The young person’s guide the age of 17 and 35

How to live a healthy lifestyle as a young woman during this stage of life?
Földi Rita fiatalság táplálkozás
Around 30 years old, energetically holding a homemade pizza in my hand

Topics:

  • Stages of a woman’s life
  • Healthy eating
  • The role of physical activity
  • Self-confidence

Women’s weight and shape can change radically three times in their lives: during adolescence, pregnancy, and menopause. All three stages pose an increased risk of obesity. It is better to be prepared for this. It gives you a sense of security to know what is going on in your body. I would like to help you with this. As someone over 35, I have already gone through this stage of life. I wrote this article as if I were talking to my younger self. If I could go back in time, this is what I would recommend to myself. 

If you are concerned about whether you are eating well, have an irregular menstrual cycle, and are struggling with being slightly overweight, then read this, because it may be useful for you too.

Characteristics of the 17-35 age group

I waited impatiently for my twenties. I remember seeing them as a treasure trove of endless possibilities. I imagined that I would be truly free once I turned 20. You know, when you move out of your parents’ house, have your own place, work at a cool job, and can buy yourself anything you want. You’re in a relationship and you travel together, freely. I think that not only in my case, but for most of us, this doesn’t happen in our 20s. It’s much more likely to happen in your 30s. That’s how it was for me. So, you better be prepared for the fact that after the difficult 10s, your 20s won’t be any easier. But let’s look at the best part of this stage of life first! Because there are a lot of positive things about it. 🙂

bowling
Photo: Rita Földi

The best part of life: hope, youth, and energy

At the beginning of this stage of life, you are still full of hope. You decide what you want to experience. You want to travel or even live abroad. You want to study, build a career, or maybe start a family and get married. You have so many plans that you can talk about them to your friends for hours. You dream, you yearn – and it feels good. That’s fine. What you don’t know yet (you’ll find out later) is that during this period, all your physical abilities are at your disposal to achieve your plans. If you do it right, you can be full of energy and achieve explosive form. You can function perfectly even with little sleep. If you use and train it well, your brain is like a sponge – it absorbs information easily and quickly. In most cases, you are also thirsty for information. And that is exactly what can cause your downfall.

Challenges and threats of this stage of life

1.Am I doing it right? Who should I believe?

At this stage in life, everyone tries to actively interfere in your life. Your family, school, and later your workplace. Until you have enough experience and the self-confidence that comes with it, you may feel that you are not good enough. Everyone else is smarter, better looking, more successful, and happier. At least, that’s how you see it. You believe that the problem lies with you, and this makes you vulnerable. You often listen to bad advice instead of trusting yourself.

2. Freedom, where are you?

You are struggling with the burdens of school, university, career, and possibly starting a family, all while trying to find yourself. You long for independence and freedom. But there is also a contradiction in your desires: you also want to belong (to communities of friends, family). This contradiction often causes problems in your relationships and friendships during this stage of your life.. 

It can be a problem if you don’t learn to cook when you’re young. In that case, you’re at the mercy of others when it comes to your meals. Oh, how many times did I have to eat unhealthy, bad-tasting food during that period of my life! Now I say, thanks, but I’d rather cook what I like for myself. The way I like it. If nothing else, at least you can control what you eat.

3. Extremes, going too far

You are over 18 (or you will be in a year). At this point, a seemingly unlimited amount of eating and drinking may begin in your life. For example, this is when I slipped up the most with dinners, which were still plentiful even at 10 p.m. I wasn’t afraid of the extra calories when my friends and I sat down to a good helping of cake and coffee. There were parties where I drank 4-5 cocktails! in a couple of hours (I don’t like to remember these, and I don’t think my friends do either). 🙂

If you don’t learn the rules of eating, drinking, and exercising at this age, you will certainly struggle with excess weight by the end of your life. Of course, you have to try everything, but if after a night or two of partying, you feel that it’s bad for you, then don’t go for a third.

