13 Tips to Achieve Goals -

13 Tips to help you achieve your fitness goals

1. Get off of your diet

Our bodies need a healthy balance of lean proteins, complex or “good carbs” and healthy fats. Eating this way helps our bodies metabolize better, burn fat more efficiently, prevent blood sugar spiking and help protect against craving as well binge eating. We over eat and binge because we are unsatisfied, have deprived ourselves of something for too long, and/ or because our cravings are too over powering. Eating a healthy balance will help avoid all of this. Dieting only produces temporary results because they are too hard to maintain for life. Eating clean is easy to maintain. Food options and recipes are endless, unlike diets. The fast weight gain after completing a diet leads people to try other diets. This is why there a so many fad diets out there, they don’t ever produce lifelong weight loss. Eat healthy and make it a lifestyle. That is how to have lifelong weight loss results feel amazing.

2. Stop starving yourself! Eat more!

Whether you skip meals(such as breakfast), cleanse with no food allowed, or do not get the proper amount of daily calories, your body will go into what’s called “starvation mode” This starvation mode in the long run will make you gain weight. Even if the scale is going down, due to your body storing fat but just releasing water weight. When our bodies don’t get the proper amount of calories, is slows our metabolism, eats into our muscle tissue and stores fat. Ever wonder why you can eat 1 meal a day and gain weight? Well this is why. Having lean muscle is vital to raising metabolism and burning more calories. If you are starving yourself you are doing a lot of damage and preventing yourself from having a better physique. Eat to lose weight!

3. Eat breakfast

At night, our body’s metabolism slows down. This means calories are being burned a lot slower as well as body fat. I know plenty of women who wait until lunch to eat thinking that in doing so, they will lose weight because they skipped a meal. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Eating a healthy breakfast gets your metabolism running, provides energy for the day (or workouts) and helps regulate blood sugar so you won’t have snack attack. If you have ever skipped breakfast, you know that by lunch you are “starving” This is where people will eat a huge amount of food. By doing this, you over eat, avoid making the right food choices because your too hungry to think, and most likely spike blood sugar which in turn stores fat due to insulin spike. So, wake up your metabolism with a healthy breakfast and have more control over what you eat throughout the day.

4. Eat 5 to 6 small meals a day instead of 1 to 3 big meals.

Eating smaller breakfasts, lunches and dinners with snacks in between is amazing for speeding up your metabolism. When eating like this, our bodies have to constantly work to digest food. Our bodies are also able to put the clean calories where they are needed, instead of storing them and turning them into fat. The western diet is known for its huge portions. When you eat like this, those calories will mostly likely be stored due to overload in calories and a slower metabolism. Try preparing clean food in 5 to 6 small containers the night before work and you will be amazed at your energy level and weight loss.

5. Portion control

Stop mimicking the Western diet. When it comes to food portions, bigger is not better! Like I mentioned in the last paragraph, our bodies only have so much room for high amounts of calories before it is stored as fat. Start by filling only half of your plate up with food. You can also print out a portion chart and stick on your refrigerator. Here is a basic portion chart. I DO NOT support all the food on there but you will get an idea of how you should control your portions better. http://img.webmd.com/dtmcms/live/webmd/consumer_assets/site_images/media/pdf/diet/wallet-portion-control-guide.pdf

6. Take Supplements.

When trying to work towards a fitness goal such as losing weight, building muscle or getting in over-all better shape, supplements are vital! Taking the right supps at the right time is key when it comes to fitness goals. For instance protein powder, it has so many physique building benefits like building muscle and even burning fat! This supplement has to be in your kitchen cabinet if you are thinking of getting into shape. Another important supp is BCAA’s They are the building blocks of protein and help protect your muscles from breaking down. The more lean muscle you have, the more fat you will burn every day! A thermogenic or fat burner, such as CLA or green tea is a great way to help raise metabolism and give you and extra boost in the gym. Why work harder when you don’t have to? Let the supplements do some of the work.

7. Cut out sugar!

It’s the enemy. It’s an addicting drug and also causes multiple diseases. No, I’m not talking about natural sugar that we have in fruit, although, you still need to practice portion control with fruit too. I’m talking about the refined, fake sugar that’s in almost everything we eat. Whether you know this or not, the amount of sugar you eat daily is very high. Sugar as well as high fructose corn syrup is in tons of foods at the grocery store. To name a few, sugar is in salad dressings, granola bars, ketchup, cereals (even the “healthy” ones), yogurts, breads, pasta, crackers and more. The reason sugar is so damaging to our waistline is because whenever we ingest sugar this spikes our insulin. Insulin has the nickname of “the storing hormone” because it does just that. Sugar causes our blood sugar to rise, releasing insulin, and the insulin stores fat and uses the sugar as energy. Our bodies have become used to using sugar as energy instead of fat. This is another reason why it’s hard to lose weight. Read labels when buying food and check out sugar content. Try and go low sugar and eventually sugar free. It is very hard coming off sugar. Your body will crave it and you will feel withdrawals but when you finally get it out of your system, weight will fall off of your body. Try consuming organic Stevia or honey in place of refined sugars and fake sugars like spenda. Here’s a good article on sugar. http://janicewhite.hubpages.com/hub/why-sugar-is-bad-for-you

