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Eating More to Lose Weight

January 9, 2019/in Blog, Fool-Proof Diet, Nutritional Consultant

Many people would be shocked to realize that eating more frequently is actually one of the greatest and most effective ways to lose weight. When we are stuck in a routine where we only eat food once or twice a day, our bodies begin to feel starved and they slow down the metabolism.

That makes it far more difficult for us to burn calories and lose fat. When we are not following a structured routine that gives our bodies predictable sources of nutrients, they have a tendency to try to hold on to the little nourishment they receive in order to keep us alive.

Not only that, but eating regularly is beneficial to the metabolism. It keeps it fired up and ready to burn off any of the excessive fat we may have stored in our bodies. It is very important that we never skip eating breakfast, because breakfast truly is one of the most important meals of the day. It is what kick starts our metabolism and provides us with the energy that we need to make it through the rest of the day. And everything we eat has a consequence, so avoiding sugary foods like cereals and granola bars is probably the most beneficial, especially if weight loss is your ultimate goal.

Eating regularly is probably the opposite of what people who are dieting want to do. Most diet books have a tendency to make us want to count calories and cut out as many of them as possible in order to create a big enough deficit for drastic weight loss. But that is not the real solution. In fact, putting yourself into starvation mode that way can often cause long-term health consequences that actually make it nearly impossible to lose weight as you age, and then you will be really miserable with yourself.

Instead of only eating one or two meals per day, or worse, limiting your food intake to extreme levels, you should make sure that you are eating several meals. Simply cutting down your portion sizes and allowing yourself to eat small meals, about five per day, is one of the best ways to make sure that you are making your metabolism work for you rather than against you.

Another benefit of eating small, regular meals is that you will have less cravings for food throughout the day, which means you will not be prone to eating quick and convenient things that are bad for you. Rather than eating foods that are sabotaging your weight loss efforts, you can be making the conscious choice to eat more frequently so that you are not putting your body into starvation mode and causing your body further problems later on down the line.

Each of us has the power to change our lives for the better, and if we are making mindful choices that are good for our bodies, then we can be proud to know that we are creating a foolproof diet plan that will benefit us for years to come!

Five Steps To Achieve Your New Year’s Resolutions

January 9, 2019/in Blog, New Year's Workout Goals, Personal Training

What are your New Year’s Resolutions this year? To lose weight, buy a new house or car, further your education, or maybe meet that special someone? Whatever your New Years Resolutions are, you will be much more likely to achieve them if you set a system in place that you can follow on a daily basis.

Big dreams don’t manifest into reality overnight, but by taking small steps toward these dreams every day, little by little parts of the dream become reality.

Set Reasonable Goals

Every year you should begin by setting reasonable and specific goals. For example, if weight loss is a goal for you, you should start off by assessing how much weight you need to lose, and then setting a reasonable goal for the year, one that can actually be achieved. For example, given that it is healthy to lose a maximum of ten pounds per a month, no yearly goal should be set to lose more than one hundred and twenty pounds in any given year

. You should also set a specific amount of weight to be lost, although one hundred and twenty pounds is the maximum amount that can be loss, perhaps you want to lose only fifty, or twenty. A specific amount should be specified, don’t just have a vague, unspecified goal to lose weight vague.

The same is true for any other goal that you might set; you have to take into account, the time that you have to achieve your goal and the resources available to you in the pursuit of your goal. When you truly consider the time and resources at your disposal, you should be able to set a reasonable and specific goal in any area.

Break the Larger Goal into Smaller Ones

OK so, you’ve established your reasonable and specific goals for the year. Where do you go from there? Once the annual goals are set, next comes the process of breaking those larger goals down into smaller more manageable ones. Suppose a goal is to return back to school to further your education. A smaller goal, to be set for the first quarter of the year (January through March), could be collecting information on schools in your area that interest you and researching the various program offered at these schools.

It is very important to break the larger goal down into a series of smaller ones so that will progressively further the larger goal. If you set out a series of steps that need to be taken to reach the larger goal, the goal will seem less overwhelming, and much more manageable. Since this is a resolution for the year, it may be appropriate to break down the larger goal into twelve smaller goals for each month of the year. This is just a guideline; your goal may require more or fewer steps depending upon what the goal is.

