4 Ways To Stay On Track With Your Health & Fitness Goals
Starting a good nutrition plan and workout regimen that you actually stick to is the first step to becoming healthy and fit. Congratulations! You’ve made it through the toughest phase! Now you are looking in the mirror and appreciating what you see; what a beautiful feeling! But what happens when you can’t push through the remainder of your goals? What do you do when you don’t think there’s anything else you can do? This could quite possibly be the most important part of your journey. Check out the following tips on how to stay in control when you feel like you’re unraveling:
- Push through and switch it up. That extra little bit of effort will make all the difference! When you’ve hit your plateau that simply means your body is becoming more accustomed to your new lifestyle. If you have been doing the same exercise(s) since you began your regimen, it’s time to switch it up. Muscles can get lazy. We need to continuously work muscles throughout the body that we forget we have! I try to do something different every couple of days to keep my body guessing at which muscles I am going to be utilizing. One day I will run and do yoga and the next day I will work on squats and upper-body strength training. Muscle confusion is your friend.
- Stay on track. Now, more than ever, focus. Do not let the frustration of a plateau keep you from getting to where you want to be. Keep writing in your food journal. Keep focused on your nutrition. Make sure you are moving every day. Get your workout in. This will make your accomplished goal that much more satisfying at the end! The fact that you started strong, reached an obstacle and then overcame it will be one of the most rewarding feelings you will experience. Keep going!
- Keep hydrated. Water is your ally! Hot water with the juice of half a lemon is what you need the first thing in the morning to re-hydrate your body and to get everything inside revved up for the day to come. Keep a water bottle handy everywhere you go so you never have to drink sugar infested soda drinks, energy drinks or any other kind of beverage (I’m really not a huge soda/energy drink/sugar fan)! Lemon or lime in your water will not only help you alkalize your body providing essential nutrients that only citrus fruits can provide, but it tastes amazing!
- Keep your outcome fresh on your mind. Remember how much hard work you’ve put in until this point. You will get frustrated but you will remember why you started in the first place and push through. Whether you have a photo or a list of your goals that you can keep in clear sight everyday to remind you of your goal, or another visual affirmation of why you will keep going, use that as your reinforcement and stay positive. The outcome will always outweigh the obstacle. You will get there. Stay true to yourself and your goals!
7 Reasons To Make Time For Morning Exercise
Yes, really. Your mornings are probably crazy—involving a lot of drinkable food, dry shampoo, and outfit changes. But your day will be so much better if you make time for a morning sweat session. Here’s why.
No surprise here: trudging to the gym after hours of work is a pain. You can spend your entire day dreading the deadlifts to come. Plus, excuses build up: a friend invites you over for drinks, you have to stay late at work, etc. Morning exercise ensures that life’s pesky distractions don’t interfere with your fitness goals.
- You can use it as an excuse to drink more coffee.
Studies show that caffeine consumption before exercise can up your workout speed and quality, and it can even help you power through a tough sweat session. Ergo, you deserve one or two cups of coffee before your morning exercise.
- You can humblebrag all day long.
Trust me—talking about your workouts will make your co-workers love you. You can say something like this, for example: “Sorry I’m late! Getting to work on time is a bit harder when I run my morning 10k.” #sorrynotsorry
One study suggested that you can burn up to 20 percent more fat by exercising first thing in the morning, before you’ve eaten breakfast. Surprisingly, researchers found that this didn’t increase participants’ appetites later in the day.
- You’ll probably eat healthier for the rest of the day.
I don’t know about you, but I always feel extra virtuous after working out. No way am I going to ruin that feeling by sneaking snacks from the office cookie jar. Research also confirms that morning exercise curbs your daily calorie intake more than afternoon exercise.
Working out increases your alertness, warms up your body, and speeds up your metabolism. That’s fantastic in the morning. But in the evening, right before bed? Well, some people find that they toss and turn more after invigorating evening exercise. Most research, however, concludes that regular workouts in general will do wonders for your shuteye.
The link between exercise and mood is hardly new. Even five minutes after your workout, you’ll feel energized and ready to take on the day. Plus, daily movement is one of the best things you can do for your stress levels. Research even shows that people who find time to exercise tend to feel that they have better work-life balance
Healthy Living Tip:
Pick bright colored foods.
Fruits and vegetables with bright colors are usually high in anti-oxidants. Anti-oxidants are good for health because they remove free radicals in our body that damage our cells. So get your fill of fruits/vegetables of different colors: White (Bananas, Mushroom), Yellow (Pineapples, Mango), Orange (Orange, Papaya), Red (Apple, Strawberries, Tomatoes, Watermelon), Green (Guava, Avocados, Cucumber, Lettuce, Celery), Purple/Blue (Blackberries, Eggplant, Prunes).
Healthy Transformations
| Ingredients | |
| • | 1 ¾ oz turkey, lean ground |
| • | ½ oz cheese, cheddar- low fat |
| • | ½ Tbl cream cheese, non-fat |
| • | 3 medium tomatoes |
| • | ¼ cup salsa |
| • | ½ cup lettuce, iceberg |
| • | 1 tortilla, corn |
| • | ½ Tbl avocado |
Spices / Flavoring |
|
| • | ¼ tsp salt, lite |
| • | ¼ tsp black pepper |
Place tortilla(s) in oven until crisp.
Cook ground turkey in a pan (seasoning with salt and pepper, if desired).
Toss together turkey, avocado, and salsa. Spread a thin layer of softened cream cheese on tostada shell.
Spoon on chicken/salsa mixture. Top with lettuce, tomato, and cheddar cheese.
Per serving: 311 calories, 22g protein, 11g total fat, 31g carbohydrates.
Source: Healthy Transformations Recipes
