BodyFit

Top 10 Tips for Staying Committed to a Fitness Program

Have a WHY. You must have a reason why you want to start an exercise/nutrition program. It can't simply just be, "I want to lose weight." Dig deeper and ask yourself "Why do I want to lose weight?"

Be excited. Congratulations! You have just started one of the best things you can do for yourself. Be EXCITED! Realize this is the start of something beautiful, one of the biggest reasons I love what I do is to be able to change the lives of others. You can have such a huge impact on someone and not even realize it in todays world; social media has allowed us to all find others who encourage and support us.

You will have to make sacrifices. First things first, you have decided to make a healthy lifestyle change. You cannot keep junk food in your house - I don't care how much you tell me you have the will power not to eat, GET RID OF IT! Throw away your pizza delivery coupons & get rid of the Oreos. You also cannot go out and eat fast food everyday for your lunch break - always ask yourself, "does this get me closer or further to my goal?" If its further, leave it alone.

Break TV, Social Media habits in favor of exercising. MAKE THE TIME! So the biggest excuse I always get, and is proven to be the biggest barrier to exercise is not having "the time." We all have 24 hours, Michael Jordan, Oprah Winfrey, Steph Curry, WE ALL HAVE 24 HOURS! You may have a busy schedule, so do they. Instead of watching 30 minutes of television after work or before bed - grab some resistance bands off Amazon and do a small at home workout! Even if you just do this, you are doing way more than 99% of the population - and you are taking action not just talking about doing it!

Be consistent. This one is very important - as this helps develop the mindset needed to be successful at a workout program. BE CONSISTENT!

Don't make excuses. Finally taking that vacation you've been dying to go on? Family is in town? Didn't have the time today? These are all extremely common excuses we make to convince ourselves that falling off the path is okay. One major tip is purchase resistance bands for yourself like stated in #4 - that way if you are short on time, you can at least do something at home - something is always better than nothing. Family is in town? That doesn't mean you have to skip your workouts and eat garbage just because they do. Prep your meals as you always would, set aside time for the gym as you always would - if you are serious about your goals, these are things you have to learn to do. Your family may make fun of you at first - but once they see the changes from your lifestyle change, they will be coming to you for advice. I can guarantee it. Plus, not everyone is going to understand your journey - its' YOURS! Eventually they will say something like "yeah she went to the gym." "Yeah, she has lost alot of weight and looks great from doing all that she did." We all have that one family member who is the loud drunk, right? Well you will be known as that one family member who is a health freak. And thats not such a bad thing - now is it?

Avoid Procrastination. I always suggest to get your workout done sooner, rather than later. Exercise in the morning can result in a better mood, and more productivity for the rest of the day. Plus, who wants to actually workout at 6pm after work in a crowded gym when thats the last place you want to be? I'm not a morning person either, but from experience I always had better results & was able to stick to a routine better by getting it done first thing. Do the things you don't want to do first everyday - that way it's over and done with, then you can enjoy the rest of your day.

Allow cheat meals. So you've been eating your asparagus, chicken & rice all week. You have lost weight - and feel great.. but you are getting cravings. I highly suggest that you allow yourself a reward system, especially in the beginning stages of this change. If you are used to eating greasy foods, drinking wine, or just having your usual burger - cold turkey almost never works. You will stick to your routine until you mentally drive yourself insane - and then go on an all out binge. Throwing all your hard work out the window. Implement a reward system - depending upon your goals, this may be once or even three times a week (discuss this with your coach or trainer if you aren't sure). If you stuck to everything for the week, and you are on track with your goals - REWARD YOURSELF! Not only does this have a better rate of you sticking to the plan, but you feel more accomplished for sticking to the plan. & just to re-iterate, this is a cheat meal NOT a cheat day!

Self-motivation. If you want to stick to a plan - you have to want it. Bottom line. It doesn't matter who wants it for you, you have to want it for you. One tip I recommend is to spend the first 15-20 minutes of your day listening to motivational speeches or positive music, read a book on self improvement, anything positive. Put your cell phone in the drawer - do not check social media, do not check your messages, do not check your bank account, put it away I promise it will all still be there in another 20 minutes. Nowadays we have so much access to information - and a lot of it is negative. How do you think your day is going to go if you start by reading an article that makes you upset first thing in the morning? Probably not good. This has been proven to have a positive effect on the rest of the day - I have been doing this for a few months now and have noticed a huge improvement on my overall mindset and productivity for the day ahead.

Break bigger goals into smaller ones. So your goal is to lose 30 pounds? Well i'm here to tell you that it wont happen in 30 days. Did you gain the weight in 30 days? NO! So stop falling for these extreme weight loss gimmicks - put in the work, and stay committed. I promise you will see the results. Set a smaller goal - for example: I want to drop 2% body fat this week, or I want to lose 2 pounds this week. These are much more reasonable goals - sometimes we lose sight of all the progress we are making because we are too concerned with the end result. Step back, see how far you've came and enjoy the journey!

