Here are a few tips to help you stay slim and trim.
1. Pay Attention
This means using your own common sense regarding nutrition. Read labels. Choose skimmed milk over full fat milk. Eat fruit ahd vegetables. Avoid sugar. Remember that low fat is not fat free amd that fat free is not calorie free.
2. Portion Control
This means too much of anything is not good for you. Weigh your food to make sure you sre being accurate and not guessing. Eat a small healthy snack before going out to a party so you don't overindulge at the party.
3. Quality Over Quantity
This means where possible eating organically and/or cleanly. It also means that you can feel free to try certain new foods if they look good to you, but don't feel obligated to finish it if you don't really like it and know it's not healthy for you.
Thursday 30 April 2009
Wednesday 29 April 2009
A Greater Reward
Sometimes you may feel compelled to reach for that unhealthy snack. After all it can be convenient and tastes great. A great reward right?
Now I could lie to you and preach that an unhealthy snack is not rewarding due to the lack of nutrients, high fat, high carbs and high calories, and that the seemingly rewarding feeling is only temporary and is often followed by guilt. Chances are you know this and will reach for that unhealthy snack anyway.
To get out of this habit I'd recommend focusing on a greater reward. That greater reward is that feeling you get come Summer time, when people start to notice that you're looking kinda buff, pretty darn fit in fact- all because you made the right choice not to eat that unhealthy snack. You can step out into the big bright world with confidence knowing that you are hot! That greater reward also extends to you knowing that due to your eating healthy lifestyle, you will be living a much longer, much more active, much for rewarding life.
That fit and healthy feeling is truly a greater reward. Much better than any unhealthy snack any and every day of the week and of your life.
Now I could lie to you and preach that an unhealthy snack is not rewarding due to the lack of nutrients, high fat, high carbs and high calories, and that the seemingly rewarding feeling is only temporary and is often followed by guilt. Chances are you know this and will reach for that unhealthy snack anyway.
To get out of this habit I'd recommend focusing on a greater reward. That greater reward is that feeling you get come Summer time, when people start to notice that you're looking kinda buff, pretty darn fit in fact- all because you made the right choice not to eat that unhealthy snack. You can step out into the big bright world with confidence knowing that you are hot! That greater reward also extends to you knowing that due to your eating healthy lifestyle, you will be living a much longer, much more active, much for rewarding life.
That fit and healthy feeling is truly a greater reward. Much better than any unhealthy snack any and every day of the week and of your life.
Tuesday 28 April 2009
Reward Time
The following comes from Spark People. The full article can be found at http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/motivation_articles.asp?id=86
Rewards create a feeling of doing something you want to do, not just what you’re forcing yourself to do. Even the smallest of rewards can work wonders as you travel from milestone to milestone, pound to pound, and mile to mile.
Here’s how to set up a good rewards system:
- Choose some benchmarks and reward levels. You can also reward yourself for levels of consistency.
- Make the reward meaningful to you. As a reward, a new pair of shoes may not hold as much motivation as a simple night alone with a book. Then again, it might.
- Choose two or three options from the Reward Roster below or come up with a few reward options of your own. It doesn’t take much. Sometimes, the best rewards are those you can’t buy.
- A lot of small rewards, used for meeting smaller goals, are more effective than relying solely on the bigger rewards that require more work and more time.
Don’t use food as a reward. Even good food. It’s just too much of a slippery slope. Don’t even mess with it.
- Plan to celebrate. Figure out now how you’re going to celebrate reaching your health, fitness or nutrition goal. Involve other people, tell them about it. Create a celebration that you can anticipate and then keep it within sight all the time.
- Be honest with yourself. Fudging the numbers mentally, or "borrowing" against the next reward hurts the cause of building a lifetime habit. Remember to keep your focus on building a habit, not just figuring out how to get the reward.
REWARD ROSTER CHOOSE YOUR FAVORITES AND USE THEM LIBERALLY
- Compliment yourself. Write down what you would say to anyone else who accomplished what you did.
- Create an actual plaque or trophy.
- Give yourself badges of honor for different levels of accomplishment.
- Take a vacation or weekend getaway.
- Take a day off from any goal activities.
- Put $1 in a jar every time you meet a goal. When it gets to $50, treat yourself.
- Create a Trophy Scrapbook, where you keep mementos from your accomplishments.
- See a movie.
- Make a grab bag of little prizes. When you reach a significant goal, reach in and get your reward!
- Go for a spa treatment or massage.
- Buy yourself a gift certificate.
- Take a limo ride.
- Subscribe to a magazine you always wanted.
- Go canoeing or do something outdoorsy.
- Watch your favorite TV show.
- Buy something for your hobby.
- Read a funny book.
- Celebrate "100% Days". If you reach 100% of your goals that day, choose two rewards.
- Find some time to be by yourself.
- Pay someone to do the yardwork or house cleaning this week.
- Fly a kite.
Rewards create a feeling of doing something you want to do, not just what you’re forcing yourself to do. Even the smallest of rewards can work wonders as you travel from milestone to milestone, pound to pound, and mile to mile.
Here’s how to set up a good rewards system:
- Choose some benchmarks and reward levels. You can also reward yourself for levels of consistency.
- Make the reward meaningful to you. As a reward, a new pair of shoes may not hold as much motivation as a simple night alone with a book. Then again, it might.
- Choose two or three options from the Reward Roster below or come up with a few reward options of your own. It doesn’t take much. Sometimes, the best rewards are those you can’t buy.
- A lot of small rewards, used for meeting smaller goals, are more effective than relying solely on the bigger rewards that require more work and more time.
Don’t use food as a reward. Even good food. It’s just too much of a slippery slope. Don’t even mess with it.
- Plan to celebrate. Figure out now how you’re going to celebrate reaching your health, fitness or nutrition goal. Involve other people, tell them about it. Create a celebration that you can anticipate and then keep it within sight all the time.