At this stage in life, it is common to listen to the popular “5-day miracle diets” recommended in women’s magazines. These can be very harmful, especially at a young age. I know a woman who started an extreme diet in her teens and although she lost weight, she gained it all back with interest, and her stomach was ruined.

Losing weight requires a lifestyle change – it’s better to learn this now.

nők a strandon

Legnépszerűbb:

Életmódváltó csomag

Ebben a tudáscsomagomban ahhoz szeretnék neked gyakorlati tanácsokat adni, hogy hogyan alakítsd ki te magad a saját, személyre szabott diétás étrendedet. Mindezt kínkeserves éhezés és bonyolult méricskélések nélkül. Ne feledd, a cél az, hogy egy olyan étrended legyen, amit hosszú távon, könnyedén be is tudsz tartani, mert a zsírpárnáktól való tartós megszabaduláshoz idő kell!

You can do something about it!

Have I upset you with what I’ve said so far? Great. That was my goal. The more deeply affected you are, the more seriously you will take it and do something about it. The good news is that you are skilled at defending yourself against threatening enemies. Let’s see how!

Solutions: how to deal with the challenges of life between the ages of 17 and 35!

What do you feed your body?

  • Lay the bases!
    Learn the rules of proper eating, because limited or vague knowledge in this area can be dangerous.
    Now is the time to develop good habits in eating, drinking, and exercising. Don’t wait until you become obese! Read books on this topic. I recommend these.
  • Don’t fall for miracle diets!
    Know what’s good for you! >> Which diet is right for you?
  • Learn to cook!
    It’s time to leave childish things behind! Take control of your diet.
    Learn to cook! This is also a form of independence, because you don’t depend on anyone else when you get hungry. You can control what you eat and when.
  • Have two good recipes that take less than 15 minutes to prepare!
    Don’t have time to cook, so you order in or grab something on the go? Don’t! Instead, learn a few healthy recipes that take less than 15 minutes to prepare. Have a repertoire that you can always fall back on. If you already have two recipes that you’ve practiced, then you’ve done a lot for yourself. By the time the pizza arrives, you’ll already be full from your own delicious meal. 🙂
  • Eat light, healthy dinners!
    Pay special attention to what you eat for dinner, and also when you eat it. >> Healthy dinner recipes that won’t make you fat
  • Avoid unnecessary calories (chocolate, cookies, sugary soft drinks, energy drinks, cocktails, “just a quick bite” type foods) and choose healthy snacks instead.
    You may feel hungry between meals. This is completely normal. In this case, it is better not to reach for chocolate or energy drinks. Learn about healthy snacks.
  • If you are having difficulty losing weight, it may be due to a slow metabolism. Your metabolism begins to decline after the age of 25. Discover recipes that boost your metabolism!
  • Don’t be afraid of carbohydrates, but choose high-quality sources (oats, brown rice, quinoa). Learn about the Mediterranean diet, which can help you lose weight with ease – and yes, you can eat pasta too! 🙂
  • Consume sufficient protein: meat, fish, eggs, cottage cheese, yogurt, plant sources.
  • Snacks and desserts
    It’s best to forget about sugary snacks and desserts. You don’t have to give up sweet flavors. You should avoid white sugar, which causes cravings and blood sugar fluctuations. My book Fitness Sweets can help you with this, as it contains recipes for sweets that can be made without white sugar. You can also find sugar-free desserts here.
  • Vacations, weekend parties, holidays
    There are many temptations that, if you give in to them, will surely lead to weight gain instead of weight loss. I have developed my own plan for this. Check it out! >> The 80-20 planner helps you stick to your diet

The importance of physical activity between the ages of 17 and 35

physical exercise

Physically, you are at your peak during these years. So, if you spend this period sitting at work for 8 hours a day, you are wasting your energy and physical fitness, as well as missing out on the positive benefits that exercise provides.

Why should you exercise?

Regular exercise can do wonders for your health. It can improve your overall condition and reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic illnesses. You will sleep better. You will find it easier to remember things. You will become more creative. Your self-confidence will increase and your mood will improve. These are the main benefits that are usually mentioned. Overall, we can say that exercise improves your quality of life. 