Great article on what sugar can do to your body. http://rheumatic.org/sugar.htm

Here are some tips on how to break your sugar habit.

http://www.helpguide.org/life/healthy_diet_fats.htm

8. Eat Good carbs over bad carbs.

Carbohydrates are NOT the enemy like we have been told, especially when eating the right carbs, as well as the correct portion sizes. There are two types of carbohydrates and they are called complex and simple. Complex carbs are known as “good carbs” because they do not spike insulin, they digest slowly, and keep you feeling fuller longer. Simple carbs, known as the “bad carbs” spike insulin (which we know stores fat) and makes you feel hungry shortly after eating. Ever feel hungry right after eating? I’m sure it was due to the amount of bad carbs that you just consumed. Bad carbs give our bodies a “rush” or “high” and when we come down from it, we find ourselves hungry again. Now, fruits are known as simple sugars, but due to the fiber content, they don’t spike insulin as much, and of course are very healthy for you. Carbohydrates, when broken down in our bodies, turn into sugar. Practicing the correct portion size is important for weight loss, as well as eating the right type carb. Introducing the right carbohydrates into your healthy eating, and avoiding bad carbs will help you achieve weight loss and maintain it better. Here’s a list of the good and bad carbs. http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/list-of-good-carbs-and-bad-carbs-4522.html

9. Eat good Fats

When people hear the word fat, they always think it’s a bad thing. Just like carbohydrates, there are also both good and bad fats. Good fats do many wonderful things for our bodies both inside and out. They go by the names of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. Not only are they great for our skin, hair and nails, they help our bodies burn fat and help us to feel fuller longer. Good fats are in foods such as avocados, nuts and oils. Adding good fats your healthy lifestyle will help you feel more satisfied and help prevent cravings. Here is a great article on the good and bad fats, as well as a list of both. http://www.helpguide.org/life/healthy_diet_fats.htm

10. Add veggies to your life

Not only do vegetables contain tons of vitamins, antioxidant and minerals, they are amazing for achieving and maintaining weight loss! Veggies are so powerful that they are known for helping fight depression. They are also the secret weapon to getting a slimmer mid section and fighting cancer. Many think that veggies are boring and bland. This couldn’t be further from the truth. There is multiple ways in which they can be cooked and prepared! Here are some ways that you can “spice up” your veggies.

http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/top-10-ways-to-cook-%E2%80%A6-almost-anything

Here is a link to help you find a farmers market in your area.

http://www.pickyourown.org/index.htm#states

11. Drink water and drop soda

Drinking water helps flush out harmful toxins, clears up skin, allows our organs to function better and also burns more calories. Adding more water into your daily life will help improve your overall health. Dropping soda and adding water alone will help you drop weight fast. Whenever I’m working with a client, the first thing I have them do is drop soda and drink water. That alone shows big time weight loss results. Drinking regular soda, as well as diet soda is both very harmful to our internal and external body. Studies have proven that when drinking diet soda, not only are you drinking harmful chemicals, your body can’t tell the difference between diet and regular and this causes weight gain.

12. Use the swap system

Swapping out a junk food for a healthy food once a day will help improve weight loss results without feeling the initial shock of eating clean. If you are used to eating junk you are most likely addicted to it. Starting a simple swapping method will help you ease into a healthier life style before you know it. For example, if you usually eat Doritos as a snack, swap that with a mixture of nuts. After a while, swap out an unhealthy meal for a healthy one. Another example fried chicken wings and fries can be swapped for baked chicken and sweet potatoes fries. This method goes against all dieting and doesn’t make you feel like you are deprived. Your body will start to get used to the food it was designed to intake. This will cause permanent weight loss and prolonged health. A great book that I recommend is. Eat Clean by Tosca Reno. This book teaches people how to eat clean while NOT dieting! Remember, it’s a lifestyle not a diet.

13. Stop eating processed foods

Almost everything in a box and a bag is processed. 95 percent of what’s in the grocery store is processed as well! This means harmful chemical were added to the foods in making them. There’s a lot to be said about this topic, but in a nut shell, these processed foods contain chemicals, preservatives, colorings and flavorings that may make the “food” taste better, but are causing a huge rise in obesity and diseases. This is because our bodies were not made to take in such harmful ingredients. These chemicals hijack our endocrine system and actually cause us to gain weight. They are nicknames “obesogens” They contribute to cravings and food addiction. Our body’s chemistry changes for the worse as we keep eating these fake foods. If you look on the ingredients list on the back of a box and can’t pronounce the words, they are most likely a harmful chemical that have horrible side effects. Best way to Detox your body, lose weight and break the cycle is to buy more organic foods. I know this can be expensive but there are many ways to avoid breaking the bank. It took me a year and a half to go organic. I had to start small. First thing I did was, when writing my grocery list, I knocked off one food such as chips that were both not good for me and I didn’t need them. Then I swapped that bad food for a healthy organic food. This way there was no shift in money amount. Here is a list I made of tips that helped me eat more organically. Just like the swap system, start small and make smaller changes. After a while you will be eating healthy and organic foods!