- Be honest with yourself. Fudging the numbers mentally, or "borrowing" against the next reward hurts the cause of building a lifetime habit. Remember to keep your focus on building a habit, not just figuring out how to get the reward.
REWARD ROSTER CHOOSE YOUR FAVORITES AND USE THEM LIBERALLY
- Compliment yourself. Write down what you would say to anyone else who accomplished what you did.
- Create an actual plaque or trophy.
- Give yourself badges of honor for different levels of accomplishment.
- Take a vacation or weekend getaway.
- Take a day off from any goal activities.
- Put $1 in a jar every time you meet a goal. When it gets to $50, treat yourself.
- Create a Trophy Scrapbook, where you keep mementos from your accomplishments.
- See a movie.
- Make a grab bag of little prizes. When you reach a significant goal, reach in and get your reward!
- Go for a spa treatment or massage.
- Buy yourself a gift certificate.
- Take a limo ride.
- Subscribe to a magazine you always wanted.
- Go canoeing or do something outdoorsy.
- Watch your favorite TV show.
- Buy something for your hobby.
- Read a funny book.
- Celebrate "100% Days". If you reach 100% of your goals that day, choose two rewards.
- Find some time to be by yourself.
- Pay someone to do the yardwork or house cleaning this week.
- Fly a kite.
Sunday 26 April 2009
London Marathon Motivation
I felt proud as I headed for the gym today. It's because I had been considering taking a day off, but had still gone anyway.
What inspired me to go was thinking of the London Marathon that happened today. All those runners of different levels taking part in a 26 mile run. It didn't matter about winning. It was simply having the energy and willpower to motivate themselves to take part in a sports activity for charity. Not only were they helping themselves physically by exercising, they were thinking of others- henceforth the charity part.
Although me going to the gym isn't helping charity it is helping myself physically. I was able to get in an extra weight workout which felt fantastic. I also know that I can and do help charity in various other ways, so I didn't feel guilty about simply helping myself at the gym.
Of course helping yourself and charity together is truly a magnificent thing, and so I have nothing but admiration for all those that took part in the London Marathon today.
What inspired me to go was thinking of the London Marathon that happened today. All those runners of different levels taking part in a 26 mile run. It didn't matter about winning. It was simply having the energy and willpower to motivate themselves to take part in a sports activity for charity. Not only were they helping themselves physically by exercising, they were thinking of others- henceforth the charity part.
Although me going to the gym isn't helping charity it is helping myself physically. I was able to get in an extra weight workout which felt fantastic. I also know that I can and do help charity in various other ways, so I didn't feel guilty about simply helping myself at the gym.
Of course helping yourself and charity together is truly a magnificent thing, and so I have nothing but admiration for all those that took part in the London Marathon today.
Saturday 25 April 2009
3 Six-Pack Suggestions
There are various tips and advice out there for perfecting those abdominal muscles, some of which I don't entirely support. Here are some tips and my thoughts:
1. Eat a low amount of carbs per day.
This is something I do agree with. In liaison with having a calorie deficit this is probably the next best nutrition advice for getting and maintaining a six-pack.
2. Do abdominal exercises every day.
The actual known tip is NOT to work your abdominal muscles every day. I think that if possible you should in fact try to work them each day. There are concerns in the fitness industry that you may also overcrowd the abdominal musicle area by doing too many ab exercises. I think this is highly unlikely and not everyone when they do ab exercises will do it with maximum intensity every single time and so this will also prevent you from overworking those abs. I'd say, don't feel bad if you can't work your abdominal muscles each day, and do feel free to take a break, however I find from personal experience that when eating the right nutrition my abs are much more ripped when exercised each day as I am sculpting them into shape, and keeping them there.
3. Use a heavy weight on the abs.
When I really want those abs to pop I grab a 20lb or 25lb weight, put it on my chest or stomach depending on the size of the weight, and get to work on those crunches. Great for high definition of a different kind.
Consider these suggestions yourself. Perhaps you could trial it out for a week. See how it works for you.
1. Eat a low amount of carbs per day.
This is something I do agree with. In liaison with having a calorie deficit this is probably the next best nutrition advice for getting and maintaining a six-pack.
2. Do abdominal exercises every day.
The actual known tip is NOT to work your abdominal muscles every day. I think that if possible you should in fact try to work them each day. There are concerns in the fitness industry that you may also overcrowd the abdominal musicle area by doing too many ab exercises. I think this is highly unlikely and not everyone when they do ab exercises will do it with maximum intensity every single time and so this will also prevent you from overworking those abs. I'd say, don't feel bad if you can't work your abdominal muscles each day, and do feel free to take a break, however I find from personal experience that when eating the right nutrition my abs are much more ripped when exercised each day as I am sculpting them into shape, and keeping them there.
3. Use a heavy weight on the abs.
When I really want those abs to pop I grab a 20lb or 25lb weight, put it on my chest or stomach depending on the size of the weight, and get to work on those crunches. Great for high definition of a different kind.
Consider these suggestions yourself. Perhaps you could trial it out for a week. See how it works for you.
Tuesday 21 April 2009
Free Your Mind and Your Body Will Follow!
Fitness expert and author, Jennifer Nicole Lee (JNL), has become an icon for women and fellow moms across the world with her amazing 70-pound plus weight loss success story. To ultimately improve her physical and mental health and become more active with her children, JNL began a regimen of exercise drills and performance nutrition. Training as an athlete, JNL's goal was to lose weight, with the ultimate goal of entering a bikini contest. Less than one year later, JNL entered the ultimate figure competition and was crowned Miss Bikini America 2004, realizing her goal and proving that mothers can still be sexy, fun and fit!
