3 TIPS TO GETTING FIT


So you want to get in shape, lose weight, and look better in this new year? New Year's resolutions are the big talk this time of year. A new year is a time for new beginnings. And the number one new years resolution is… health and fitness. But wanting to get fit and actually sticking with it can be a daunting and difficult task. I know for me, I am not a fan of working out, so it's extra difficult to get motivated. I came up with 3 tips to help me start and stick to getting fit this new year.


Tip #1 Don’t Set False Expectations:
Everyone wants to get in shape. We want to shed the 5-10 lbs we gained over the last months and get fit and healthy. We all want to start working out first thing January 1st. The reality is that January 1st is still a holiday and the first week of January is really for getting back to your normal regular routine. There’s no way I'm throwing working out into the mix, since its not part of my regular routine.  So don’t set yourself up for failure by setting false expectations.

Also, take your time... baby steps.  Start off slow, take you time, and don’t put too much pressure on yourself.  If you miss a day or two, that’s ok, don’t give up… pick up where you left off. Be realistic. Don’t get burned out trying to workout 6 days a week. I just started working out Sunday the 14th and committing to just 3 days a week. Once you’ve made fitness a routine, if you choose, add more days as you progress.


Last year I set a goal to lose 20 lbs by my birthday, in September. I thought that was more than realistic and it would give me plenty of time to make health and fitness a habit. Don’t get discouraged… you are not going to see results right away.  Getting fit and healthy takes time.  You didn’t gain 10 lbs overnight, you’re not going to lose it overnight.   


#2 Eat Smarter:
We’ve all heard of the 80/20 rule… and if you haven’t you’re hearing it now. When it comes to weight lose, 80% is what you eat and 20% is fitness. So bottom line you need to eat healthier. There are several ways to eat healthier.

Eat smaller portions… we eat more than our bodies really need. If you make a fist with your hand, that’s the serving size of food you should be eating.  It’s hard at first to cut down on portions, but with time you get used to it. By doing this you are cutting down the amount or carbs and calories you consume.
Arugula Salad & Vegetable Quiche
Speaking of low carbs, a great way to lose weight is cutting down on carbs.  Cut down on the amount of bread, pasta, and starches you eat.  There are lots of really yummy low carb recipes out there. You can replace rice with cauliflower rice... want lasagna with without all the carbs, use zucchini instead of lasagna noodles... and instead of spaghetti you can use spaghetti squash.

Cut sugar out of your diet.  One sure way to lose weight is cutting sugar out of your diet. Last year on February 13th I stopped eating sugar for 30 days. I gave up all sugar with the exception of natural occurring sugar in fruits. I stopped eating sweets, candy, gum, soda... you name it, if it had sugar in it, it was out of my diet.  I continued past the 30 days to April 20th, in that time I lost 15 lbs without any exercise.  



#3 Drink Lots of Water:
This is simple yet hard at the same time. Drinking water seems like a simple task yet many of use, including myself, don’t drink enough water throughout the day. The best trick to drinking the sufficient amount of water is to fill a 2 qt pitcher and make sure it’s empty by the end of the day.  Just like that you would have drank 8 cups of water. I found that when I got the urge to eat something sweet, if I didn’t have a piece of fruit, I’d drink a cup of water and it worked.


Hopefully these tips will help you with your health and fitness quest this year. Comment below and let me know what your resolutions are and how you commit to them.

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