BodyFit: Healthcare

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!

You always buy organic

Buying organic is wise for certain foods, such as beef or strawberries, but it doesn't make much difference for others, like avocados or eggs.

And don't assume that all organic foods are healthier than non-organic options, or that organic equals healthy. Organic choices are usually pricier, for one thing. And organic high-calorie, high-fat granola bars and sugary cereals are just as bad for you as the non-organic version.

You don't socialize enough

While you may feel virtuous on your long solo runs, don't forget to check in with your pals once in a while. Studies suggest that social networks are good for your health too.

Try to schedule regular meet-ups with friends, whether it's a book club or poker—it doesn't matter. (No need to make it exercise-based, although that's nice too.)

Just connecting with other people, and maintaining those social networks as you age, is good for your health.

You skimp on sleep

Think it's a good idea to get up at 5 a.m. and hit the gym? Not if you should be sleeping instead, says Gary Rogg, MD, a primary care physician and assistant professor at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, N.Y. Studies have consistently shown that people need at least seven hours of sleep a night for optimal health, and short sleep has been associated with a host of health problems, including high blood pressure, depression, diabetes, and a reduced immune response to vaccines.

You lack supplement savvy

More is not better when it comes to vitamins and supplements, and too much of a good thing can actually be harmful.

In 2011, an analysis of data on nearly 40,000 women found that those who took dietary supplements especially iron were actually at slightly higher risk of dying, although the investigators weren't sure why. "There's no really long-term studies that show unequivocal benefits of taking vitamin and mineral supplements,"

You beg for antibiotics

Many people ask their doctor for a prescription for antibiotics or antivirals for symptoms that probably would resolve on their own, or just because they fear getting sick.

And some doctors may oblige. But these drugs also carry risks, from contributing to the huge problem of drug resistance to killing off the good bacteria in your body. Let your doctor decide if your symptoms warrant medication, and skip the high-pressure tactics.

You're a germaphobe

We all know people who never leave the house without their hand sanitizer—you may even be that person. And yes, you should wash your hands with soap and water to kill germs that can make you sick.

But evidence also suggests that some germ exposure could steer the immune system away from allergies, and that an overly sterile environment might be bad. (It's called the hygiene hypothesis.) Good bacteria are also key for staying healthy, particularly for the skin, digestive tract, and vagina. So "fear of germs" does not equal "good health."

You use exercise alone to shed pounds

Regular exercise is crucial for health and maintaining a healthy weight, but it won't help you lose weight unless you cut down your calorie intake.

"Patients exercise themselves until they're blue in the face, they're frustrated, they're sort of at a loss as to why they haven't had success," says Shantanu Nundy, MD, a primary care physician at the University of Chicago. But the truth is that exercise maybe because it whets the appetite, maybe because we decide it's OK to reward ourselves with a treat after that workout, maybe both—often makes people eat more, which means you'll make up for the calories you just burned, and then some.

The Brain-Healthy Diet You Should Adopt Now

Researchers looked at the eating patterns of over 900 retirees for over 10 years. Those who inadvertently followed a brain-healthy diet (they weren't explicitly told to eat certain foods) lowered their risk of Alzheimer's by 53 percent (if they followed the diet closely) and 35 percent (if they strayed from the diet a bit).

That brain-healthy diet we mentioned? It's called the MIND diet, and it's essentially a mix of the Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet (both of which fight cardiovascular conditions). The MIND diet promotes eating foods like leafy greens, vegetables, nuts, berries, beans, whole grains, fish, poultry, olive oil, and wine, along with some less-healthy foods like red meat, butter, cheese, pastries and sweets, and fried or fast food in moderation.

Experts developed the diet after researching the effects food has on the brain: "The diet is rich in a number of nutrients that have been shown to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation and protect neurons, synaptic proteins, and DNA," says study author Martha C. Morris, Sc.D., a Rush University professor, assistant provost for community research, and director of nutrition and nutritional epidemiology, who created the MIND diet with her team.

Ready to eat your way to mental sharpness? A typical day on the MIND diet includes three servings of whole grains, a salad with vegetables, nuts, and a glass of wine. Beans, poultry, berries, and fish also enter the mix on a few-times-a-week basis. Though unhealthy foods aren't off limits, they're introduced in moderation, with less than 1 tablespoon of butter a day and other unhealthy foods once a week.

The researchers found the longer you follow a MIND-like diet, the greater your Alzheimer's prevention. So load up that plate with grains and veggies—your sharp-as-a-tack 85-year-old self will thank you.

