Up your Protein and Fill Up on Veggies

Having a good balance of protein, complex carbs, and lots and lots of veggies will do your body a world of good.  Also, don't forget the healthy fats too.  So many benefits come with high quality protein, like chicken, turkey, and low-fat/fat free PLAIN Greek yogurt: it contains amino acids, which help muscles recover after workouts.  That is also why it is great to increase your protein when you are working out to help those torn muscles recover faster.  I also am a huge fan of getting a serving of protein through protein shakes.  I love sneaking in spinach and avocados to them!  My favorite tasting protein powder out there is by Cellucor.  They have many different flavors and they are also great to cook with.  Upping you protein will keep you more satisfied, less hungry and help you lose weight.  Your body doesn't store protein like it does fat.   

Vegetables…..I don't think we ever eat enough of them.  Filling up on vegetables is a great way to reach fullness and they contain so little calories.  They are filled with nutrients, water and fiber.  If you fill half of your plate with veggies, you'll get fuller faster and cut down on your calories without feeling deprived.  Use herbs and spices to your veggies instead of butter and/or salt to flavor them.  My favorite spices are Mrs. Dash.  They are salt free and come in 10+ different yummy flavors!

Be Prepared for Lapses!

A lapse is when you temporarily "fall of the wagon."  This is a normal part of the process.  A vacation happens, birthday that turns into a birthday week of celebrating, weekend holidays or you just get burnt out!  It happens to all of us.  No one is perfect.  It is important for you to understand and recognize you got sidetracked, but don't use it as an excuse to throw in the towel and quit!  Just look at how far you have come up to that point and how silly it would be to just give up.  Fitness is a journey of learning and self improvement.  Set some new goals and get after it.  Every day is a new chance to start over.  Monday's are always good too :)

Don't Skip Meals

Especially don't skip Breakfast!  I'm sure you have heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  IT IS!!!!  Eat a big healthy breakfast as early as possible.  It will give you more energy, lead you to make healthier choices during the day, and keep you feeling full so you eat less later on.

Eat frequently throughout the day.  Eat every 2-3 hours.  I aim for at least 5x.  That means 3 meals and 2 snacks.  This helps give you steady energy, avoids hunger pangs and keeps our blood sugar level stable so we don't crash and become tired and also keeps us happy.

Skipping meals does not mean you will lose calories.  It will only trigger cravings and lead to you over indulging in something later on.  Skipping meals only puts our body in starvation mode leading it to think it is never going to get fed again.  Be careful with this because it will only cause your body to hang on to food the next time it is fed and store it away.  Skipping meals also forces your body to slow down your metabolism which means slow weight loss.  Who would have thought you need to eat and eat a lot to lose weight?!?  Eat all the right healthy foods and trust the process!

Make Exercise Part of Your Daily Routine

Exercise should be a regular part of your day, not something you just throw in where it happens to work out right then and there.  It should be something you make time for like- meals, sleep, kids, work, school......set aside a set time for exercise!

Pencil it in on your calendar just like you would any other important appointment.  You will find that exercising at the same time and on the same days each week will help you stay on track.  It will become easier and it just becomes apart of your life.  Consider scheduling your exercise like an appointment.  EX: Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at 6AM you have an appointment at the gym.  Usually we are not late to appointments, you don't miss them, and you don't schedule things in its place.  

For myself, I find early morning 6AM workouts to be the best fit for me and my family.  I am usually home before the kids wake up and my husband then goes to work.  This way my workout is over and done and I don't have it lingering in the back of mind all day.  I don't have to worry about sitters, daycare, husband running late, I get to avoid the evening gym crowd and it just sets a positive vibe for the remainder of my day.    

New Years Fitness Tips

Choose goals that are attainable.  Don't say I'm going to lose 20 pounds in 3 months.  Although that can  be done but it's not a very healthy route to take.  1-2 pounds per week is ideal, which would be about 10 pounds lost in 3 months.  If you have not been working out- Don't go to the gym and over do it on day one.  You will be left sore and miserable.  Ease into fitness.  If your new, plan to exercise for 30 minutes 2-3 days a week, and gradually increase as the weeks go by.  Set goals for the week or month. Not too far out there that it seems impossible.

When trying to eat healthier, make small changes.  Aim for glasses of water per day, prepare one new healthy recipe each week for the month of January, replace one can of Diet Coke with water somewhere in your day, eat a piece of fruit per day, add veggies with 1-2 meals in your day.  Increase these changes as they become part of your daily routine and make them a habit.

'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE XMAS FULL BODY WORKOUT

Use heavy weights and move quickly from one exercise to the next and you will not need added cardio at the end of this workout. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

XOXO

All I Want For Christmas.....

And some Cellucor BCAAs in every flavor, Cellucor Whey Protein Powder in every flavor, and some Brooks Ghost 6 Running Shoes!!!  This is seriously what my Xmas list looks like...... #FITNESSADDICT