Swap the snacks for veggies and fruits – To sum it up, if your grocery list has items such as chips, ice cream, fruit roll ups, popcorn or any un needed food items, swap them for organic vegetables and fruits. This way you will not be spending more money on groceries, you are just simply swapping.
Join a CSA – Becoming a member of a CSA is an easy way to save money on organic produce. If you are unfamiliar with CSA, think of them as local farmers markets in a box. For a monthly fee paid directly to a local farm you will receive a weekly box of fresh organic produce!
Coupons – Coupons will help you save a ton on organic food. Picking up a news letter at your local organic store and checking for coupons online will give you more freedom to eat organic and save. All you have to do is search for your local heath market, check out their coupon selection, print and save. Some health food store also has memberships that you can join which will also save money. Lastly, don’t be afraid to fill out a survey on your health stores website to get extra coupons, it’s worth it!
Buy in season – Buying organic produce that is in season will save a lot as well. You can also buy these items in bulk and pickle or freeze them for a later date.
Get creative – Instead of spending money on pre made marinades, salad dressings and even dry mixes, use some organic foods that you have been buying to help create dressings and mixings. For example, use your grains and flours for homemade dry mixes and cooking sauces can be made from oils, vinergarets and spices that you already have in the house.
Put a little work into it – Buy fresh salad and chop it up yourself, this will produce more lettuce and that equals more servings. With left over fruit, dry it out and use other ingredients you have left over to make snacks like granola or trail mixes. We all know how expensive they can be. Roasting your own meat and making smaller portions to save for another meal is wallet effective. The possibilities are endless.
Proper food buying times – 40 percent of food spoils at home. I suggest you shop weekly for exactly what you need to avoid money going down the drain. Also, buying air tight containers will help keep certain foods fresh longer like nuts for example.
Compare prices – comparing organic brands from one store to the other can save a lot! I go between at least 3 stores to save money. Some brands will differ from store to store by 2 to 3 dollars. If the drive isn’t too far in-between stores it’s not wasting gas money and it’s worth it.
Stock up – If you see an item that is buy one get one free, get 2! As long as they are foods that won’t go bad or that you can pickle or freeze, you are saving double the cash you would have spent in the future!
Cook – With cooking your own meals you will not only be in control of the amount of calories you taken in but the amount of food it produces for a later time is greater. You may like the microwave meals but that portions vs you cooking your own dinner is very small.
Dirty Dozen – The Environmental working groups “Dirty Dozen” will let you know what foods are contaminated the most and a must organic buy. Some veggies and fruits with a thinker shell may be safer to eat then a thin skinned produce.
Be picky about boxed food – Don’t buy organic boxed items at a regular grocery store. Buy them from Trader Joes or Whole foods. They will be cheaper at these places.
Make your own drinks – when it comes to bottled drinks they can be expensive. Make your own cold or hot beverage buy purchasing tea then make your own pitcher. There are many types of great tasting organic tea that’s will last you a very long time. Way longer then if you had purchased a premade drink. Milk is the exception here but you can actually make your own almond milk very simply and it will give more servings then if you has bought premade.
Buy in bulk – Look in stores like Costco, Sam’s and BJ’s. Theses super stores are now selling some organic food items. Make sure they are non perishable like oats or whole grain pasta. This way it will last you a long time.
Barter system – If you have a career that allows you to use the barter system such as a hair dresser, then I suggest approaching a local farmer’s market owner and asking to swap your service for organic food!
Don’t buy more than you need – Be realistic when grocery shopping when it comes to the amount of food you will be eating that next week. We tend to buy too much wasting food and money. Only buy what you will be eating that next week.
Garden – If you like to garden, growing your own veggies and herbs will save money big time. Even if you only grow a few. If you are a big herb person they are very easy to take care of and require low maintenance
Buy online – I find that some organic products are a lot cheaper when buying online even with shipping. It just takes doing some research for a certain product and comparing prices.
Portion control – Cutting portions by filling up half of your plate instead of the whole thing will give you more leftovers creating more meals
Compromise – Trade an eating out night or a trip to the movie theatre and spend that money on organics. If you really want to get healthy and lose weight, you will.

This may seem like a lot on info to take in right now but, remember, everything takes time. If you are sick and tired of dieting and restarting diets all the time, then this is for you. All you need to do to get health and lose weight is eat clean, take the right supplements, control your portions and eat often!