We all have big goals and visions of what we want our lives, bodies and fitness levels to be like; but more often than not people get stuck on the “ready, set…” and then never really get the “GO”.  You can have really great pieces of information about smart eating and exercise but get no results because, well, it’s just not enough to know it.  I hate to break the news but that overnight epiphany of “Today is the day I’ll follow the perfect program without fail, forever!”-will never come.  There is no need to expect perfection from yourself in order to see great results from building healthy habits.  You don’t need the perfect pair of sneakers to start taking walks around your neighborhood or have a personal chef to eat more lean proteins, vegetables and fruit.  Need a really basic habit to start asap?  Give up soda, juice, and calorie packed specialty drinks.  Implement that as often as you can, every day!  Need a more advanced tip?  Have 3 healthy breakfast options ready on the fridge.  One for when you oversleep, one for when have some time but are kind of lazy that morning, and a third option that you can really sit down and enjoy.  Breakfast sets the tone for the entire day so it’s super important to be prepared so that you start off on the right foot.  Here are 3 possible breakfast options but feel free to be creative.

The Oversleeper: Protein shake, apple & small handful of nuts  (totally portable and can even be left in your car or desk at work)

The Lazy Day Special: 1 cup 1% cottage cheese with 1 cup fresh blueberries and raw almonds

The Morning Person: Omega 3 egg with added whites, 1/4 cup reduced fat cheese with all your favorite veggies, slice whole grain toast and 1/2 grapefruit

Now YOU try!  Try my suggestions and/or write a menu for yourself.  Keep all your habit goals on a list that you can see and read often. Keep adding to it as each goal becomes more of a daily habit.  If you need help prioritizing your nutrition and fitness goals, do not hesitate to consult a respected professional.

Now Ready, set….GO already!

Let’s take a minute to look a little closer at the booming BILLION DOLLAR weight loss industry. Consider the infinite low cal snacks, low carb meal replacements, “fat blasting” smoothies and all natural granola goodies. Could all these processed delicatessens equal a shopping cart full of fat loss? It would be nice to believe that your success can be bought in fancy boxes and shiny wrappers. Can you see where I’m going with this? The truth is the LESS products you have in your cart the BETTER. Whole, clean foods are the key to a naturally fit body. I’m talking about fresh vegetables, produce, lean meats and whole grains. Real fat loss cannot be bought through a product line of frozen meals, boxed cereals, or any other pre-made “diet” foods you might find down the isles.

In short, fat loss is the sum of all you fitness efforts. Meaning: your food selection, meal timing, daily activity and your attitude. The combination of these things can never be bought or sold. Yes that means your new green tea chewing gum should not be your weight loss staple. So when you’re strolling down those lanes, it would serve you best to remember that all those brightly colored boxes and cans are part of a billion dollar industry to trick you into believing you can actually buy your heath from a company. And though quality protein powders and top notch supplements have there place, the majority of your health food intake should come from natural sources.

How can you put this into practice asap? When you’re at your next barbeque…steer towards the shrimp cocktail, chicken kabobs, grilled veggies and fruit platters while limiting time spent next to the pretzels, baked chips, low fat cheese dips and mayo based foods.

Take care of your body cause you only get one!

 Do you doubt that you have what it takes to reach your fitness goals? If you think it’s only about diet and exercise, you may be missing a crucial element that keeps success just out of reach.  Exercise and clean eating are essential to any weight-loss and fitness program but wait, there’s more.  I’ll have to let you in on a secret weapon; that “magic bullet” we’ve all been waiting for that will zip us to our goals TWICE as fast as diet and exercise alone!  In order to reach any long term goal — especially one that requires major lifestyle change — a good attitude is a MUST. You can have all the trainers, chefs and support in the world, but if your attitude about yourself on the inside stinks then well, most likely your results will stink too.  Your actions are a reflection of your thoughts and attitude.  If you think you’re a failure then you’ll most likely live down to that standard.  If you think you’ll always be overweight then chances are you will always be overweight.  The right attitude has a direct relationship to the success of your program.  Try a little positive reinforcement each day.  When you start telling yourself you deserve to be happy, fit and achieve all your goals, you’re already on the path to doing so. YOUR CHALLENGE
To check your self-sabotaging status, try carrying a small note card in your pocket for a day.  Mark one side with a (+) and the other with a (-) to symbolize the thoughts that pop into your head about yourself. Jot your thoughts down on the corresponding side. (Have your hands full? Just make a tally mark on each side instead of expressing the full thought.)  At the end of the day, check your ratio. Even if you suspect you lean towards the negative, seeing it might help you realize that the only thing holding you back is, well…you! When you change your attitude, you’ll change your life. 

Hi Everybody! Springs here and we all want to feel healthier and more fit. The most important component of looking and feeling fit is making sure you’re putting the right healthy foods into your body. So let me take this opportunity to remind you that good nutrition isn’t just about what’s on your plate but also what’s in that franchise inspired to-go cup. That leaves me with today’s nutrition tip:

Don’t Drink Your Calories! So step away from the cappuccino, latte, chai-whatevers or that sugar bomb smoothie thing that boasts to be “all natural.” Drinking sugary beverages is a surefire way to sabotage your efforts to lose body fat. A single whip cream topped, frosty beverage could negate that 2 mile run you dragged yourself out of bed for this morning. Besides packing in the calories, these drinks play havoc with your blood sugar levels which can leave you feeling tired, moody, and hungry before your body actually needs more fuel. So optimize your fat loss efforts by drinking mostly pure water, green tea and a reasonable amount of coffee if you just gotta have that joe. Oh yeah, that includes easing up on the hooch. Hold off for now and look forward to enjoying a drink or two at that Summer jump off BBQ. Everything tastes better when you know you’ve earned it!

If you keep having overwhelming hunger pangs, start keeping track of what your eating and when.  Notice what time of day the hunger hits so you can have a healthy snack on hand.  For instance, many people remark that they can do so well all day but then “go off the wagon” at dinner because they’re so hungry.  A little bit of hunger between meals is normal and even healthy; but if you’re really hungry and having cravings ALL the time, then chances are your not eating enough healthy foods for your body. So in this instance, it would be a good idea to never forget your mid afternoon snack.  Why put in so much effort all day to have it all go to waste?  

Here are a few healthy snack options to help get you started:

-Small apple (or 1/2 large) with 1 tbsp of organic peanut butter

-1/2 cup 1% cottage cheese with your favorite berries

-Celery with 1 tbsp Almond Butter

-Protein shake with small palm full of mixed almonds & walnuts