Set Milestones

While you are setting goals it can’t hurt to also set milestones. Milestones are in between the larger goal that you’ve set for the year, and the smaller goals you have set for a shorter period of time. A milestone is an event that marks significant progress toward the goal. For example, if your goal is to lose fifty pounds, a significant milestone toward that goal could be twenty-five pounds. (Because you are half way there.) If you’re goal is to go back to school, as significant milestone might be completing all of your research and finally deciding upon a school and completing the admissions application. A milestone is a significant accomplishment that occurs on the way to your goal. You can revise your milestones (and for that matter your smaller goals) along the way. But what is important is always having some kind of plan in place. A plan that moves you along toward the goal.

Do at least Five to Ten Small Things Each Day to Achieve the Goal

This is probably the most important advice of all. Take small steps every day toward your goal. This is where goals are made or broken- in your daily routine! It is so easy to begin the New Year in full force, rushing toward your goals with such ambition and zeal! But then life happens. Other responsibilities get in the way-. Before you know it, you missed five gym workouts in a row and you are gaining weight because of it, or working late has prevented you from researching schools.

A slump in the housing market is hampering your house hunting or a glitch in your car loan approval process has gotten you frustrated! Once several days or weeks are missed, it is normal to become frustrated, and to want to abandon the goal all together! THIS YOU MUST NOT DO! It is human to fall off the wagon, but is even more important to get back on! Don’t waste time and energy putting your self down for opportunities missed. Just know that this is all apart of the process. Things do occur that get in the way of steady progress toward our goals. But these things can be easily overcome, if we get back on track as soon as possible and return to the daily habit of taking at least five small steps toward the goal every day.

Reflect Upon Progress

This is easy to do if you write down the small steps you take toward your goal every day. At the end of the week, or month, or whatever time period you are comfortable with, take a look at all of the work you have done toward the achievement of your goal. Evaluate the good decisions as well as the missteps. Perhaps you found the perfect house, made a bid on it, but lost it in a bidding war. Don’t be discouraged. Often times we can turn life’s disappointments into opportunities so long as we are willing to keep a positive attitude and learn from them. Stay focused and keep directing your positive energy to the achievement of your goals. Before you know it you will be reaching those significant milestones that you set earlier.

Reward Yourself for Reaching Milestones

This is very important! Celebrate each significant milestone you reach, don’t wait until you achieve the larger goal, milestones along the way are very important! Sometimes what ends up being even more important than the goal we set, is the journey that takes us there, the friends we meet along the way, and the growth we experience as a result of our efforts. Be sure to celebrate all of this! Following the five simple steps above, you just might even achieve your New Years Resolution before the years end. Wouldn’t that be cause for celebration? Even if you don’t, you will have learned so much just from the effort; enough to take you well into the next year’s resolutions successfully!

Finding the Routine that Works Best for You

January 8, 2019/in Blog, Fool-Proof Diet, Nutritional Consultant

Some people struggle with routine while others thrive on it. When you are embarking upon a large lifestyle change, then being able to allow yourself the time out of your day to thrive is one of the most crucial elements of success.

It can feel impossible at times to stick to a specific schedule, especially if you are particularly scatter-brained. However, everybody can fall into a good routine, and one that will truly allow you a chance to thrive.

If you struggle with creating a routine but would like to, there are some simple steps that you can take to make the transition from chaos into structure a little bit more manageable. First of all, don’t push yourself too hard. When you need to make lifestyle changes, do so gradually rather than attempting to make a lot of changes at once. One of the worst things you can do is to overload yourself with tasks and structure you aren’t ready for. Slow and steady wins the race, so begin by introducing new tasks slowly until they have become a second nature, then add in the next.

It can help to have an idea of what you want your day to look like. Take some time to visualize your goals and think about what it is that you hope to accomplish. Break it down into chunks and slowly integrate small tasks that will help you to get where you want to go. Once you have visualized your ultimate goal, then you will benefit from writing down the tasks that you need to achieve to get there, starting at the top and trickling down to the most trivial seeming of details.

