How to make them stick

The average New Year’s resolution lasts three weeks.  But success is simple, really, and while never easy, it’s always worth it.  The number one best thing you can do to make your 2011 goals stick?  Keep it small and frequent…persistent and steady.

Live-it

The bad news:  Fast weight loss doesn’t work.  The good news:  Small incremental changes are highly effective, long-lasting and actually easier to do.  We all have room for improvement with our diet and almost all of us would like to lose a few pounds.

TIP: have fun trying new and healthy recipes that fit into your diet goals and plan your meals in advance.  It’s easier to stick to a plan when you have one that’s not ominous from the start.

Energize

Similar to making diet changes, exercise is one of those things we should think about in advance and again, small incremental changes are best. Take a look at all of your options, and have fun trying out several until you find a fit for you.

TIP: Think about setting up your own home gym with inexpensive equipment such as exercise balls, dumbbells and resistance bands. Then set up your own program or make use of My Trainer Fitness for At Home (workouts or check out some of the new DVD’s on the market.

Turn On

Many of us enjoy “turning off” our brains at the end of a long and hard day of work by turning on the TV. While this seems more relaxing, studies show that more TV viewing leads to overeating and a decrease in energy.

TIPS:

• Learn something new.  Even if you feel tired, if you pursue an avid interest, your passion for it will energize you rather than zap your energy the way TV can.
• Get outside! Tend to the yard, take a stroll in the neighborhood and bring Fido with you!
• Catch up with a friend on the phone you haven’t talked to in a while
• Play games or read a story out loud with family members.
• Research some new recipes and make one for tomorrow’s lunch; you will wake up ahead of your day with healthy homemade food ready to nourish you.

Smoked-out

If you or a loved is battling nicotine, make this your time to quit.  On average, smokers try about four times before they succeed and it’s important to have friends and family that support your efforts. If going cold turkey hasn’t worked, try one of our tips.

TIPS:

• Try an over the counter nicotine replacement therapy
• Check out whyquit.com for a list of different online support forums
• Hang out with more non smokers that are active! You’ll surely follow suit!

Help Out

We really like this one! And there’s something for everyone.  Exercise energizes the body, learning energizes the mind and serving others energizes the emotions.  Whether you choose local hands-on, or international giving or volunteering, if you choose something you can do for a cause that’s dear to you, you will not regret it.

TIPS:

• check out online volunteer opportunities through www.volunteermatch.org
• think about what skills you have to share and apply them to a volunteer setting. You may be a sports fanatic that could help coach a kids team, you may be able to spend time with seniors and play a mean game of chess!
• Ensure that your commitment fits into your schedule and mark it on your calendar

These suggestions and tips, if done should help you to achieve long term success with new goals any time of the year, not just the “New Year”!

The Simplest Way to Avoid Daily Food Stress and Expensive High Calorie Shopping:

What happens when we go grocery shopping without a list?  Do we tend to buy more or less than we might actually need?  Sure, we may forget a few things, but more likely we often end up spending extra time and money as we roam the aisles trying to recall what we need.  I other words, we’re roaming the aisles WIDE OPEN to temptation…inviting it even!

You’ll be amazed at how this simple strategy is so effective.  When we take just a few minutes to plan our food for the day, we’ve removed an entire area often vulnerable to mental argument and debate and internal fighting over what we know we should have versus what’s simple, easy, available or more tempting.

Sunday’s are great days for planning the week’s menus and shopping list.  BUT, if planning a week ahead seems like too much, then start a day or two at a time.  Sunday evening, plan for Monday.  It’s best when you can go ahead and do some prep work ahead of time so that you arrive into Monday, often the most stressful day of the week, ahead of the game.  Then as you’re going through your day, when it comes to meals and food, that’s already handled.  This means that you are far less likely to spend/waste any time fighting off the inevitable temptations that come up, at work or school, at home, and at the store.  Then it becomes not a matter of “what do I want?” It becomes “this is what I’m having.”  That is powerful!  If you doubt that simple tactic can be so powerful, then just give it a try.

