Easy Ways to Get Started TODAY!

You've decided that 2018 is your year! You're motivated and ready! If you read my last blog, you know that my advice is to start slow. If you go too hard too fast, you will likely burn out. And if you're anything like me, you're tired of making the same resolutions over and over again.

But where do you start? I'm going to give you 3 things that you can literally start TODAY, to make a permanent lifestyle change!

GO TO SLEEP EARLIER

Even if it's only 15-20 minutes earlier. Did you know that poor sleep is one of the strongest risk factors to gaining fat and having other negative health outcomes (heart disease, anyone?)? *gasp.. closes eyes immediately* There are a number of reasons for this. The most basic reason for you to consider? Less sleep = less energy = less motivation to workout. That's the simplest breakdown of it. If you're too tired to work out, you're not going to.

Additionally, if you go to sleep late, you may snooze that alarm a few more times than intended, making you rush your morning routine. That balanced breakfast you were going to sit down and enjoy? That beautiful healthy lunch you were going to bring to work? Rushed out the door, and forgot them both.

Avoid this, go to bed earlier.


DRINK MORE WATER

I think this is something we all aspire to do. If you're like me, you're picky about water. I'm super weird about water tastes, so I used to struggle to get my water consumption in. I only like tap water in certain states (TN is not one of them) and I only like certain brands of bottled water. Not to mention all of the environmental & financial implications of drinking only bottled water.

Despite being picky about water, it's still important drink it! Your body is mostly water, which means it NEEDS water to perform daily functions. On top of the cool scientific stuff like transporting nutrients and maintaining body temperature, another reason to drink lots of water is to regulate calories! Having a glass of water before you eat, helps you feel fuller, sooner! It also helps fill those muscles up, improving their overall performance. Trust me, no one wants dry, shriveled up muscles.

How much water should you drink? A good baseline is 1oz per 2lb of body weight. Or an easier way to think of it: divide your weight in half, and drink that many oz. So someone who weighs 150lbs should aim for 75oz.

INCREASE THIS NUMBER WHEN YOU EXERCISE. For every pound you lose during exercise (by the way, this is SWEAT, not fat...), you should drink 2 cups of water!

Having trouble staying hydrated? See my >>Tips to increase your water intake<<


EXERCISE (Start with 15 min, 3x a week)

When people think of exercising, they imagine spending long, grueling hours at a gym, surrounded by equipment they don't know how to use. This does NOT have to be the case! Start with a workout you can do at home, so you don't have to feel awkward in a gym, fumbling with machines you've never seen before.

>>Click here<< for 3 workouts you can do at home in 15 minutes!


IN CONCLUSION Getting to the starting line isn't the difficult part. Pulling the trigger, and actually going is the part we need help on. So now that you have these 3 tips in your pocket, start NOW! USE THEM! If you're struggling to find time for fitness, then my next blog about prioritizing and scheduling is for you. Until then, get out there and get moving!

Cheers!

3 Quick Workouts to do Right Now!

Want to know the number one excuse people give for why they don't exercise?

Surely you know what it is, or could probably guess... "I don't have time." In reality, we all have time.  And the difference between the people who find time to exercise and those who don't, usually lies within the priority setting jurisdiction.  However, I know that even the most dedicated gym goers sometimes are just spread so thin, that getting to the gym for an hour long sweat session is not feasible.  The good news is that you don't have to spend a large part of your day getting to the gym for a workout! You can do one of these 3 workouts practically anywhere, and in just 15 minutes! Sure, if you have a little bit more time, you can extend it, but we're not gonna push it. You said you don't have time, so we believe you (kinda).

Below, you will find workouts that you can do  the next time you're in a bind for time. Then you'll see how you can actually make progress on your fitness goals without having to squeeze a ton of time out of your day.

For each workout, there is a video and a list of exercises. Below that will be different formats you can do these workouts!