The small details are where you are going to want to begin. You can add in one of these tasks every day to ensure that you are getting the most of your time. Write out a schedule for yourself and stick with it. It is especially important to begin with getting a good night’s rest and waking up at a similar time every day. Routines help the mind stay focused, and without focus, any goals will be hard to obtain.

If you are hoping to get yourself on a good routine to help to encourage your weight loss, then it is important for you to include time in the morning for you to either visualize your goals or to actually begin to exercise. You should make sure you have a great morning routine if nothing else, because how you feel in the morning can set the course for the rest of the day. Wake up at a good time, drink a glass of water, exercise, and prepare a healthy meal. All of these things are incredibly important on any weight loss journey!

Overall, developing a routine is easier than you might think. Don’t overthink it and don’t overload yourself with stimulating activities that you aren’t used to. Go slow and set your own pace, and you will quickly be on your way to developing a routine that is foolproof!

The New You in the New Year

January 8, 2019/in Blog, New Year's Workout Goals, Personal Training

How many times have you told yourself that this year you’re going to finally lose that weight or quit smoking or look for a better job? How often do you carry over your New Year’s resolutions from one year to the next? If you’re like most people, you come up with a long wish list of things you want to improve and try your best to make them happen during the year.

The problem is that not even a month goes by before you’ve already forgotten about most of your goals and are back to your old habits again. There are a few simple things you can do though, to help you stick to your plan.

Be Realistic

One of the biggest reasons we fail to accomplish our New Year’s resolutions is that we tend to set unrealistic goals. Wanting to lose 100 pounds and make more money and get organized and quit smoking all at the same time probably isn’t going to be very effective. To help you stick to your goals, you should pick one or two really important things you want to work on and focus exclusively on those, instead of trying to completely reinvent yourself in one year.

Also, be sure that your goal is actually attainable. If you have a heart condition and are in terrible physical shape and your goal is to climb Mount Everest before the end of the year, you may be in for some serious disappointment. This is not to say that you can’t set goals that really challenge you physically and mentally. It is simply important to be honest with yourself in regards to what you can and can’t accomplish. The last thing you want to do is set yourself up for failure.

Be Specific

The next big problem is that most of our goals aren’t specific enough. While it may be okay to write “lose weight” on your New Year’s resolution list, this doesn’t tell you anything about how much weight or how you’re going to lose this weight. In order to make your resolution more effective, you need to be specific about what you want to accomplish. A better resolution may be “to lose 1 pound a month throughout the year,” or “to go to the gym at least twice a week before work.” The more specific you are about your goal, the more solidified it will be in your mind.

Be Task Oriented

It’s great to want to lose weight, but how are you going to accomplish it? I can almost guarantee you that the weight’s not just going to melt off of you on its own. So, what do you need to do to make this goal a reality? For each resolution you have on your list, write at least ten action items that you must do to accomplish your goal. Here is a sample list to help you get started.

Resolution: “Lose 1 pound a month throughout the year”

Be Strong

One of the reasons people fail with their resolutions is that they don’t adequately foresee the obstacles they may face along the way.

Be Forgiving

You won’t always hit your mark on the first try. As soon as you realize that you’ll most likely have some good days along with some bad days, you can stop beating yourself up when you’re in a slump. Forgive yourself when you stray off the path and find ways to encourage yourself to get right back on. Blaming or feeling negatively towards yourself will only make matters worse and make it harder to finish what you so boldly started. Instead, figure out what got in your way and come up with a revised plan of action to achieve your goal.

Be Happy!

This is the most important thing to remember. All that we do in life is in vain if we’re not happy. If you’re absolutely miserable doing your resolution, you’ll not only find it more difficult to stick to, you’ll also build up more resentment towards it. This in turn, will make you even less likely to ever finish the goal. Of course, some times we have to do something for health reasons that may seem terrible in the short term, but that will bring happiness at a later time. I believe strongly that to accomplish anything in this world, you have to have the right attitude. Life is short and you should choose resolutions that will enhance your life by making you healthier and happier.

As the Vulcan saying goes, “Live long and prosper.”