Injured? Work Around It

Consider exercising the rest of your (non-injured) body. "If your left leg is injured, for example, there's benefit to training the uninjured leg," says David Hooper, MS, CSCS, a graduate research assistant in the Ohio State University College of Education and Human Ecology. "It has been shown to transfer to the injured limb to some degree." Yes, exercising one part of your body can help maintain muscle in other parts—crazy, right?

Drink Wine

If you haven't heard, red wine contains a powerful antioxidant called resveratrol, which acts on protein breakdown and fights against oxidative stress and cell death—all good things when it comes to maintaining muscle. Turns out, everyone's fave antiox may even help muscles grow, suggests a Journal of Translational Medicine study. Don't use this as an excuse to down an entire bottle, but don't feel bad about enjoying a glass after a long day at work, either.

Enjoy a Burger

You've probably seen creatine at your local supplement store, but it's also found in red meat. Creatine provides fuel for muscles and has been shown to maintain muscle strength and size when you're injured, says Jeffrey R. Stout, PhD, associate professor at the University of Central Florida and author of the book, Essentials of Creatine in Sport and Health.

Eat Protein

Dutch researchers found that maintaining protein intake may help preserve muscle during a prolonged workout break (protein provides the body with amino acids, the building blocks of muscle). "Quality protein sources such as animal protein (poultry, eggs, fish, beef, low-fat dairy) and plant-based protein (soy, beans, legumes, vegetables, nuts, and seeds) should be included in every meal and snack," suggests Arizona-based registered dietitian and nutritionist Tiffani Bachus. "Aim for 3 to 5 ounces at each meal and 2 to 3 ounces at snack time."

Limit Carbs

Less activity should mean fewer carbohydrates: "When your body's active, carbohydrates are used for energy (along with fat)," says Bachus. When you're inactive? Excess carbs are stored as fat. Bachus suggests consuming approximately 15 to 25 grams of carbohydrates at each meal and snack.

Picture Yourself Exercising

Exercise your imagination on your off days. In a Journal of Neurophysiology study, 29 subjects had a cast placed on their non-dominant arm for four weeks. Half of the subjects imagined contracting their forearm muscles and flexing their wrists for five seconds (without actually doing it). The other half didn't do the mental imagery exercises. At the end of the month, those who performed the metal imagery only lost 24 percent of their strength compared to the 45 percent lost by the group who did used their imaginations.

Eat the correct number of calories

Science time! Metabolism is the chemical process in the body that converts the food you eat into fuel. The result: You get the energy that keeps you going each day. Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the number of calories per day your body naturally burns at rest, says Louis Aronne, MD, an obesity specialist at the New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center. Knowing your number is key because it means you'll be aware of exactly how many calories to consume to maintain your weight (or lose or gain, if need be).

Make workouts a regular thing

"Doing cardio exercise three to five times a week is associated with a higher metabolic rate at rest," says Wayne Westcott, PhD, professor of exercise science at Quincy College, in Quincy, Mass. That means that even when out of the gym, your body is burning above and beyond what it would have had you never hauled butt over there. And there's new research to show how you can boost your rate while you're exercising, too. You've probably heard of Tabata, a workout in which, for four minutes, you alternate 20 seconds of all-out effort with 10 seconds of rest. When Michele Olson, PhD, professor of exercise physiology at Auburn University, in Auburn, Ala., had subjects try it with squat jumps, they burned 13.5 calories per minute; most moderate-intensity cardio burns just 6 or 7 calories per minute. "You can do it with almost any exercise," she says, like sprints, jumping jacks or—better yet—burpees.

Don't blow off lifting

A pound of muscle burns more calories than a pound of fat. Up to nine times the amount, in fact. "Lifting weights is the top way to stave off age-related metabolic drop," says Pamela Peeke, MD, assistant clinical professor of medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

Never yo-yo diet

Yet another reason not to let your weight seesaw: You'll hamstring your metabolism. "My patients with the lowest metabolisms are the weight cyclers," says Scott Isaacs, MD, clinical instructor of medicine at the Emory University School of Medicine. "When you lose weight, you lose muscle and fat, but when you gain it back, it's mostly fat, which burns fewer calories."

Have a bedtime snack (gasp!)

Forget what you think you know about not eating after 8 p.m. Two recent Florida State University studies found that having 150 calories about 30 minutes before you go to sleep—that's an extra 150 calories added to your day, not taken out of your daily allotment—boosted metabolism in the morning, compared with having none. For best results, your p.m. snack should be protein (we like low-fat milk or cottage cheese). The one caveat is that this applies only if you're exercising regularly. But you are, aren't you?