LEGS

-High knees
-Low squat jacks
-Reverse lunges
-Slide out side lunges
-Squat jumps


CORE

-Mountain climbers

-Scissor toe taps

-Flutter kicks

-Plank jacks

-Plank hold

FULL BODY

-Jump lunges
-Push ups
-Half burpees (no push up)
-Sit ups

Formatting your workout.  Each of these workouts can use any of the following formats, depending on how much time you have. Mix it up and challenge yourself! If you have 30 minutes, why not combine them?  The more you do, the more results you see!

1) 3 rounds of 1 min each exercise.
2) Round 1: 2 min each exercise. Round 2: 1 min each exercise.
3) 20 seconds of exercise, 10 seconds of rest. 4x per exercise (2 min per exercise)
4) Add on: Do 1 minute of the 1st exercise. Then 1 minute of the 1st exercise, followed by 1 min of 2nd exercise. So on...
5) Peel off. Do 20 reps of each exercise*, 18-16-14-----down to 2.


So now you have all you need to get a decent workout in, when you're short on time, equipment, or money for a gym membership! You don't need a fancy gym with fancy machines because the best machine you have is yourself!

Cheers!

Hey! Ho! We want H20!

So you know water is good for you. We've been told for as long as we can remember that you need to drink 8 glasses of water a day.  And while that recommendation is pretty old school, and not the most accurate thing I've ever heard, it IS still very important to drink lots of water!

I don't know where you are in the world, but here in Memphis, the air. has been. cold. and. DRY. [Update: we had a couple days of rain AND a snow day!] It's starting to take a major toll on my sinuses, comfort, and health. Like I've mentioned in other blogs, I'm super weird and picky about water flavors, so although I've really tried to increase my water consumption during this wacko weather, I admit that recently, I have been on the struggle bus.

LUCKILY, I have some three easy tips that have started to work pretty well for me, and if you're like me, they may help you too!

ADD FRUIT. I like adding lemon and orange wedges, just to add a little flavor & freshness! You could also try other combinations like strawberry/basil, cucumber/mint, or pineapple.. The options are limitless!

ICE IT. Although I love a good fresh pressed juice (sugar fiend, here), there is nothing I find more refreshing than ice cold water. Pop it in the freezer, and take it out righttt as it's icing. You know when you take it out, open the bottle, and it immediately freezes into a slush? Ah, that's my jam. So I suggest getting a temperature control water bottle (Yeti, S'well, Hydroflask, or any cheaper brand)! They are major game changers because I don't know many people who enjoy room temperature water. Grab one, and it will change your life!

SCHEDULE IT. Another way to add water to your life is to schedule it. You know that Kendrick Lamar song.. Sit down, drank. Stand up, drank. Pass out, drank. Wake up, drank. Pretty sure he wasn't talking about water, but that's how I apply it. Wake up, drank. Breakfast, drank. Workout, drank.. Give yourself a goal. One glass, every hour on the hour. Literally set an alarm to go get a cup of water. Once you get into a routine, you'll no longer need the alarm!

So that's it! Are you going to magically start drinking a gallon a day? Not necessarily, but if you put genuine effort into increasing your water intake, you will no doubt start seeing the benefits of proper hydration!

Happy hydrating!
Cheers!

On Your Mark, Get Set, GO!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! The start of a new year is such an exciting time! Most of us are coming off of some sort of break from work or school. If you didn't have weeks off, hopefully you at least had time with friends & family, and had a good meal or 2 in there.

So let's get real. Since March, you've been saying you're gonna lose the weight. I'm getting my body right for summer! And then it was suddenly summer, and those couple months had slipped away, along with your motivation to get fit. Summer ended, and it was basically Halloween. How can I diet with all this candy around? Halloween rolled right into Thanksgiving. No WAY I'm dieting in November! Then it was all downhill from there. 2017 slipped away, and for the nth year in a row, so did that resolution to get fit.