Green tango

It tastes mild, with a slight tang similar to endive’s—without the bitterness. The frilly edges of green tango provide nice texture in salads. It’s also good on sandwiches and as decoration.
Nutrition perks: Full of vitamins A and C and an excellent source of iron.

Baby romaine

These little leaves taste just like grown-up romaine, but even sweeter and more tender. They’re great in salads, wraps, and pita sandwiches.
Nutrition perks: Packed with vitamins A and K, plus folate and iron.

Mache

Mache is delicate, fairly sweet and mild, with a slight crispness. The tender leaves work best in salads that are lightly dressed.
Nutrition perks: High in vitamins A and C, as well as calcium and iron.

Tatsoi

The leaves are a bit peppery or mustardy; the crunchy stems are mild. Use the leaves for salads; slice the stems and serve with dip; or throw the whole thing into a stir-fry.
Nutrition perks: Boasts vitamin K and potassium.

Frisee

Frisee has an edgy flavor with a somewhat bitter finish. Toss with a warm dressing to soften it a bit in salads. You can also add it to sandwiches.

The 30-Day Burpee Challenge That Will Totally Kick Your Butt

Nail the Basic Burpee

Mondays: Burpee Kick-Outs

Tuesdays: One-Legged Burpees

Wednesdays: Burpee Broad Jumps

Thursdays: Burpee Roll-Backs

Fridays: Lateral Jump Burpees

Saturdays: Burpee Mountain Climbers

Sundays: Spider Push-up Burpees

30-Day Burpee Challenge How-To

1. Have soup before your meal (save ~134 calories)
A study of 60 men and women found that when they ate soup before lunch, they ate 20 percent fewer calories (an average of 134 calories less) than if they didn't eat soup first. How does soup help with weight loss? It's mostly water and vegetables, and it fills your stomach for fewer calories. The study used a broth soup with vegetables and a small amount of butter. Aim for a low-calorie soup (not creamy) to sit down to before your meal. Try having my homemade Vegetable Stock before meals, or have my fiber-packed Best Ever Lemony Lentil Soup for lunch for extra staying power!

2. Eat when you're hungry, stop when you're full (save 100 calories)
Seems like a no-brainer, but we all overeat at times whether due to stress, boredom, or just smelling that amazing delivery pizza. If you find yourself overeating, a mindful eating program can help you binge less often. It includes meditations and reflecting on why you choose to eat and whether you are truly hungry. Mindful eating can help people lose an average of 7 pounds over 10 sessions. Even if you don't binge, increasing your awareness of hunger and fullness could help you maintain a healthy weight. Ask yourself, "How hungry am I on a scale from 1 to 10?" before and during eating. Stop eating when you are at about a 7, not when you're at a 10 (the fullest you've ever felt—think after Thanksgiving dinner).

3. Weigh yourself once a week (save ~100 calories)
Make peace with your bathroom scale if you want to lose weight. In a study of 40 dieters, the more often people weighed themselves, the more weight they lost. Keeping track of your weight regularly can help you avoid going too far off track. I typically recommend people weigh themselves twice a week, first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. Weighing yourself every day will capture fluctuations in fluids based on factors like whether you had a salty meal the night before or because of changes in hormone levels with your monthly cycle. Look at the pattern week by week rather than being focused on day to day changes.

4. Eat breakfast and include protein, fruit and vegetables (save ~100 calories)
Regularly eating breakfast can help you lose weight and keep it off. Slim by Design, an online registry of people who are lean without dieting, asked 147 people to share information about their breakfast habits. Ninety-four percent of these effortlessly slim people said they eat breakfast every morning, and more than half of them include fruit and vegetables in their breakfast. Research has also shown that breakfast skippers tend to gain weight over time, probably because they eat higher-calorie foods later in the day. Waking up your metabolism is key to weight loss. Literally breaking the fast lets your body know it doesn't have to preserve calories, it's time to burn them! Don't have time for a morning meal? Try my Blueberry Turmeric Smoothie for a quick and portable breakfast that packs in both protein and produce.

5. Drink a big glass of water before your meal (save ~125 calories)
We've all heard that drinking water helps you lose weight, but the amount and timing make a difference. Along with healthy eating and regular exercise, drinking 16 ounces of water 30 minutes before every meal can help you eat 125 fewer calories a day. In a study of 84 obese adults, everyone was given general healthy eating advice and then they were split up into two groups: One of the groups was told to drink 16 ounces of water half an hour before each meal for three months. The other group was told to visualize having a full stomach before every meal. The people who drank water before each meal lost an average of 9 pounds—3 pounds more than the group who imagined they were full before eating. Time to invest in a 16-ounce water bottle!