The Connection Between Mindfulness and Healthy Eating

January 7, 2019/in Blog, Fool-Proof Diet, Nutritional Consultant

When you hear the word mindfulness, most of us think about meditation and yoga. We don’t necessarily think about eating well and the connection between the body and the mind. When we are feeling stressed out and agitated at the world, most of us assume that it is because we have a problem with our mental state rather than turning to examine the effects of the foods that we are eating.

Truth be told, many people who claim to have insomnia in actuality have a caffeine addiction or something similar. We become very cut off from our minds and our bodies both, and we stop realizing how it is that the foods we eat and the drinks that we consume have an impact on our bodies and our state of mind.

When we are grumpy and agitated, sometimes it isn’t because we simply woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Sometimes it is an indication that we have a food intolerance or have had too much sugar, or maybe we drank too much coffee or too many energy drinks or soda for our bodies to feel content.

We miss out on so much. Our environments are so busy and flashy that we do not often use mindfulness techniques in order to pay attention to what makes our bodies feel a certain way. When we aren’t paying attention, the little things that we can do to improve our lives suddenly become unimportant. Sure, we could stop having an upset stomach every time we drink milk because we are lactose intolerant, but if we don’t slow down and pay attention to the connection there, then it is going to be close to impossible to change the way we feel.

Mindfulness can be practiced easily, by beginning to truly focus on our surroundings and the way we feel. One good way to begin practicing mindfulness in a way that will help us to develop a mind and body connection is to begin a food journal. When we are honest with ourselves about how we feel when we eat, and how we feel after we eat what we have eaten, then it becomes far easier for us to begin to understand how we are impacted by the foods we ear and our environment.

Mindfulness can help us to improve our relationship with food in another way as well. If we are practicing mindfulness in every moment, it becomes easier for us to make better choices. Rather than picking up a candy bar impulsively and allowing ourselves to eat it without a second thought, staying mindful and taking time to reflect before acting can give you the chance you need to weigh the pros and cons of your actions.

Do you need this candy bar for your survival? Will it make you feel good or will it give you sugar that could cause you to feel restless and irritable, and that will contribute to weight gain?

Mindfulness is an effective tool in all arenas of life, but most especially if you are attempting to carve out a diet routine for yourself that is foolproof!

Run In A New Year

January 7, 2019/in Blog, New Year's Workout Goals, Personal Training

As we enter a New Year, weight loss will be at the forefront of many people’s resolutions. And why not? It is very healthy to help keep away heart diseases and diabetes for many. It raises people’s confidence and thus increases self-esteem. Participating in a cardiovascular activity will also increase the shape in which one is, as well as lower blood pressure. The feeling of running is great!

After I have gone on a run, I have a tremendous feeling of confidence. Confidence I can carry onto my other activities I in which I want to participate. The juices are flowing, my energy is up: I can take on the world.

For the non-runner who is thinking of taking on running, that sounds very counter-intuitive, but running increases energy. You are not exhausted throughout the day. Healthy body, healthy mind. Why not go for a quick run in the morning to get your day off right?

Running is one of the most intense aerobic workouts in existence. Other than cross-country skiing, running does the most to improve one’s cardiovascular system through exercise. However, unlike cross-country skiing, one does not have to wait for a certain time of the year, at certain locations, and spend a certain amount of money to partake in running.

All one needs is drive, determination, and a pair of shoes (and even then, running barefoot is becoming more popular!). Depending upon a few variables, we burn around 130 calories per mile ran. That is an insanely high amount of calories burned! Now think: you run 3 miles in about half of an hour. You have burnt about 400 calories! Now that of how easy it could be to start running to lose weight!

The most important part of starting to run is to stay focused and believe you can. At first, it will not be tremendously easy, but soon you will learn to enjoy and look forward to your next run. Running requires mental toughness, and with the right plan and mentality everyone can succeed as a runner.

Emotional Attachment to Bad Foods and What to Do About It

January 4, 2019/in Blog, Fool-Proof Diet, Nutritional Consultant

Comfort foods are something that almost all of us resort to at one time or another throughout our lives. But what happens when your comfort foods are part of the problem? Then they cease to be comforting so much as a glaring reminder that we are struggling with a weight or health issue that feels impossible to overcome. The things that once brought us so much peace and contentment now bring us strife. What do we do about it?