This empowering experience catapulted Jennifer Nicole Lee into the health and fitness industry and gained her the respect of countless professionals. She has shared her compelling weight loss story on national talk shows including Oprah and Inside Edition, and has proudly graced the covers of over 15 fitness magazines. You can visit www.jennifernicolelee.com for more information.
Here is her article entitled 'Free Your Mind And Your Body Will Follow!':
Health starts in the mind and then flows to the body. In this chapter I prep both the mind and body for the fantastic health advances that lay ahead. You must be 100% ready to be committed in making healthy progress in order to see and keep results! Although it may be hard to be believe, but sometimes it is ourselves who sabotage our own successes because we are not mentally ready and committed to sticking to our wonderful lifestyle improvements. You must create your results before they occur, and prepare yourself for boundless energy, and confidence.
In order to lose weight, get six pack abs, a round butt, fight cellulite, find stretch mark solutions, detox, tone up, firm up and get flat abs you must start with your mind! A close friend of mine already sabotaged her weight loss potential by saying to herself "Why lose weight? My skin will only be flabby if I lose the amount of weight that I want". She had already set herself up for failure by pre-determining that she was not going to lose weight. Another client of mine once claimed that she wanted to lose the weight but was afraid of all the remarks from those close to her, and how it might affect her family. I told her that she would only be adding quality to her life, and not taking away from it. And that these healthy new changes would actually be helping her family as well. In addition, the other side to this "fear" was rooted in the constant idea that she would never be able to lose weight. What about the added health risks of heart disease, diabetes, and not to mention the added pressure on joints from the additional weight? These are examples of people riding the fence; not knowing what side to get off on. Make a decision to improve your life by being healthy because your mind and body will thank you.
Mental Preparation for the Whole Process: Preparing yourself Mentally to Loose Weight
Start by asking yourself, do I have a healthy mind, or a mind that will thwart my efforts? Am I my own best friend or my worst enemy? If you answered yes to the latter, well we first need to clean your "mental" house! Here are my top 7 strategies to giving yourself the right mental attitude that will allow you to start improving your life.
1. Have a Crystal Clear Vision of What You Want to Achieve
I have heard it so many times: my clients come to me and cry "I'm sick and tired of being overweight!", or they will complain "I have no energy and I'm tired all the time". This will not help you! We all know what we want to move away from. But what do we want to move towards? I am referring to the fact that we must realize where our main focus needs to be in order for us to achieve weight loss success from now on. Since we have all taken "Before" picture of ourselves, we need to now have an "After" image of what we want. Envision what you want to achieve. See the new you and imagine what it would feel like to be that new you! Take out your journal and write down what you want to achieve, what you want to move towards and how you are going to do it. Picture yourself with limitless energy, being able to handle your daily tasks, your job, and all the while, still having enough steam left over for your children and your personal life. If you want to lose inches, release stress, sculpt your body, fight your sugar addiction, and get on a low carb diet, you can do it! How will it feel to put on a swimsuit and feel great about what you see in the mirror? Imagine weighing yourself and loving the number that you see! You will start to relish the after burn of your morning workouts! You have to know and understand what you are moving towards, and say goodbye to what you are moving away from to be able to have fitness success and maintain it!
2. Clean out Your Mental House! Stop putting yourself down! That unfriendly little voice inside your head needs to be silenced now and forever! That super critical opinionated alter ego of yours needs to know who the boss is. You are! So what you gained 5 pounds on the family vacation cruise. That does not make you a "fat pig". Rather than beating yourself up by complaining, instead compliment yourself by saying something like "Yeah, I did have that chocolate chip cookie for desert. But I didn't have 3 of them like I would have done before." You need to learn to stay focused on your objective and stay positive. Don't let the negativity get you down or blur the vision towards your destination! Stop whining and take more control over your actions and your life! Stop playing victim. It doesn't help you or others around you.
3. Treat yourself with respect: Respect yourself. It is that simple, but we don't do it. If you had a best friend who you loved with all your might, would you give them a fat laden artery clogging fried cheeseburger with fries, or a crisp and fresh garden salad topped with marinated and grilled chicken? Yes, you would give them the salad. But why don't you do this to yourself? Most likely because the psychology behind your actions does not allow you to treat yourself with the respect and consideration you would have for those you love. You are self sacrificing; always giving to others and not yourself. Think about this thought: your mind and body are temples and you need to treat them as such. Why would you put something dirty and of no value in a sacred and special place? Well of course you wouldn't. So start respecting yourself and treating yourself right. You deserve better than processed fast food with little to no healthy nutrient content. Also, you deserve to chisel out at least 50 minutes every other day, for a weight training session with a touch of cardio at the end. Remember, you are the most important person in your life. If you can't help yourself, than how can you help others? It all begins with you!
4. Be creative: What does she mean by "be creative"? I don't mean to be an artist or a philosophical thinker. But we are in this for the long run. Being healthy is a process, a journey, not a one-time event. Fitness and health is going to be your new lifestyle. Therefore we need to make it fun, different with variety, and interesting. Ask yourself "what are my favorite foods and the exercises that I love to do most? If you answered Italian food, then go out there and buy a low-fat, low-carb Italian cookbook and learn how to remake over your old favorites! And if you love to play tennis, join a tennis club or hire an instructor who will help you strengthen your back hand or give you a better edge on your game. If you love nachos, be creative and re-invent the recipe using low fat ingredients rather than the real stuff. Just open your mind to new and different tools and use them as a bag of tricks that will help you fight the war on fat. By being creative, you will make it fun, refreshing, interesting, and there will never be a dull moment in your new healthy life.
