Two quick morning health motivation hints

I have two ideas to offer as quick tips. I've already been doing both of them for a while, but there are few ideas without any value. I hope that you find some value in these hints

1: Change up your workouts 

I added the Beach Body 10 minute trainer into my exercise routine. Having workout options at home takes away a lot of excuses. It's short, 10 minutes!  Anyone has got 10 minutes of life during their day to devote to a workout.

I like the workouts so far. I've done 10-20 minute blocks for three times now. I plan to add one or two sessions per week to supplement gym time.

2: Pack your own lunch 

Packing gives you control of your diet, and it saves money. If your job is busy and unpredictable, packing a lunch is a powerful strategy to keep you away from vending machines.

Quick tips to keep focused on diet

Feeling tired or stress?

I passed on working out this morning. I woke up feeling a little sick and needing extra rest. The beginning of this year has been challenging to keep balance between work, family, and health.

Eating healthy has also proven a challenge in the last few weeks with meetings and Valentines day chocolates. I decided to write some quick diet tips since I'm out of commission for exercise for the next day or two.


Here are a few quick tips to help with accountability and focus with diet.

Tip 1: Make a game plan

You can do the research and figure out a calorie target that is right for you, but you also need to figure out how you can move forward towards that target.

• What foods will you eat?
• What foods will you avoid or severely moderate? 
• How many meals will you eat daily? 

Write down your goals. People who write down their goals and review them regularly are more likely to achieve those goals.

Evaluate successes and reward yourself when you achieve a goal. Consider also what combination of steps allowed you to successfully achieve your goal.

Prepare ahead of time with a stock of healthy food. Do menu planning for a week or at least several days.


Tip 2: Be responsible and accountable 

Share your plan with family or friends and keep them updated. They will support you when you achieve success or experience a set-back.

A set-back doesn't mean you've failed.  Success is not a guarantee, and it's a reality that must be anticipated.   If you eat something that's not on your diet or overeat, adjust your eating the rest of the day. Also, there is the next day to begin fresh.

Variety for the start of the week

These past two weeks have been brutal for workout time as well as motivation for healthy eating. I'm back on track for a healthy eating week.

I just tried out my first 10 minute trainer video by Beach Body. I think it will be a nice addition to the workout routine especially on days when running outside or going to the gym is not practical.

The Power of Calorie Counting

I have this week's episode still to watch in the DVR. In the meantime, I'd like to change the focus a bit from the prior posts on home workouts.

In my opinion, there is way too much complexity when it comes to approaching weight loss. I think the Biggest Loser really helps to underline the fact that weight loss is about the balance of calories eaten and calories burned. The Biggest Loser takes obese people and places them on a calorie restricted diet. In addition, the weight loss is supercharged by daily calorie burning exercise.

Losing weight by burning calories is a extremely difficult job. Consider this fact...

3500 calories burned are required to lose a pound of weight. 

Truly, few people are able to burn 3500 calories daily on a consistent basis. This fact alone makes it very clear that calorie intake is the dominant factor in either losing or gaining weight.

Calorie counting combined with mindful eating is a powerful weight loss tool. The targets from the USDA for daily calories are shown in the table below:

Counting calories requires focus and practice but can be well worth the effort. Eating 10%- 15%  less than your daily calories will put you on the path for weight loss especially if combined with an exercise program.

Addition of a calorie calculator can help with counting calories. You can work out how many calories you need to perform daily activities or exercises to give you more control and knowledge about how many calories you should include in your diet.

Lastly, mindful eating combined with calorie counting completes the plan. Mindful eating simply means looking at the content of your diet. Eating lower fat foods and avoid high sugar foods are some powerful steps.