Don’t fret! Comfort foods may have a place in our hearts, but they don’t have to have a place in our diets. And if they do, they can take up residence in a way that is accommodating rather than destructive. We do not necessarily have to get rid of our comfort foods in order to get them back in our diets.

Instead, we can begin to change our relationship with food by understanding what is unhealthy about our comfort foods and modifying them in order to change them into something we can still enjoy, but that we don’t have to feel guilty about eating!

Sure, this may seem to take away the positive benefits of having comfort foods to begin with. you may find it difficult to conceive of enjoying a comfort food that isn’t cooked in the very specific way that you like. However, you can retrain your mind to begin to associate your comfort foods with healthier alternative versions.

Interrupting your neural processes can help you to stop any negative feelings you have about replacing these foods. Simply replace negative thoughts with positive ones once you have recognized yourself having a negative thought about your comfort foods. Then, you will begin to have a better relationship with the thought of replacing your unhealthy comfort foods with healthier alternatives.

Healthy alternatives can be found everywhere. For example, if you really love mashed potatoes but you know they are full of carbs you shouldn’t eat, you can cut the amount of potatoes in half and replace it with cauliflower for the other half, or you could even make the switch to sweet potatoes instead. Where there’s a will there’s a way, and you can begin to seek out healthy alternatives to less than healthy foods.

This can even begin to work with desserts and sweets as well. Instead of eating artificial and processed snacks, you can begin to get your own fix. Looking into raw food cook books can provide a guilt-free alternative to unhealthy snacks and desserts so you can begin eating healthy, even when it feels like you’re not!

There has never been a better time to say out with the old, in with the new than when beginning to replace your old comfort foods with healthier alternatives. It may be a challenge at first, but it is one you can easily rise to meet so that you can begin to take control of your life and embark upon a foolproof diet that will benefit you for years to come!

Will Your New Year’s Fitness Resolution Fail this Year?

January 4, 2019/in Blog, New Year's Workout Goals, Personal Training

Many people make their New Year’s resolution to become super fit but fail to achieve their fitness goal because of the obstacles they encounter.

When people think seriously about getting fit one of the first things they think of is attending a gym. Now this is fine, but just getting yourself to a gym involves time and trouble. Typically you need to get your training clothes ready, travel to the gym, park, wait to use the equipment, shower, change and then travel back home.

After a while many people reach the conclusion that all this just takes up too much time and their fitness dreams are dashed. If you could have a training facility in your home, however, all of the time that you waste going to and from a gym would be saved and you could spend more time in pursuance of your goal i.e getting fit.

An exercise treadmill provides the perfect facility for exercising at home. Running and walking are the most pleasurable and natural forms of exercising and build up stamina, help reduce weight and promote overall good health. The fact that you can indulge in this exercise in the peace, comfort and security of your own home by exercising on a treadmill is a huge bonus.

A key point to remember with regard to achieving your fitness goals with treadmill training is that the probability of you continuing with your fitness regime will be high. You are not subject to the vagaries of the weather and you can even watch the TV or listen to your favorite music at the same time.

When looking for a suitable home treadmill it is a good idea to steer clear of some of the cheaper products that you often see in the fitness sections of many department stores. Many of these budget models are lacking in quality and may see you looking at a repair bill in a short space of time.

Setting a goal to become fit is a major personal commitment and buying a treadmill for most of us is a major financial commitment, so buy wisely. When looking for a suitable treadmill try looking at some of the treadmill reviews which provide independent reviews, ratings, and pricing information for most models.

The first thing to consider when buying a treadmill is how it will be used. Will just one person be using the treadmill or many? Will these users be using the treadmill for walking, jogging, running or incline training?

Do not make the mistake of buying a cheap department store bargain and hope that it will meet the needs of your wife who just needs it for some gentle walking and your daughter who belongs to an athletics club and needs it for running. One size does not fit all here.

The next thing to decide upon is your budget. As stated earlier, for most people a treadmill is going to be a major investment so you need to spend wisely. A good quality treadmill should provide you with many years of use and will pay you back many times over in terms of overall fitness, healthy weight control and just sheer pleasure! As with most things in life you get what you pay for, so set your budget accordingly.

