is my favorite but Ronzoni's Healthy Harvest and Heartland's Perfect Balance pastas are both tasty alternatives as well. I usually look for the lighter coloring in the pasta because the browner whole wheat pastas do not always cook as nice as the lighter hued pastas do.

Hope this gives you some help in making healthier eating choices for you and your family! Feel free to comment or e-mail me your stories!