5. Put fitness first: Well not exactly first, but make it a top priority. It should be a rock in your life. If your car breaks down, exercise. If you get a job promotion, exercise. If your husband leaves you, exercise. No matter what happens-stick to your routine! Of course we all will have bad days and get off of our diet-but refocus yourself, look at your compass, and get back on track! And prepare to be tempted. This strategy of "thinking five steps ahead" will allow you to win at the game of fat loss. You know that you have to attend your family's barbeque dinner with non-stop servings of hot dogs, potato salad, and sugary deserts. So be smart and execute your fitness plan: munch on a crispy apple before the bbq, this will fill you up cutting the edge off of any uncontrollable hunger pains that might set in while you are there. Then opt for the grilled chicken breast with no bun, a side salad, and an ear of corn with no butter. You put fitness first and you are still able to enjoy your family's social activities without ending your fitness goals!
6. Set yourself up for success: Put health on the shelf and the gym bag in the car! Stock your fridge and pantry with the latest guilt free snacks and treats. Low-carb and low-fat foods are tasting better and better. Try something new today. Have your gym bag ready to go in the car for a pre or post work-day workout. Throw in a towel and a change of clothes and you will not have an excuse, to not make it to the gym. Everywhere you go and no matter where you are, your healthy habits will follow you! Therefore it will be almost impossible to not stick to your plans and reach your goals. Buy used exercise DVD's for little to nothing online and have them ready to go in your family room. Have your running shoes right there by the bed so all you have to do is roll out of bed right into your morning run!
7. Compel and Coerce Through Pain:
Yes, pain CAN be your friend! Use it to your advantage as a tool to get you motivated to make a positive change in your life. I said that my technique to losing the fat and getting in shape would be painful-well almost! I created my success through constantly reminding myself of what I looked like before, and the pain I experienced when I was at my heaviest. Get some leverage on yourself. First, it is absolutely necessary for you to take a "Before" picture of yourself. Secondly, it would be best if you took this "Before" picture and put it somewhere where you can occasionally see it when you need to feel the "pain" and that frustration associated with that picture, to get you motivated. When you feel your motivation and desire weakening-glance at those pictures and remind yourself of the despair that you felt when you were at your unhealthiest. To make yourself take action, you have to be at the doorsill of pain looking directly at it, straight in the eye. This is where your power and supremacy over your future decisions will come from. Pain will be your friend because you will learn how to manipulate it and use it towards your advantage. The pain that I revisited often was surrounded by my overweight "before" photo. I deliberately glanced at my "before" image to use it as my pain, that then coerced me into taking positive action. This pain was the vital vehicle which propelled me into fast forward mode; making sure I never pushed the rewind button. I used the pain of feeling overweight, frumpy, and not being able to wear the beautiful clothes that I wanted, as a therapeutic medium to get me towards my goals. These were all the methods that lead me to my weight loss achievements. Again please use these techniques to stay on the right path. They are as follows:
· Look at my Before Picture
· Remember how I felt to carry all that extra weight around
· Remember how I was treated differently when I was heavier
· Remember the confidence I started to experience when I felt stronger
· Compare my old lifestyle with my new improved one and how great it felt to be healthy!
· And as I speak from experience, I can't say it enough, but it is necessary to stop playing the victim and start making those improvements in your life now to become victorious!
This empowering experience catapulted Jennifer Nicole Lee into the health and fitness industry and gained her the respect of countless professionals. She has shared her compelling weight loss story on national talk shows including Oprah and Inside Edition, and has proudly graced the covers of over 15 fitness magazines. You can visit www.jennifernicolelee.com for more information.
Here is her article entitled 'Free Your Mind And Your Body Will Follow!':
Health starts in the mind and then flows to the body. In this chapter I prep both the mind and body for the fantastic health advances that lay ahead. You must be 100% ready to be committed in making healthy progress in order to see and keep results! Although it may be hard to be believe, but sometimes it is ourselves who sabotage our own successes because we are not mentally ready and committed to sticking to our wonderful lifestyle improvements. You must create your results before they occur, and prepare yourself for boundless energy, and confidence.
In order to lose weight, get six pack abs, a round butt, fight cellulite, find stretch mark solutions, detox, tone up, firm up and get flat abs you must start with your mind! A close friend of mine already sabotaged her weight loss potential by saying to herself "Why lose weight? My skin will only be flabby if I lose the amount of weight that I want". She had already set herself up for failure by pre-determining that she was not going to lose weight. Another client of mine once claimed that she wanted to lose the weight but was afraid of all the remarks from those close to her, and how it might affect her family. I told her that she would only be adding quality to her life, and not taking away from it. And that these healthy new changes would actually be helping her family as well. In addition, the other side to this "fear" was rooted in the constant idea that she would never be able to lose weight. What about the added health risks of heart disease, diabetes, and not to mention the added pressure on joints from the additional weight? These are examples of people riding the fence; not knowing what side to get off on. Make a decision to improve your life by being healthy because your mind and body will thank you.
Mental Preparation for the Whole Process: Preparing yourself Mentally to Loose Weight
Start by asking yourself, do I have a healthy mind, or a mind that will thwart my efforts? Am I my own best friend or my worst enemy? If you answered yes to the latter, well we first need to clean your "mental" house! Here are my top 7 strategies to giving yourself the right mental attitude that will allow you to start improving your life.
1. Have a Crystal Clear Vision of What You Want to Achieve
I have heard it so many times: my clients come to me and cry "I'm sick and tired of being overweight!", or they will complain "I have no energy and I'm tired all the time". This will not help you! We all know what we want to move away from. But what do we want to move towards? I am referring to the fact that we must realize where our main focus needs to be in order for us to achieve weight loss success from now on. Since we have all taken "Before" picture of ourselves, we need to now have an "After" image of what we want. Envision what you want to achieve. See the new you and imagine what it would feel like to be that new you! Take out your journal and write down what you want to achieve, what you want to move towards and how you are going to do it. Picture yourself with limitless energy, being able to handle your daily tasks, your job, and all the while, still having enough steam left over for your children and your personal life. If you want to lose inches, release stress, sculpt your body, fight your sugar addiction, and get on a low carb diet, you can do it! How will it feel to put on a swimsuit and feel great about what you see in the mirror? Imagine weighing yourself and loving the number that you see! You will start to relish the after burn of your morning workouts! You have to know and understand what you are moving towards, and say goodbye to what you are moving away from to be able to have fitness success and maintain it!