Tell us how it works for you.  We value your perspective.

From Brawn to Brain Power, How Exercise Makes Us Smarter
Our bodies evolved in motion.  Our hunter-gatherer ancestors, as they’ve come to be called, did not sit at desks or in caves all day.  They had to move to eat–or be eaten.  It was in this natural environment of motion that the human brain literally evolved.

Ask any runner or fitness fiend and most will tell you that their best ideas come while they’re working out and it’s not their imagination…or maybe it is…their creative imagination that is!  Exercise literally increases the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain, refreshes our brain cells and stimulates new synaptic exchanges that are a vital part of the creative, thinking mind.

The other time the brain does this the most?  In sleep!  So the message here is to remember these two basic things:  exercise and adequate rest are not optional, they are essential, and can even make you smarter.

So, next time you need more mental juice or feel “brain dead” as the saying goes, try some simple exercise to get your blood flowing, such as a brisk walk, a few rounds of climbing stairs, squat jumps or some good ole jumping jacks, and you’ll be amazed at how very effective a couple of active minutes can be.  Power naps work for some people and can be just the thing, but often the nap is as much about getting horizontal to shift the blood flow as much as the actual need for a nap.  For those who have a hard time fitting exercise into their schedule, try three minutes of a vigorous–but safe–activity instead.  The results should be energizing!

A great and enjoyable resource for learning more about how the brain functions, written in language that had my teenage daughter chuckling more than once as she studied it, is Brain Rules by Dr. John Medina.  It’s a favorite in our household and if you buy it from my daughter’s blog, (she’s a budding teen entrepreneur), she will send your book with her FREE study guide, great for teens, college students and as a teacher resource.

Order Brain Rules from:
www.DevaniAnjali.com (includes a FREE student/teacher study guide)
Or, your usual favorite book source, and for more information and fun videos by author John Medina:  www.BrainRules.com

Are those jeans getting a little snug and oversized sweaters becoming your go to fashion item? You’re not alone. Most people will gain an average of 2 pounds during the winter season. Winter brings colder weather and for some, added pounds. Is it because we are eating too much getting less exercise…or is it the cold?

“Your body may be working against you to hang on to it so you stay warm,_ said Lawrence Cheskin, MD, founder of the Johns Hopkins Weight Management Center in Baltimore, in an interview with Prevention magazine.  So while some doctors believe that winter weight gain may be genetic, it’s more likely that the following issues are contributing to those unwanted pounds:

• less motivated to exercise due to colder temps
• eating more comfort foods such as nuts, chips, creamy fat laden foods and starchy carbs
• less sunlight contributes to feeling down and lack of motivation
• consuming more alcohol at festive events and mindless noshing

Prevention is Key:
1.    Get off the couch! As appealing as it can be limit your couch time and get your exercise in at the time of day you have the most energy. If you can’t get outside to benefit from some sunlight hit the gym, head to a climbing gym, get to a spin class. Try something new!

2.    Pass on the eggnog. Enjoy the festivities but limit alcohol and stay away from the calorie packed eggnog and  Irish Crème. Eggnog packs a walloping 350 Calories in an average serving, along with 19g of fat. Try champagne – 90 plus calories per eight-ounce glass, wine spritzers and Low Cal Beers.

3.    Stock the kitchen right! You’ve probably heard it many times before but if you don’t buy it, you won’t eat it! Hit the grocery store with a list of healthy foods that will keep you full and decrease the chances of eating out of boredom.  Fruits, vegetables, fiber rich foodsì go easy on the empty starches, high sugar items and high fat foods.

4.    Don’t forget your vitamins! Ensure you continue taking a multivitamin through the winter. Your body might benefit from taking extra vitamin C and D during the winter months (consult your doctor)

5.    Weigh yourself periodically. We’re not saying every day but at least once a week to keep yourself in check!

Enjoy some treats this holiday in moderation! Off set the weight gain by remaining active and eating right. At My Trainer Fitness we think these tips will keep you on track throughout the winter and into the warmer months.