That's okay.. Now it's the beginning of the year, we're upon resolution season, and you're READY to stick to it. But where do you start? Well I'm glad you asked. Surely, you've at least googled some sort of plan. Eating guidelines, workout ideas. I won't go over those things in this particular blog (but will have ideas in future blogs). This particular blog is about giving you start up tips that will help you stay on track! So let's get started!

BE S.M.A.R.T.
Let's talk about goal setting. "I want to lose weight," is not a good goal. I'm not saying that if that's your goal, you shouldn't want to lose weight. I'm saying it's not SMART.

I'm not going to get into the detail of goal setting here, or you'd be here all day.. If you'd like more info on setting SMART goals, go read >>this blog!<<

SLOW & STEADY WINS THE RACE
It's easy to get excited about your new fitness regimen, go out and buy a bunch of kale and chicken breasts, and start going to the gym twice a day (<<okay, maybe that part isn't that easy). But my point is, when you get excited about something, you're probably going to want to go all out. But that is a large part of why people get burnt out so fast. So instead of clearing your pantry, and signing up for 10 personal training sessions per week, start slow. Remove only a couple of things from your diet. Have an affinity for the drive thru? Try to cooking at home for a week or 2 straight. Limit your sugary drinks and give yourself a water quota. In the gym, let's start with 2-3x a week. Just to get comfortable.

Once you've conquered those goals, fine tune it a little more. Make another small change to your diet, add another day or class to the gym.  Chipping away at your goal in these small pieces will help you stay the course.

DO YOU, BOO-BOO
When you're getting started, there are going to be a lot of people giving you a lot of advice. You should try this product, that diet, this gym, that class. It's going to be very overwhelming. But don't feel like you have to do it all! First off, not everyone is an expert, and most people (while they have good intentions) just don't really know what they are talking about. They are regurgitating info they heard, or maybe they are even trying to sell you something. OR, they are just telling you what worked for them. That's all fine and dandy, but what works for someone else, may not work for you. Or maybe it will, but you won't enjoy the process. Some people like protein shakes. They can shake it up with water, and drink it after workout. Some people despise protein shakes. They'd rather eat apple slices with peanut butter. So while your friend has had great results going to hot yoga 3x a week, maybe the idea of exercising in a 90 degree room sounds like the last thing you want to do.

It's all about trial and error! Try something for a few weeks. If you don't see it as something you can see yourself enjoying and sustaining, switch it up! I'm gonna shout out my mom right now because she is a great example of this! As a fitness enthusiast, I was always trying to convince her to eat healthy & work out. She didn't really enjoy it, so she didn't stick to it. Then she picked up running groups, which she loved, so for about a year straight, she was into that! Ran a bunch of half marathons, and even completed a marathon! An injury took her out of that, but eventually started working with a trainer.. At some point, that ended. She didn't love it, I guess.. But recently, she discovered Crossfit, and she loves it! She also found a diet "plan" that works for her.. She calls it Keto-ish. She is no longer miserable about food, and enjoys exercise! She feels strong in her body, and is killing it!

HOWWWever.. While you're in your trial and error phase, make sure you stick with something long enough to really decide. Don't do something for 3 days, then decide it isn't for you. Give yourself at least 3-6 weeks to decide!

FIND YOUR WHY
I think this is the most important piece of the puzzle. None of the above matters if you don't have a why.  Not having a strong connection to your why is going to be the number one risk factor for falling off. Having a why changes everything. So I encourage you to write this down. It could be one reason or 100, but knowing WHY you're doing this will help you stay the course.
I want to look/feel good in my wedding dress.
I want to feel stronger.
I want to be able to play with my kids.
I want someone to be proud of me.
I want to finish something.
I want to check marathon off my bucket list.
I want to live long enough to meet my grandchildren.
I want to feel confident because I was bullied as a child.

^^See how real we can get? Try to get down to the nitty gritty of WHY you want to achieve your goals. Stare it in the face everyday. It'll help motivate you, when you feel like your tank is empty!