2. Clean out Your Mental House! Stop putting yourself down! That unfriendly little voice inside your head needs to be silenced now and forever! That super critical opinionated alter ego of yours needs to know who the boss is. You are! So what you gained 5 pounds on the family vacation cruise. That does not make you a "fat pig". Rather than beating yourself up by complaining, instead compliment yourself by saying something like "Yeah, I did have that chocolate chip cookie for desert. But I didn't have 3 of them like I would have done before." You need to learn to stay focused on your objective and stay positive. Don't let the negativity get you down or blur the vision towards your destination! Stop whining and take more control over your actions and your life! Stop playing victim. It doesn't help you or others around you.
3. Treat yourself with respect: Respect yourself. It is that simple, but we don't do it. If you had a best friend who you loved with all your might, would you give them a fat laden artery clogging fried cheeseburger with fries, or a crisp and fresh garden salad topped with marinated and grilled chicken? Yes, you would give them the salad. But why don't you do this to yourself? Most likely because the psychology behind your actions does not allow you to treat yourself with the respect and consideration you would have for those you love. You are self sacrificing; always giving to others and not yourself. Think about this thought: your mind and body are temples and you need to treat them as such. Why would you put something dirty and of no value in a sacred and special place? Well of course you wouldn't. So start respecting yourself and treating yourself right. You deserve better than processed fast food with little to no healthy nutrient content. Also, you deserve to chisel out at least 50 minutes every other day, for a weight training session with a touch of cardio at the end. Remember, you are the most important person in your life. If you can't help yourself, than how can you help others? It all begins with you!
4. Be creative: What does she mean by "be creative"? I don't mean to be an artist or a philosophical thinker. But we are in this for the long run. Being healthy is a process, a journey, not a one-time event. Fitness and health is going to be your new lifestyle. Therefore we need to make it fun, different with variety, and interesting. Ask yourself "what are my favorite foods and the exercises that I love to do most? If you answered Italian food, then go out there and buy a low-fat, low-carb Italian cookbook and learn how to remake over your old favorites! And if you love to play tennis, join a tennis club or hire an instructor who will help you strengthen your back hand or give you a better edge on your game. If you love nachos, be creative and re-invent the recipe using low fat ingredients rather than the real stuff. Just open your mind to new and different tools and use them as a bag of tricks that will help you fight the war on fat. By being creative, you will make it fun, refreshing, interesting, and there will never be a dull moment in your new healthy life.
5. Put fitness first: Well not exactly first, but make it a top priority. It should be a rock in your life. If your car breaks down, exercise. If you get a job promotion, exercise. If your husband leaves you, exercise. No matter what happens-stick to your routine! Of course we all will have bad days and get off of our diet-but refocus yourself, look at your compass, and get back on track! And prepare to be tempted. This strategy of "thinking five steps ahead" will allow you to win at the game of fat loss. You know that you have to attend your family's barbeque dinner with non-stop servings of hot dogs, potato salad, and sugary deserts. So be smart and execute your fitness plan: munch on a crispy apple before the bbq, this will fill you up cutting the edge off of any uncontrollable hunger pains that might set in while you are there. Then opt for the grilled chicken breast with no bun, a side salad, and an ear of corn with no butter. You put fitness first and you are still able to enjoy your family's social activities without ending your fitness goals!
6. Set yourself up for success: Put health on the shelf and the gym bag in the car! Stock your fridge and pantry with the latest guilt free snacks and treats. Low-carb and low-fat foods are tasting better and better. Try something new today. Have your gym bag ready to go in the car for a pre or post work-day workout. Throw in a towel and a change of clothes and you will not have an excuse, to not make it to the gym. Everywhere you go and no matter where you are, your healthy habits will follow you! Therefore it will be almost impossible to not stick to your plans and reach your goals. Buy used exercise DVD's for little to nothing online and have them ready to go in your family room. Have your running shoes right there by the bed so all you have to do is roll out of bed right into your morning run!
7. Compel and Coerce Through Pain:
Yes, pain CAN be your friend! Use it to your advantage as a tool to get you motivated to make a positive change in your life. I said that my technique to losing the fat and getting in shape would be painful-well almost! I created my success through constantly reminding myself of what I looked like before, and the pain I experienced when I was at my heaviest. Get some leverage on yourself. First, it is absolutely necessary for you to take a "Before" picture of yourself. Secondly, it would be best if you took this "Before" picture and put it somewhere where you can occasionally see it when you need to feel the "pain" and that frustration associated with that picture, to get you motivated. When you feel your motivation and desire weakening-glance at those pictures and remind yourself of the despair that you felt when you were at your unhealthiest. To make yourself take action, you have to be at the doorsill of pain looking directly at it, straight in the eye. This is where your power and supremacy over your future decisions will come from. Pain will be your friend because you will learn how to manipulate it and use it towards your advantage. The pain that I revisited often was surrounded by my overweight "before" photo. I deliberately glanced at my "before" image to use it as my pain, that then coerced me into taking positive action. This pain was the vital vehicle which propelled me into fast forward mode; making sure I never pushed the rewind button. I used the pain of feeling overweight, frumpy, and not being able to wear the beautiful clothes that I wanted, as a therapeutic medium to get me towards my goals. These were all the methods that lead me to my weight loss achievements. Again please use these techniques to stay on the right path. They are as follows:
· Look at my Before Picture
· Remember how I felt to carry all that extra weight around
· Remember how I was treated differently when I was heavier
· Remember the confidence I started to experience when I felt stronger
· Compare my old lifestyle with my new improved one and how great it felt to be healthy!