Another factor to consider is the weight of the heaviest person who will use the treadmill. Most treadmill review sites will include this in their product write ups and is usually shown as the maximum “user weight” for the treadmill. It is important to pay attention to this as the “maximum user weight” is stated for a good reason. If you weigh 300 lbs do not buy a treadmill that has a maximum user weight of 250 lbs and expect it to perform as it should for very long!

Give some consideration as to where you will locate your treadmill in your home. If you are fortunate to have a room where the treadmill can enjoy exclusive use then this will not be a problem but, if you intend to place it in a lounge then you may be interested in a “space saver” or folding treadmill.

These can be folded up into an upright position when not in use and so occupy a much smaller floor space. There are now available “ultra compact” treadmills that are highly portable and can be stowed under a bed or inside a closet when not in use.

Walking and running although excellent ways of exercising can produce stress on the feet and joints. For this reason you should look at treadmills with a good quality shock absorption system. Some treadmills now have quite sophisticated shock absorption systems.

Many treadmills have a bewildering array of electronic features to attract buyers. These include displays that measure calories used to the amount of energy expended in a fitness workout. Look for features that can stimulate and motivate.

Of course selecting then buying your treadmill is only the start. The key to keeping fit is implementing a workout routine, get started and keep going. You’ll find that after a month, your treadmill fitness session will become part of your normal routine and you will be well on your way to achieving your New Year’s fitness goals!

Overcoming Mental Barriers to Achieve Weight Loss

January 3, 2019/in Blog, Fool-Proof Diet, Nutritional Consultant

The most powerful obstacle to weight loss is not usually our diets or exercise routine so much as our mental ability to handle the types of healthy changes that we want to make in order to improve our lives.

But there are many pitfalls that can easily be stumbled into on the way to good health and well-being. This article will address them and what to do in order to begin overcoming the obstacles that are holding you back.

One of the most basic mental barriers to weight loss is a bad image of the self. If you don’t care about yourself or your body, of course it will be easy for you to neglect your health. All the diet books in the world wouldn’t be able to help you overcome this issue. Fortunately, there are many ways you can begin to develop a more caring attitude toward yourself.

Whether you choose to begin meditation and practicing mindfulness, or seek the help of a qualified professional who can help you to begin to see yourself and your value more clearly, there are ways to overcome this mental barrier once and for all to begin a healthy eating journey that will stick with you for the rest of your life.

Another major issue that a huge portion of the population faces is depression. Depression is sneaky and can often times come across as other things, such as irritability or tiredness. If you suspect you may be suffering from depression, there are many courses you could take to begin treating it. Once you have been able to pinpoint the source of the issue, then it will become that much easier to begin to reclaim your life.

Many of us end up eating when we are sad or angry or otherwise feeling badly, and the label emotional eating can fit into this category. If you are an emotional eater, the best thing to do for yourself is to become familiar with your triggers. Beginning a food journal is a good way to help you get in touch with your body and your habits, and ultimately provide you with insight. When you realize you are triggered into emotional eating, then it will be easier for you to stop yourself from doing so and regain control over your life and your diet.

Others may attempt to take on too much too fast and overload their brains with frantic efforts to lose weight. They make it a challenge that seems so huge and important and insurmountable that it causes the body to go into stress mode, which ironically causes us to hold on to even more weight as a survival mechanism. Rather than psyching yourself out and setting goals for yourself that may seem unattainable, instead, break things down into manageable pieces so you will be able to work toward your goals with ease.

Losing weight is not an impossible task. It is something that all of us can do if we put our minds to it. However, that is the most challenging part, and with these tips in mind, you too can begin to go on a diet that is foolproof, starting now!

3 Tips on What Not to Do to Achieve New Years Resolution Goals

January 3, 2019/in Blog, New Year's Workout Goals, Personal Training

It is January and what is heard around the world is talk of ‘losing weight’ and ‘going to work out again’. Many of these goal setters will quit after a few short weeks or never make it to the gym or to their basement in an effort to reach their goals.

There are many reasons why they will fail. Ridiculous advertisements promising unrealistic results is at the top of the list as well as an old philosophy that one has to workout 2 hours a day and eat less to reach their goals.