IN CONCLUSION
Honestly, there is so much more I could say. So many more headings and tips I could put here. I could probably write a thesis on it (hmmm... food for thought), but I won't do that here. Start with this, and see where it takes you. If you focus on these tips, I have no doubt that you will be able to achieve your goals! I will be writing many more specific blogs on staying motivated, learning your way around the gym, food tips, etc.. So much more to come in 2018, so stay tuned! I'm looking forward to sharing my passion for health & fitness with you!

Cheers to 2018!

Setting SMART Goals

So you made your vision board, and you're ready to knock some goals off your list. Great!! But how do you make sure that you're setting yourself up to really achieve your goals? The best place to start is making your goals SMART.

What does that mean? SMART is an acronym. There are some variances in what A & R mean, but for my purposes, here is how it goes:

SPECIFIC- Let's say your goal is to lose weight. How much weight? If you lose 1oz, techinically, you've accomplished your goal.. So, great! It should only take a 15min sauna session to achieve your goal! <<See how silly that sounds? Get specific about your goal. 

I want to lose weight becomes I want to lose 10 lbs.

MEASURABLE- The weight loss goal is measurable on the scale, obviously. So that's good. But when goal setting, you want to make sure that all of your goals have easy ways to measure. If you say you want to exercise more or eat better, that's not exactly measurable. Choose your verbiage carefully, so that it is something quantifiable.

I want to exercise more becomes I want to exercise for at least 30 minutes, 3x per week.

ACTION ORIENTED*- Wanting to lose weight or body fat is a good goal, but tweaking it so that it's action oriented help get you there. I want to go to the gym 3x a week. I want to eliminate soda from my diet. I want to be able to do 10 push ups in a row. Working toward goals like this will ultimately help you achieve the end goal of losing weight. You also want to avoid negative goals like, "I don't want to skip the gym this week." Even something as simple as changing that to "I want to make it to all of my scheduled gym sessions" will make a difference in your mentality.  As long as you are doing those things, you will set yourself up to be successful!

I want to get stronger becomes I want to be able to perform 3 body weight pull ups.

*A is sometimes "attainable" or "agreed upon"

REALISTIC*- Speaking of setting yourself up for success, setting goals that you can actually achieve is a major part to making it happen. I'm not saying don't dream big. But I am saying that you should be able to envision yourself completing this goal. I'm 5'5, about 155, about 23% body fat.. If I say "I want to lose 40 pounds," it's not happening. While I'm all for a big goal, it should be something that can be achieved in a healthy and reasonable manner.  Additionally, it has to be possible. On many occasions, I've had clients say, "I want to get a flatter stomach, but I don't want to lose my butt." Okay.. well.... spot treating isn't a thing, unless you're a plastic surgeon, so realistically, that's a hard goal to complete. 

I want to lose 40 pounds becomes I want to lose 5% body fat.

*R is sometimes "relevant"

TIME BOUND- Give yourself a time-line, otherwise, you're likely to fizzle out of motivation. Give yourself a hard deadline, and you'll be more motivated to make it happen. Of course, you should always allow for flexibility, when needed, but in general, you want to have a deadline. In my previous example, the goal was to lose 5% body fat. Well... if I don't decide when I want that to happen by, I probably won't work that hard to achieve it. That's why those 90 day challenges work. Because people have a finish line. If I give myself 6 weeks to achieve my 5% body fat loss, then during those 6 weeks, I'm more likely to focus on making it happen.. If I just say I eventually want to lose 5% body fat, well..... I'm probably never going to make it there.

I want to lose 5% body fat becomes I want to lose 5% body fat in 6 weeks.

Now that you know what it means to be SMART, it's time to start writing your goals out! Although I said that your goals should be time bound, they should also be ever evolving. Set smaller, short term goals as well as bigger, long term goals. This will help you stay motivated, by earning small successes along the way. Once you reach one benchmark, set a new one! Health and fitness is a journey, not a destination!

So what are your goals for 2018??