· And as I speak from experience, I can't say it enough, but it is necessary to stop playing the victim and start making those improvements in your life now to become victorious!
Monday 20 April 2009
Emotional Eating Back-Up Foods
Emotional Eating that involves eating high calorie high sugar foods that may seem like a temporary fix is something that passes after a few minutes if you have the will power, but if you don't have that will power then it is simply going to happen. The key is to keep any such high calorie high sugar foods out of reach.
Should you absolutely have to eat something during an emotional time, since talking to a friend or doing something physical to relieve the stress isn't working for you, here are a few suggestions of foods to have nearby:
An Apple
Applesauce
A Banana
Broccoli
and my personal favorite
A Fruit Smoothie
Should you absolutely have to eat something during an emotional time, since talking to a friend or doing something physical to relieve the stress isn't working for you, here are a few suggestions of foods to have nearby:
An Apple
Applesauce
A Banana
Broccoli
and my personal favorite
A Fruit Smoothie
Thursday 16 April 2009
Truly High Fiber Breakfast
When it comes to Fiber (or Fibre in the UK), I've found that there are a range of breakfasts that claim to be high in fiber but may not contain as much as you think.
Based on my own shopping experience of looking for the highest fiber breakfast I could find, I've found cereals with 8g per 100g of fiber claiming to be high in fiber, as well as porridge or muesli with 11g per 100g of fiber, and the well publicized Kellogg's Bran Flakes with 15g per 100g of fiber. None of these are what I consider to be truly high in fiber. That said, they do have fiber in them which could help towards a daily fiber amount of 25g or more, in conjunction with other food you eat throughout the day, baring in mind that on most days you will have a breakfast cereal that is between 30-50g.
It is possible to get an entire day's worth of fiber in one sitting however without overdoing it on the calories. That answer is Kellogg's All-Bran, which incidentally is a lower carb option than many other breakfast cereals. Adding fruit on top can help too. If you're a person who is very much into fitness and nutrition as a lifestyle, you've probably heard that you should make breakfast the biggest and most important meal of the day. Based on this approach I believe the ultimate high fibre breakfast to be the following:
Kellogg's All-Bran ((95g) (25.7g Fiber / 13.3g Protein / 266 calories)
Skimmed Goats Milk (150ml) (0g Fiber / 4.5g Protein / 45 calories)
OR Oat Milk(150ml) (150ml) (1.2g Fiber / 1.5g Protein / 52 calories)
Raspberries (170g) (4.2g Fiber / 2.4g Protein / 42 calories)
This ia a solid healthy breakfast high in Protein and Fiber, and with around 350 calories depending on your choice of dairy or non-dairy milk.
Try it tomorrow. It may give you that extra boost that lasts the entire day. Enjoy!
Based on my own shopping experience of looking for the highest fiber breakfast I could find, I've found cereals with 8g per 100g of fiber claiming to be high in fiber, as well as porridge or muesli with 11g per 100g of fiber, and the well publicized Kellogg's Bran Flakes with 15g per 100g of fiber. None of these are what I consider to be truly high in fiber. That said, they do have fiber in them which could help towards a daily fiber amount of 25g or more, in conjunction with other food you eat throughout the day, baring in mind that on most days you will have a breakfast cereal that is between 30-50g.
It is possible to get an entire day's worth of fiber in one sitting however without overdoing it on the calories. That answer is Kellogg's All-Bran, which incidentally is a lower carb option than many other breakfast cereals. Adding fruit on top can help too. If you're a person who is very much into fitness and nutrition as a lifestyle, you've probably heard that you should make breakfast the biggest and most important meal of the day. Based on this approach I believe the ultimate high fibre breakfast to be the following:
Kellogg's All-Bran ((95g) (25.7g Fiber / 13.3g Protein / 266 calories)
Skimmed Goats Milk (150ml) (0g Fiber / 4.5g Protein / 45 calories)
OR Oat Milk(150ml) (150ml) (1.2g Fiber / 1.5g Protein / 52 calories)
Raspberries (170g) (4.2g Fiber / 2.4g Protein / 42 calories)
This ia a solid healthy breakfast high in Protein and Fiber, and with around 350 calories depending on your choice of dairy or non-dairy milk.
Try it tomorrow. It may give you that extra boost that lasts the entire day. Enjoy!
Wednesday 15 April 2009
Muscle Building Tips
Here are a selection of muscle building tips:
- Track your progress.
- Drink at least 4-6 liters of water each day.
- Eat at least 10-15 serving of fruits and vegetables each day.
- Consume a variety of eggs, chicken, lean beef, and fish throughout the day for high quality muscle building protein.
- Concentrate your carbohydrates when your body needs them most – breakfast and post workout.
- Avoid processed food, packaged food and fast food.
- Avoid protein bars and any muscle building supplement that has sucrulose, aspartame, or other artificial or natural sweeteners.
- Get at least 8-hours of uninterrupted sleep each night.
- Eat at least 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass.
- Dont't wait for others to motivate you- do it yourself
- Track your progress.
- Drink at least 4-6 liters of water each day.
- Eat at least 10-15 serving of fruits and vegetables each day.
- Consume a variety of eggs, chicken, lean beef, and fish throughout the day for high quality muscle building protein.
- Concentrate your carbohydrates when your body needs them most – breakfast and post workout.
- Avoid processed food, packaged food and fast food.
- Avoid protein bars and any muscle building supplement that has sucrulose, aspartame, or other artificial or natural sweeteners.
- Get at least 8-hours of uninterrupted sleep each night.
- Eat at least 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass.
- Dont't wait for others to motivate you- do it yourself
Tuesday 14 April 2009
The Supermarket Battle Plan
This morning I was e-mailed an interesting article from SparkPeople. It is called "7 Secrets to Outsmart your Supermarket" and is written by Registered Dietitian Sarah Hann. Sarah is a registered dietitian with a bachelor's degree in dietetics from Michigan State University. She helps individuals adopt healthy lifestyles and manage their weight. An avid exerciser and cook, Sarah likes to run, lift weights and eat good food.
