Health Fitness
New year, new you!

New year, new you!

So…let’s be real for a minute…how are your New Year’s resolutions going so far? If you’re like most, you’ve already faced challenges…maybe you “fell off the bandwagon” for a day…or even gave up and decided you’ll take care of your “whatever” next year. Did you know that only 6% of people who make New Year’s resolutions will keep them throughout the year? I personally don’t do them. Instead, I choose to pick an area of ​​my life where I need to make a “lifestyle” change.

Several years ago, I decided I didn’t want to eat foods containing high fructose corn syrup…the year before that I chose to make a concerted effort to buy organic for the “Dirty Dozen”…and last year, I tried to eliminate GMO foods. This year, I think I’ll focus on sticking to all of those, PLUS avoiding foods that contain MSG.

Each of us has to find the things that speak to us… that we feel will help us reach our goals… that will create a happier, healthier person. Many of my clients have diet and exercise goals, and to help them, I’ve decided to create a “checklist” of things that can make changes in their lives, to add more years to their lives and more life. to his years.

Here are some suggestions (when implementing them, don’t do them all at once, take one and stick with it for a week or two… feel what it feels like to change something in your hectic life and then move on). to another)

Find time for a MINIMUM of 150 minutes of exercise (a combination of cardio and strength training) per week (30 minutes per day X 5 days). This will help you maintain your current weight, but if you want to lose weight/fat, you have to move more than that. Exercise will dramatically improve your overall health…especially your heart health.

Get 7-8 hours of sleep per night. It is scientifically proven that lack of sleep CONTRIBUTES to gaining weight!

Drink water like it’s your business. Start with 32-48 oz of pure, cleansing and hydrating water per day. Works up to 64-80 oz of water. This is so good for your body, for weight loss, for flushing out toxins, and for helping regulate blood pressure.

Eat lean, plant-based protein at EVERY meal…and EVERY snack. Yes, EVERY…SINGLE…MEAL! Find creative ways to include vegetables in your diet… omelettes, mixed fruit and vegetable juice, chopped into homemade soups, use as “dipping vehicles” (hummus, salsa), on pizza, in meatloaf, etc. unceasingly.

Clean out your pantry, cabinets, and refrigerator. Get rid of anything processed (especially all those sweet and yummy holiday leftovers) and anything that has ingredients you’d need a Ph.D. in Chemistry to pronounce. It’s a pretty simple concept: IF IT’S NOT AT YOUR HOUSE TO EAT, THEN YOU DON’T EAT IT!

NEVER skip breakfast!!!…again, scientifically proven that the fattest people are the ones who skip breakfast. I won’t go into the science behind this, but it has to do with fasting, blood sugar levels and hormones…trust me on this…just eat your breakfast. (proteins and vegetables)

Eat something small (containing protein) 30 minutes before your workout and within 30 minutes after it ends. If you feed your body, you will burn fat…if your body is starving, you will burn muscle…pretty counterintuitive, huh?…again scientifically proven…and too complex to explain in this small item…

Don’t worry about your calorie intake. Yes, you read it right. If you’re eating the right stuff, calories don’t really matter…it’s when you’re eating the chemically processed junk that you need to watch every calorie that goes into your mouth. If you’re eating lean protein, vegetables, and fruits, you’re giving your body what it needs to function efficiently. So… if it grows on a tree… EAT IT!

Eliminate all sugar-laden drinks. They are calorie bombs… not to mention what they do to your hormones… which end up making you fat!

Stretch, stretch, stretch!!! I can’t stress this enough. Many people lose their flexibility as they age. Guess what? Flexibility is one thing you don’t have to lose! I stretch for a few minutes when I wake up, often during the day, after exercise, and sometimes before bed. Don’t you want to be able to tie your shoe when you’re 70? Or bend down and pick up your grandson when you’re 60? Motion is body lotion!

Eliminate all fast food. For the most part, I haven’t found a good fast food restaurant…they use cheap, over-processed, chemical-laden, food-like substances. If you MUST eat fast food…choose foods in their most natural forms (apple plates, fruit cups, yogurt, grilled chicken (not breaded or breaded), salads)

Really consider limiting your starches and sweets if you have a weight/fat loss goal. That soft, mushy fat around your belly… well, that’s directly related to what you put in your mouth. Sure, you can tell, but is it my hormones…or is it hereditary, I call it BS! Yes, what you put in your mouth affects the hormones that are released in your body (fat burning or fat storage), but those hormones are released in response to what you’re eating! As for heredity, well, we all have a genetic predisposition, BUT you can do all the right things to not fall victim to your parents’ genes.

Plan meals ahead of time. Over the weekend, cook up a dozen chicken breasts…cut bags and bags of veggies, make homemade soups and side dishes…freeze or just refrigerate. The moral of this story is: if you plan ahead, you’re much less likely to make a bad decision.

Get support from family and friends. It has been scientifically documented that those with a healthy support system are the most successful at making lifestyle changes.

Hire a Personal Trainer or Health Coach. Look for those who are credentialed…have dedicated educational hours to be knowledgeable and help you reach your goals. Also, look for those who have “walked in their shoes.” If I hadn’t been 80 pounds overweight for most of my life, I couldn’t even begin to understand what it’s like for an overweight person to exercise or resist temptation. I know what it’s like to be morbidly obese…and I know what it takes to “get your sexiness back.”

Now, these aren’t all the things that will create a healthier, leaner YOU, but it sure is a great place to start. I’d bet money on the fact that if you do these things CONSTANTLY, YOU WILL LOSE WEIGHT/FAT…there’s almost no way it won’t happen!

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