Don't freak out. That new pizza place up the block may certainly be trouble, but hitting it up a couple of times really isn't cause for alarm. "It does take some work to gain 5 pounds—it doesn't happen overnight," says Caspero. The average restaurant meal, for example, averages 1,000 calories or so. That's certainly more than we typically eat at home, but it's not thousands and thousands of calories, she points out. "Consistency matters—if you are eating out much more than you used to, you will likely see some weight gain. But it's not going to be after one or two nights out."

Stop thinking of it as "cheating." "The notion of a 'cheat day' actually does more harm than good. If you dedicate a frame of time (a day, a week) as the time to 'cheat,' then you're more likely to eat just to eat because you feel like this is your one time to do so," says Caspero. Think of it as consciously indulging, offers Tori Holthaus, R.D.N., founder of Yes! Nutrition in Ohio. Find what matters to you—if brunch is your go-to meal, then enjoy that. If you love pizza, have a slice and really relish it. "There is so much power in enjoying your meal without guilt. Ironically, the more guilt we feel about eating decadent food, the more likely we are to overeat," Caspero adds.

Put calories in context. "To me, gaining a pound on vacation is worth it for the fun and experience, even if that means I need to add a few more workouts in when I get back," says Caspero. Too rigorous a diet and you'll be missing out on the local flavor—whether in a new city or the one you live in—so don't beat yourself up about it.

Limit yourself to one meal. Eating foods that make you feel the best for most of your meals and then splurging on one is a great way to control your cravings without feeling like you missed out. "A balanced breakfast and lunch followed by a more indulgent dinner and drinks won't be as detrimental as a hearty breakfast, lunch, dinner, and drinks out," Caspero adds.

Avoid throwing in the towel for the day. "When you set yourself up for the traditional cheat day, there's an all-or-nothing mentality," says Caspero. ("If I've already ordered nachos, what difference is a hot fudge sundae going to make?!") Obviously, calling the whole day a wash is going to do a lot more damage than one bad meal would. "Allow yourself to eat what you really want in that moment and then continue on to your normal, healthier eating pattern," she says. Surprisingly, knowing that you can cheat anytime usually lessens any desire food has over you, so tossing those restrictions will actually help you need restrictions less. And remember that cravings can go either way: "I often find that choosing healthy food once makes it easier to choose healthy food again, just like with indulging," Holthaus adds.

Stick to the same guilty pleasure. It's not just about weight gain or the psychological spiral of indulging in unhealthy fare. Junk food messes with your gut health, which can affect how well you process food and how your body gains weight. Research shows consistency in your diet helps support a healthy gut microbiome, so having a go-to cheat meal can actually help ease the turmoil it causes your GI tract, says Holthaus. Don't reach for the baking mix just yet: "Rather than indulging in a large brownie as a cheat meal, you're better off including a tablespoon of dark chocolate chips or cacao nibs as part of your regular meals for better gut health and to help ease cravings," she adds.

Re-frame why you should eat healthily. "Instead of feeling like you need to punish yourself with eating healthy after a cheat meal, I like to bring it back to what makes me feel good," says Caspero. "I don't have the same energy after eating a large stack of pancakes as I do after a green smoothie or yogurt and fruit bowl—so that feeling alone is motivating to me." After you enjoy an indulgent meal, think back to what foods make you feel the best and have that next. "Returning to the foods that make you feel good will help curb any binge or residual cheat-day effect," she adds.

Follow splurges with detoxifying foods. "Unfortunately, after a cheat meal there's nothing you can do to undo the damage. But you can make a positive, healthy step to the future by focusing on foods you know are healthy," says Holthaus. Opt for foods that can help your body reset. Broccoli, for example, is rich in glucoraphanin which helps power your body's own detoxification pathways for up to 72 hours, she explains. Water and potassium-rich foods (dark leafy greens, avocados, and bananas) can help balance sodium levels in the body and reduce bloating, while probiotic-rich foods (like yogurt, kefir, kimchi) can help offset the damage to your digestive system. "Bottom line: Don't stress and just get back on track." (Or try one of these delicious weight-loss smoothies.)

Hit the gym. That cycle of bad cravings is hard to break. Returning to a healthy diet can help, but so can getting your heart rate up. "Exercise is a powerful tool for more than just a calorie burn. Psychologically, not only do you feel better, but you actually start to crave healthier food when you're active," says Caspero. Same goes for while you're away. That same University of Georgia study that showed people gain weight on vacation also found part of the reason the pounds stuck around was because most folks worked out less once they returned home. Keep your routine while away so you don't fall off the motivation bandwagon once you're home "Anything counts when it comes to continuing an exercise pattern on vacation—hiking, snorkeling, paddle boarding, just walking around—make it fun," she adds.

