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| Some Exercise Essentials |
Because I’ve
long been a health and fitness enthusiast and have worked in the health field
for many years, I often get asked what I think about the latest diet crazes,
weight loss pills or spot-reducing exercise equipment. But no matter how the question is asked, I
usually respond with a similar answer:
there’s no quick fix. If you want
results, you have to put in effort. As a
society, we’ve taken something that is so simple and straightforward and have turned
it into a frenzied multi-billion dollar industry. The secret to weight loss doesn’t lie hidden in
the depths of a fat-burning pill bottle or in limiting an entire food group
from our diets, the answer lies in using plain old common sense*: get
moderate amounts of exercise most days of the week, drink plenty of clean, pure
water and eat a clean diet, heavy on fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains and
lean proteins. Don’t waste time
obsessing over counting calories and fat grams on a daily basis; who has time
for that? Choosing natural, unprocessed
foods allows your body to function optimally without having to think about
whether or not it’s on your list of approved foods. Sure, it might take you longer to drop the
weight, but guess what? You’ll keep it
off a lot longer, too, because when you make healthy changes it becomes a way
of life, not just a temporary ‘diet’. And don’t push yourself to make changes
overnight. I once read that it takes
your body/mind about two weeks to learn a new habit, so give yourself
time. Make small changes every couple of
weeks until you’ve created a new, healthier lifestyle for yourself. For example, for the first week of your ‘lifestyle
makeover’, start drinking more water every day until it just becomes habit for
you to reach for water when you’re thirsty instead of a diet soda. Once that new habit is in place, add a new
challenge, like deciding to walk every day for at least 10 minutes, then slowly
increase by a couple minutes every day until you’re up to at least 30 minutes a
day. And if you’re hard-pressed for time
like most of us are, feel free to break up the daily walks into 10 minute
segments (start your morning with a 10 minute walk, take a quick 10-minute lunchtime
stroll and another one post-dinner and you’ll have gotten your full 30 minutes
in in one day). Each couple of weeks, simply add one new change that you would
like to incorporate into your new lifestyle and keep at it until it becomes a
habit before you add a new change. Soon
you will begin to see and feel changes that will provide you with the
motivation that you need to keep at it. You
want to adopt a new way of thinking about food and exercise so that it becomes
your lifestyle, not a temporary fix.
Make sure you choose foods and activities that you enjoy so that it won’t
seem like you are sacrificing. For
example, if you think you have to run 5 miles a day to lose weight because that’s
what your friend did, but you hate running, then don’t do it! Find something else that you do enjoy like
biking or swimming, speed-walking, group sports, whatever fits your personality
that keeps you active is what’s going to motivate you and that’s key. The same goes for food. If you think you can only eat salad for lunch
and dinner to lose weight, you will soon get bored. Experiment with recipes that utilize
different vegetables and spices that you’re unfamiliar with to add some variety
and zest to your meals. Make it
fun. Buy more fresh and frozen foods and
less processed and canned alternatives. It’s
okay to splurge now and then as long as the majority of the time you are
choosing good, healthy foods. Eat until
you are almost full, don’t stuff
yourself (yes, even at the all-you-can-eat-buffet); don’t think of food as 'good
or bad', think of it as nourishment. Just
have a healthy relationship with food, exercise and yourself and you’re bound
to look as good as you are supposed to (ie--your own healthy weight, not some imaginary ideal)! You don’t always see it right away but you can feel it when you’re at your
best: happier, lighter, more energetic, stronger,
healthier. You’re most beautiful that
way.
*You should always obtain a health screening from your physician before beginning any diet or exercise program.
Thanks for reading today's blog entry, I hope you've enjoyed it!
~~Jessica Barahona