Tip #1 – Do NOT set unrealistic goals

The majority of goal setters have never worked our or have not worked out for quite some time and when they set their New Years Resolution goals of ‘losing weight’ and ‘getting in shape’ they set their goals to high.

Setting a goal of ‘working out 5 days a week’ or ‘going to lose 20 pounds by February’ are not realistic, especially for someone who has not worked out in years. When we set goals like this from the start we are only setting ourselves up for failure.

Start slow and work your way up to four or five days. I suggest getting to the gym 3 days a week for 20 minutes a day. Doesn’t that sound realistic? Isn’t that much more than what the goal setters were doing previously?

Tip #2 – Do NOT just ‘hit the weights’

Although I am a firm believer in resistance training for everyone I highly recommend that you do not head to the gym and do a typical body builders workout routine. Meaning, chest and back on Monday, legs on Tuesday, shoulders Wednesday etc.

This is not only boring, but also the the kind of workout that you will not look forward to. Total Body workouts are the most effective workouts that take less of your precious time and are very enjoyable.

In an effort to have fun while you workout, at any age, I highly suggest you participate in classes at your local gym. Look for the following types of classes: ‘basic training’, ‘total body workout’, ‘boot camp’ and yoga or pilates. If you do not have the time available to attend the classes then I suggest finding a ’20-30 minute’ total body workout DVD that you can do at home or in the gym.

Rest is good as well. Monday, Wednesday and Friday is a good way to start if that fits your lifestyle. When you get to 4-5 days per week I suggest the following: Workout days are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Rest days are Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.

You can do some form of ‘active rest’ on Saturday and or Sunday. This is in the form of hiking, walking, tennis, golf etc

Tip #3 – Do NOT diet

This is a biggie and one that makes you go, ‘hmmmm?’ First, the word ‘diet’ is one we associate with eating less to lose weight. The real and more simplistic way to describe diet is that is is ‘nutrition intake’ which more simplistically means, eating.

There are way too many diet books out there with all kinds of tricks and gadgets to lose weight. Your body is the most sophisticated machine on this planet and it does not like to be tricked. Treat it right and it will treat you right. Provide it the foods and fuels it needs and you will be very happy with your results.

Here are a few recommendations to help you on your way to achieving goals and creating tons of energy throughout your day:

Eat your carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates are you number one source of energy. Now that you are working out your body needs that fuel to get you through your day and your workout. The goal would be to eliminate ‘white carbohydrates’. White rice, white breads, white pastas etc. Replace with the ‘browns’. Brown rice, whole grain/whole wheat bread, whole wheat pastas, yams, oats etc.
Please take note in the above: ‘replace’ not ‘eliminate’

You will see a drastic change in energy by simply replacing, NOT eliminating these foods.

Eat less protein.

Unfortunately, we all grow up hearing that we need to eat more protein. Where has that taken us? To a country with the highest obesity rate on the planet.

Plain and simple:

The more active you are the LESS protein you need, the less active you are the MORE protein you need. This all goes back to the carbohydrates. If you have too much protein and not enough carbohydrates your body will use protein as an energy source. This is not what you want. You need protein to serve its main purpose: repair and build muscle in turn increasing your metabolism so that you can burn fat and calories at rest.

The goal: Raise your metabolism

Drink plenty of water throughout your day.

Eliminate the sugary drinks and replace with good old H2o. One reason to eliminate sugary foods is that sugar creates hunger. If you are drinking sugary drinks throughout the day you will eventually have a starvation feeling. When this happens you will look for the junk foods which include more sugary foods.

Here are a few more reasons to crank up your water intake:

Water serves as a lubricant, forms the base for saliva, forms the fluids that surround our joints and regulates our body temperature as the cooling and heating is distributed through perspiration.
Water also helps to alleviate constipation by moving food through the intestinal tract and thereby eliminating waste- the best detox agent. Water also regulates metabolism

There you have it. Follow these 3 simple steps and you will be on the right path to success. Remember you are not eliminating anything, just replacing.

Set realistic goals, have fun with your workouts and DO NOT ‘diet’.

‘Your Body is a Temple, please be sure to treat it like one’