Look at the scale after one month. Don't beat yourself up for eating badly for one week or gaining a few pounds after a short holiday. But if you're away for an extended period or have been eating poorly for a month or so, pay attention to how your jeans fit. "There is some research that shows the more you gain, the easier it is for your body to store extra calories as fat and add on the pounds," warns Caspero. If your Levi's are starting to get a little snug, you're probably on the verge of starting that out-of-control weight-gain spiral and should reconsider whether you're indulging sporadically or need to truly clean up your diet.

Whether you've pushed your limits in a HIIT class or during a marathon, you probably already know that having a strong mental game is just as important as being physically fit. Multiple studies have looked at how mental toughness can boost your performance inside and outside of sports. Pros talk about training their brains using visualization techniques and mindful meditation.
In her new book, Cure: A Journey Into the Science of Mind Over Body, Jo Marchant, Ph.D., looks at just how powerful your mind can be. In the excerpt below, Marchant explores your brain's surprising control over your muscles. Hint: Your muscles aren't tired because they're running low on fuel.

Tim Noakes, a sports physiologist at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, is not the type to bow to authority. In fact, he makes a habit of overturning dogmas—sometimes making enemies but also saving athletes' lives.

In the 1980s, for example, he carried out studies that revealed an epidemic of catastrophic neck injuries among rugby players in South Africa. His results were hotly denied at the time but ultimately led to a change in the rules. Then he investigated why so many marathon runners were collapsing. He concluded that it wasn't because of dehydration, as everyone thought, but the reverse: they were drinking too much. According to Noakes, the official advice to runners—that they should drink around 50 ounces an hour—was poisoning them.

U.S. experts, influenced by the sports drink industry, rejected his findings. The advice wasn't changed until 13% of participants in the 2002 Boston Marathon suffered water intoxication—and one runner died as a result. "My clash with the multibillion-dollar-a-year U.S. sports drink industry taught me that medical science can as easily be bent to serve commercial interest as it can be used to produce 'the greatest benefit to humankind,'" Noakes said.

Perhaps it's not surprising then that Noakes has also spent years attacking one of physiology's most basic assumptions. As an athlete himself, he was interested in fatigue. "If you are exercising, you are always getting tired and trying to understand why," he tells me. "I realized quickly that it wasn't what we were taught."
The dogma was that athletes get tired when their bodies hit physical limits—their muscles run out of oxygen or fuel, or become damaged by the accumulation of toxic by-products such as lactic acid. This in turn triggers pain and fatigue, forcing us to stop exercising until we recover.

This basic theory had never been questioned since it was proposed by Nobel Prize–winning physiologist Archibald Hill in 1923. Yet when Noakes tried to test it, his results didn't make sense. First, Hill's theory predicted that if athletes exercise to their limit, then shortly before they stop with exhaustion, oxygen use should level off, because the heart can't pump fast enough to get any more oxygen to the tissues that need it. But just as with the experiments at high altitude, that didn't happen. "We couldn't find that athletes were running out of oxygen when we tested them," he says. "We couldn't see it."

Meanwhile other studies have shown that although levels of fuel inside muscles (glycogen, fat, ATP) diminish with exercise, they never run out. Noakes also studied muscle use, by asking cyclists to ride exercise bikes with wires attached to their legs. Hill's theory says that athletes should recruit all available resources as they tire, engaging more and more muscle fibers until, with nothing more to give, they finally hit the breaking point. But Noakes found the reverse. As the cyclists neared exhaustion, muscle fibers were being switched off. At the point at which his volunteers said they felt too fatigued to continue, they were never activating more than about 50 percent of their available muscle fibers. Exhaustion forced them to stop exercising, yet they had a large reserve of muscle just waiting to be used.

All of this convinced Noakes that the old idea—of fatigue being caused by muscles pushed to the limit—couldn't be true. Instead, he and his colleague, Alan St. Clair Gibson, proposed that the feeling of fatigue is imposed centrally, by the brain. Obviously there is a physical limit to what the body can achieve. But rather than responding directly to tired muscles, Noakes and St. Clair Gibson proposed that the brain acts in advance of this limit, making us feel tired and forcing us to stop exercising well before any peripheral signs of damage occur. In other words, fatigue isn't a physical event but a sensation or emotion, invented by the brain to prevent catastrophic harm. They called the brain system that does this the "central governor."

From an evolutionary point of view, such a system makes perfect sense. Relying on signs of damage in the muscles to alert us to fatigue would put us perilously close to collapse every time we exert ourselves. Shutting down physical activity in advance ensures a safe margin of error, and means we can continue to function even after an exhausting challenge. "We say that's the way humans evolved, because you always need energy afterwards to do other things," says Noakes. We might suddenly need to run from a predator, for example. "And when we were hunting, we always had to take the food home."