r/PetiteFitness • u/Wintermom • Sep 21 '23
What is One small change you made to your workout/diet/whatever that has made a big difference? Little Wins
We aren’t all built the same mentally and physically, so I thought it would be fun to see what little change you made in your life that has made a bigger difference than you thought
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u/Natural-Blueberry657 Sep 21 '23
As someone else said, getting enough fiber has made a big difference for me. I’m still not at ~optimal~ levels, but I’ve been focused on increasing my daily fiber and been taking flaxseed oil supplements over the last year.
I have genetically high cholesterol and triglycerides, and a family history rich in heart disease. I’m in my mid 20s and have a regular, leaning healthy diet. My diet gets a little better every year.
After taking fiber supplements, increasing foods with fiber, and taking the flaxseed supplements, my cholesterol and triglycerides dropped significantly in just a year.
It’s a great feeling, and motivates me to do better in other areas.
I know a lot of people work out and lose weight to look good, and that’s always a plus, but the health benefits shouldn’t go ignored. Get a physical with blood work every year. Know where you stand. You don’t want to hit 30 or 40 and have to make drastic life changes so you don’t die suddenly.
Some notes: The American Heart Association recommends 25-30g of fiber a day.
I take the Psyllium Fiber from Costco that comes in two giant bottles of 360 each for like $25 total. I take 5 capsules a day. Metamucil is the same thing. You can get Metamucil in powder form but it’s not my favorite. Quaker Oats makes high fiber oatmeal that’s like 7g. Avocados have about 14g of fiber.
I take flaxseed oil instead of fish oil because I am down a gallbladder and the fish oil (even the burp less, easy on the stomach pills) make me dreadfully sick. Flaxseed isn’t considered a complete source of omega 3s, but it’s better than nothing. I also increased the amount of fish I eat.
If you’re worried about your lipids, talk to your doctor first, of course. If you can stomach fish oil that’s the best choice, but flaxseed oil has been a great substitute for me.