Overall Mental Health

Your body releases chemicals which help your body feel more happy…

Lessen Effects of Asthma

Helps strengthen lungs and bronchi.

Helps Prevent High Blood Pressure

Your arteries expand and contract while running, helping the arteries to stay fit, which then helps to maintain health[y] blood pressure.

Strong Immune System

If you are a runner, [you] suffer less from minor illness.

Weight Loss

You burn 705 to 865 calories/hours

Fat moving Up-Down helps break your fat down

Physical Strength

Running builds lower body strength in addition to strengthening your tendons and ligaments

Increase Bone Density

Your body sends essential mineral to bones to strengthen them when stressed. As running stresses your bones, these additional minerals helps to increase your bone density over time.

Joint Strength and Stability

By increasing the strength of your ligaments and tendons you increase joint strength and reduce chances of injuries to your ankles, hips, and knees.

Personal Control

Running = Increase(d) confidence + greater control over you[r] life.

Reduce Effects of Diabetes

Helps reduce diabetic resistance to insulin and maintain a health[y] blood sugar level

Outstanding oats

Heart healthy? Check. And that’s just the beginning of oatmeal’s superpowers.

Pore refiner

This mask, from New York City dermatologist Amy Wechsler, MD, makes use of oats’ saponins, cleansers that remove dirt from pores: Mix 1/2 cup oatmeal, 1/2 cup hot water, and 1/4 cup honey in a food processor. Let cool, and apply. Wait 10 minutes, and rinse.

Diet helper

Replace all-purpose flour with homemade oat flour (grind oats in a processor) for baking cookies, pancakes, and quick breads. You get twice the fiber so you feel fuller, but fewer calories, says Frances Largeman-Roth, RD, Health’s Senior Food and Nutrition Editor.

Exercise booster

Eat some oatmeal pancakes for a better workout? Believe it. British researchers found that foods like oatmeal up endurance when eaten about three hours before exercise. Oats trigger the body to burn fat more quickly to fuel muscles.

Cancer fighter

Have oatmeal for breakfast and help prevent breast cancer. Premenopausal women on diets rich in fiber from whole grains, like oats, reduce their risk by up to 41%, suggests a study in the

You skip exercise when you're tired

Skipping your workout to save energy actually works against you. In a University of Georgia study, sedentary but otherwise healthy adults who began exercising lightly three days a week for as little as 20 minutes at a time reported feeling less fatigued and more energized after six weeks. Regular exercise boosts strength and endurance, helps make your cardiovascular system run more efficiently, and delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues. So next time you're tempted to crash on the couch, at least go for a brisk walk—you won't regret it.

You don't drink enough water

Being even slightly dehydrated—as little as 2% of normal fluid loss—takes a toll on energy levels, says Amy Goodson, RD, a dietitian for Texas Health Ben Hogan Sports Medicine. Dehydration causes a reduction in blood volume, explains Goodson, which makes the blood thicker. This requires your heart to pump less efficiently, reducing the speed at which oxygen and nutrients reach your muscles and organs. To calculate your normal fluid needs, take your weight in pounds, divide in half and drink that number of ounces of fluid a day, Goodson recommends

You're not consuming enough iron

An iron deficiency can leave you feeling sluggish, irritable, weak, and unable to focus. "It makes you tired because less oxygen travels to the muscles and cells," says Goodson. Boost your iron intake to reduce your risk of anemia: load up on lean beef, kidney beans, tofu, eggs (including the yolk), dark green leafy vegetables, nuts, and peanut butter, and pair them with foods high in vitamin C (vitamin C improves iron absorption when eaten together), suggests Goodson. Note: an iron deficiency may be due to an underlying health problem, so if you're experiencing these symptoms of iron deficiency, you should visit your doc.

You skip breakfast

The food you eat fuels your body, and when you sleep, your body continues using what you consumed at dinner the night before to keep your blood pumping and oxygen flowing. So, when you wake up in the morning, you need to refuel with breakfast. Skip it, and you'll feel sluggish. "Eating breakfast is like starting a fire in your body by kickstarting your metabolism," Goodson says. Goodson recommends a breakfast that includes whole grains, lean protein, and healthy fat. Good examples include oatmeal with protein powder and a dab of peanut butter; a smoothie made with fruit, protein powder, low-fat milk, and almond butter; or eggs with two slices of whole-wheat toast and low-fat Greek yogurt.