Read this too: >> What sport should I choose? I want to lose weight.

At this stage of life, establishing a regular routine is key. Exercising 3-4 times a week can change your lifestyle. Combine cardio (running, cycling, swimming, dancing) with weight training or bodyweight exercises to help shape your figure and prevent future problems. In addition to these, it is also worth incorporating stretching or yoga for posture and flexibility.

My own case

At that stage of my life, I really did sit in front of the computer for eight hours a day. I really wanted to exercise, but I only did so when I had to. When I started having a lot of physical problems from sitting, I quickly went to yoga or Pilates. Of course, I didn’t have the time (or the stamina) to go regularly, so the problem only got worse. The stress in my life grew and I couldn’t let off steam. Exercise would have been great for this, but I didn’t take the plunge. It was only at the end of this period of my life, around the age of 32, that I introduced regular exercise, which for me was squash. I realized that this sport was really right for me. It may be different for you. Whatever you choose, the important thing is to do it regularly. The time you spend on sports pays off. It’s like an investment. You’ll reap the benefits later on. It’s a shame I didn’t realize this at the time. I could have spared myself a lot of anxiety.

Rest, recreation

There are many forms of recreation (excursions, nature walks, travel, creative hobbies: crafts, gardening, reading, painting, sewing, adult coloring). You can read more about it here: >>> Recreation

Choose several forms of relaxation to fill your soul with good things even in difficult times.

How do you nourish your soul?

  • It is important to establish a good sleep routine (7-9 hours), because this is one of the best “beauty and health tricks” that is also free. Make sure you sleep well and get enough sleep.
    Avoid staying up all night and relying on energy drinks.
  • At this age, you are often under pressure (studies, career, self-confidence, relationships) and there are many stress factors (career, marriage, motherhood). It is good to learn stress management techniques now (mindfulness, relaxation, meditation exercises, conscious breathing, massage, exercise that suits you, etc.).
  • Writing diary can also help a lot. Here are some more techniques: >>> Relaxation: 20 simple and effective ways to truly relax
  • It is worth spending time on mental health, self-confidence, and life goals. >>> Life goals, vocation
  • Get your self-confidence in order. Love yourself and believe in yourself!
    At times like this, many people try to undermine your self-confidence by saying that you are still young and don’t know everything. That’s when people interfered in my life the most. It took me a while to learn to listen to advice and only take from it what really suits my life. This also requires self-confidence.
  • Do you have doubts about your femininity? Are you interested in how you can live your femininity well? Read this: What is a beautiful woman like?
  • Community and social life
    Spending time with friends and communities has a positive effect on mental health. Build good relationships now. They will be invaluable later on. It is worth looking for community programs that involve exercise and a healthy lifestyle (e.g., running, cooking, hiking together).
  • While striving for your goals, don’t forget to stop and take stock of what you’ve achieved so far. Practice gratitude!
    Every morning, while drinking my coffee, I always take a few minutes to think about everything I’m grateful for. This fills me with good feelings and puts me in a good mood for the rest of the day. I also keep a monthly list of moments that made me happy. Sometimes it’s a very simple action, an experience, something I tasted, or a place I visited. I often read this list when I’m feeling down and need motivation.
  • Be brave and experiment! Don’t be afraid to fail, because that’s how you gain valuable experience.

Conclusion

As a young person, this is the stage of your life when you lay the foundations for your future. Hang in there, because this period can be quite difficult. If you make good decisions now, it will be much easier later on. If you take care of yourself now, you will be able to live a more energetic, balanced, and happier life in the long run. Take the first steps, then make it a routine. I believe in you, you can do it!

Read these, too!

Source: Mireille Guiliano: French Women Don’t Get Fat – The Secrets of Eating for Pleasure

Attention!

I would like to clarify that as a food blogger and certified nutritionist, I share information that is primarily intended for healthy people and aims to prevent disease and support disease prevention. My activities are not a substitute for medical advice.

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