The full article can be viewed at http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=1326
I've selected what I consider to be the most useful information below:
- If it’s on your list for greater health, you just saved a trip down the aisle. If it’s not, smile, but keep walking past the pretty display and find your next listed item.
- Make an educated decision. Glance up and down before choosing an item (less inexpensive generic items, often the same nutritionally, might be lower or higher on the shelf than more expensive brand named products). And always check out the nutrition facts label.
- Plan your celebration, complete with healthy snacks and recipes, and stick to it. Ditch the “we just might need” mentality. Simplicity is best (and healthiest) during these times of year!
- Never shop on an empty stomach. Shopping after a meal can help stave off cravings and keep you focused on the task at hand. Think about the delicious meals you are shopping for and don't let distraction get the best of you.
- If you’re only getting it because it’s on sale, you probably don’t need it. The same rule goes for non-food items like toiletries, cleaning products and household items. No excuses here.
The full article can be viewed at http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=1326
I've selected what I consider to be the most useful information below:
- If it’s on your list for greater health, you just saved a trip down the aisle. If it’s not, smile, but keep walking past the pretty display and find your next listed item.
- Make an educated decision. Glance up and down before choosing an item (less inexpensive generic items, often the same nutritionally, might be lower or higher on the shelf than more expensive brand named products). And always check out the nutrition facts label.
- Plan your celebration, complete with healthy snacks and recipes, and stick to it. Ditch the “we just might need” mentality. Simplicity is best (and healthiest) during these times of year!
- Never shop on an empty stomach. Shopping after a meal can help stave off cravings and keep you focused on the task at hand. Think about the delicious meals you are shopping for and don't let distraction get the best of you.
- If you’re only getting it because it’s on sale, you probably don’t need it. The same rule goes for non-food items like toiletries, cleaning products and household items. No excuses here.
Thursday 9 April 2009
The Hunger - Fullness Scale
The following came from Calorie Count - A Free Service of About.com Health. Ponder it as I hope you have a Happy Easter!
The Hunger – Fullness Scale
Hunger and fullness exist on a continuum. The scale ranges from “0” ravenous, to “10” uncomfortably overstuffed, almost sick. A “5” is neutral, neither hungry nor full.
Before, during and after you eat, or whenever you get the idea, use the scale to rate your physical hunger and fullness. Take the time to get to know the scale, and use it to navigate your eating behavior.
How to do it
- Whenever you want to eat, close your eyes, listen to your body, and rate your hunger from 0 to 10.
- Eating at a hunger level of 2 or 3 is appropriate. That’s between moderate and significant hunger, not yet famished. You’re likely to overeat when you’re ravenous, at 0 to 1.
- Slow down while eating and take a half-time break to give your body time to realize that you’ve eaten.
- Try stopping at a fullness level of 7 or 8 out of 10. That’s moderately to comfortably full, and it should keep you satisfied for several hours.
The Hunger – Fullness Scale
Hunger and fullness exist on a continuum. The scale ranges from “0” ravenous, to “10” uncomfortably overstuffed, almost sick. A “5” is neutral, neither hungry nor full.
Before, during and after you eat, or whenever you get the idea, use the scale to rate your physical hunger and fullness. Take the time to get to know the scale, and use it to navigate your eating behavior.
How to do it
- Whenever you want to eat, close your eyes, listen to your body, and rate your hunger from 0 to 10.
- Eating at a hunger level of 2 or 3 is appropriate. That’s between moderate and significant hunger, not yet famished. You’re likely to overeat when you’re ravenous, at 0 to 1.
- Slow down while eating and take a half-time break to give your body time to realize that you’ve eaten.
- Try stopping at a fullness level of 7 or 8 out of 10. That’s moderately to comfortably full, and it should keep you satisfied for several hours.
Wednesday 8 April 2009
The Google 15
Sometimes we find that we weigh different at various times of the day. This can be informative and occasionally shocking, however if you weigh yourself at the same time on the same day once a week you are reportedly likely to get the most accurate picture of how successful you are with your weight loss goals.
An interesting online gadget to assist in tracking your weight is The Google 15.
Type in your weight every day and it is displayed on a graph. After 7 days, the graph will also display your weight moving average.
I have yet to fully test it out myself as it may be a bit obsessive to track your weight every day in this way. That said it certainly has my attention and may be worth a try.
Check it out at:
http://www.google.com/ig/adde?moduleurl=www.google.com/ig/modules/google15.xml
An interesting online gadget to assist in tracking your weight is The Google 15.
Type in your weight every day and it is displayed on a graph. After 7 days, the graph will also display your weight moving average.
I have yet to fully test it out myself as it may be a bit obsessive to track your weight every day in this way. That said it certainly has my attention and may be worth a try.
Check it out at:
http://www.google.com/ig/adde?moduleurl=www.google.com/ig/modules/google15.xml
Tuesday 7 April 2009
Fat Loss Tips
The following Fat Loss Tips come from Adam Stowell of my current local gym:
Ensure you look your best on the beach this summer!
For fat loss you should be careful of the simple sugars in your diet these can be found in white bread, white potato and sweets. I mention sweets because the effect that sweets have on your blood sugar levels is roughly the same as white bread – shocking I know!
Basically when we eat simple sugars such as white bread our bodies quickly release lots of insulin in a bid to convert the sugars to energy any energy that is not used by our muscles or stored in our liver will be stored as fat. A simple way of reducing fat especially abdominal fat is to follow a low Gi eating plan.
Increase metabolism, train smart! Resistance training, early morning sessions and training variety are all key to improving ones metabolism and therefore creating a fat burning machine within your body.
Protein is important in every cell of the body. Your body needs and uses protein to build and repair tissues; the body also uses proteins to make hormones, enzymes and other body chemicals. With a fat loss goal, aim for 1-1.5 grams of protein per kg of bodyweight, for example if you weigh 70kg then aim for 70-105grams of protein per day.
Combine high intensity training and longer endurance routines. Combining classes such as spinning which is high intensity with classes such as run club or body tone which are longer endurance routines will help burn off calories and blast fat stores in your body. Or why not try this routine in the gym.
Brick Training. Cycle 3 minutes intensely followed directly by rowing 3 minutes flat out, complete 2-3 sets for an intense calorie burn.
Ensure you look your best on the beach this summer!
For fat loss you should be careful of the simple sugars in your diet these can be found in white bread, white potato and sweets. I mention sweets because the effect that sweets have on your blood sugar levels is roughly the same as white bread – shocking I know!
Basically when we eat simple sugars such as white bread our bodies quickly release lots of insulin in a bid to convert the sugars to energy any energy that is not used by our muscles or stored in our liver will be stored as fat. A simple way of reducing fat especially abdominal fat is to follow a low Gi eating plan.
Increase metabolism, train smart! Resistance training, early morning sessions and training variety are all key to improving ones metabolism and therefore creating a fat burning machine within your body.
Protein is important in every cell of the body. Your body needs and uses protein to build and repair tissues; the body also uses proteins to make hormones, enzymes and other body chemicals. With a fat loss goal, aim for 1-1.5 grams of protein per kg of bodyweight, for example if you weigh 70kg then aim for 70-105grams of protein per day.
Combine high intensity training and longer endurance routines. Combining classes such as spinning which is high intensity with classes such as run club or body tone which are longer endurance routines will help burn off calories and blast fat stores in your body. Or why not try this routine in the gym.
Brick Training. Cycle 3 minutes intensely followed directly by rowing 3 minutes flat out, complete 2-3 sets for an intense calorie burn.
Monday 6 April 2009
Switch
You could say "I always hope for the best but experience teaches me to expect the worst". You could also say "Experience has taught me to expect the worst but I still hope for the best". You could say "2 steps forward, 1 step back". You could also say "1 step back, 2 steps forward". All of these are a play on words. You can switch the words around any way you like depending on your outlook on life.
I believe people who place the words in the most positive light, achieve the most positive things in life. I recommend anything you see as negative, you do your utmost to change to a positive.
Make a positive switch today.
I believe people who place the words in the most positive light, achieve the most positive things in life. I recommend anything you see as negative, you do your utmost to change to a positive.
Make a positive switch today.
Sunday 5 April 2009
A Good Day
Today I managed to get an extra long workout done at the gym, including weight training, cardio and taking the time to experiment with some new abdominal exercises using the equipment. I also got in some additional cardio outside the gym.
In regards to my nutrition, I incorporated over 500g of lean Beef, lots of Yogurt, and plenty of fruit and vegetables. In doing so I had a good calorie deficit with food/drink intake that was high in protein and low in carbohydrates.
All in all- a good day.
In regards to my nutrition, I incorporated over 500g of lean Beef, lots of Yogurt, and plenty of fruit and vegetables. In doing so I had a good calorie deficit with food/drink intake that was high in protein and low in carbohydrates.
All in all- a good day.
Saturday 4 April 2009
Try A Triathlon
Something I have yet to try at my gym is a Triathlon. A key reason I haven't done it yet is because my current gym is fairly busy and so some equipment can be quite popular and unavailable when I wish to use it. Still, trying a Triathlon could be a great way to vary your routine.
A Triathlon involves mixing up 3 cardio exercises in an hour. One example might be the following:
- 20 minutes Rowing
- 20 minutes Running
- 20 minutes Cycling
This works out great if you only have an hour available and hope not to be bored by doing the same cardio.
Although I've yet to try a Triathlon, I do have a 3-Day Cycle of exercises so I get to vary my cardio that way. My typical 3-Day Cycle of cardio exercises currently includes the following:
Day 1- 10 minutes Running, 1 hour Cross-Trainer (Elliptical)
Day 2- 10 minutes Rowing, 10 minutes Running, 50 minutes Brisk Walking with Incline
Day 3- 10 minutes Cycling, 1 hour Cross-Trainer
My personal experience has shown that I can burn more calories using a Cross-Trainer in an hour than any other cardio I can maintain, so I incorporate this cardio into my 3-Day Cycle the most. I also get a wide body workout to my legs, arms, shoulders, chest and back.
Whether or not you choose to do a Triathlon over the period of an hour or 3 days, I'd definitely say it's worth a try.
A Triathlon involves mixing up 3 cardio exercises in an hour. One example might be the following:
- 20 minutes Rowing
- 20 minutes Running
- 20 minutes Cycling
This works out great if you only have an hour available and hope not to be bored by doing the same cardio.
Although I've yet to try a Triathlon, I do have a 3-Day Cycle of exercises so I get to vary my cardio that way. My typical 3-Day Cycle of cardio exercises currently includes the following:
Day 1- 10 minutes Running, 1 hour Cross-Trainer (Elliptical)
Day 2- 10 minutes Rowing, 10 minutes Running, 50 minutes Brisk Walking with Incline
Day 3- 10 minutes Cycling, 1 hour Cross-Trainer
My personal experience has shown that I can burn more calories using a Cross-Trainer in an hour than any other cardio I can maintain, so I incorporate this cardio into my 3-Day Cycle the most. I also get a wide body workout to my legs, arms, shoulders, chest and back.
Whether or not you choose to do a Triathlon over the period of an hour or 3 days, I'd definitely say it's worth a try.
Wednesday 1 April 2009
The Mentor Message
The Mentor Message is pretty simple. You can either be a Mentor or learn from a Mentor. Either way, you'll find both rewarding. I suggest doing both. Double the reward.
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