Summer is officially upon us and with it comes plenty of opportunities for pool parties, cook outs, lake/beach days, and late nights with good friends. With all the fun in the sun activities going on it can be hard to stay on track with your health and fitness goals. So, I have provided some of my favorite tips to help keep you on track and rock that summer bod all the way to fall.

 

Tip #1 HYDRATE!

This may sound like a no-brainer but since most people don’t hydrate enough as is… I figured I’d better remind you. Extra time in the sun can dehydrate you faster so you’ll always want to make sure to keep a water bottle handy. Drinking water also helps with digestion and can give you a better sense of feeling “full” so you don’t accidentally overeat at all those fun cookouts. A good rule on how much water you should drink every day is to take your bodyweight and divide it in half, then drink that amount in ounces. If you are out in the sun all day or working out and sweating a lot, you will want to drink even more. If you have a hard time drinking just plain water, try adding in a few lemon slices or even some lime and cucumber slices. It will make drinking water that much more refreshing.

 

Tip #2 Plan out at least one healthy meal and one healthy snack EVERY DAY

Let’s face it, not everyone you hang out with this Summer has your goals in mind and most BBQ’s aren’t famous for their healthy options. Do yourself a favor and take ten minutes to plan out a healthy meal and snack each day. Bonus points if you make it the first meal of your day. Doing this will set the tone for the rest of your day and I’m willing to bet that starting it off making healthy choices will help you continue to make them as the day goes on. My favorite healthy breakfast is a spinach and avocado egg white omelet paired with protein packed oatmeal and coffee. It’s full of good protein, healthy fats, and a decent amount of carbs to keep me energized and satisfied. Here is the recipe if you’d like to try it out.

 

Omelet

2 servings of egg whites

Fistful of spinach

¼ avocado

Siracha (optional)

 

Oatmeal

¼ cup quick minute oats

1 scoop salted caramel Quest protein powder

1 tablespoon peanut butter

½ cup frozen mixed berries

(Make oatmeal first, then mix in protein powder, add peanut butter and mix till melted in, then add berries and enjoy!)

 

 

Tip #3 Take a nighttime walk

After a long day out at the pool or relaxing by the lake it can be easy to go straight home to Netflix and chill or zone out on social media. While I have nothing against a good Netflix binge taking a walk before bed can help digest any food you ate that day and could also help you sleep better. Plus, it’s lighter outside longer in the Summer so take advantage of it while it lasts! Take at least 15 minutes and go on a nice evening stroll. You can use that time to think about all the things you are grateful for in your life and be proud of yourself for working on your goals. 

 

Tip #4 Try to keep your normal sleep schedule

This one can be hard depending on who you are and what your job/school schedule is like and if it changes in the Summer. If you’re a teacher or student and have the Summer’s off it can be easy to sleep in every day and then get totally off schedule when you go back to school. If you only have weekends off it can mean that it’s hard to get back on track Monday morning. Trying to maintain your sleep schedule within two hours of when you would normally go to sleep is my suggestion. Of course, one late night isn’t going to give you bags under your eyes but consistently not getting enough sleep is bad for anyone and can lead to health problems later. While the exact amount of sleep you should get is different for everyone, most ranges are between 7 to 10 hours. If you are a Monday – Friday worker and only have weekends and holidays off, try going to bed an hour earlier on Sunday nights. You’ll thank yourself when your Monday morning alarm goes off.

 

Tip #5 Enjoy your Summer no matter what part of the fitness journey you’re on

As a trainer I see a lot of people come in to “get ready” for Summer but not all of them actually feel “ready” when Summertime comes. AND THAT’S OKAY. Making changes and sticking to them when it comes to any fitness regimen takes time to see results. If you aren’t exactly where you want to be when Summertime comes it doesn’t matter! Go out and enjoy all the fun things that this incredible season has to offer. Try to stay consistent with your goals as best you can but remember to live it up. This journey is different for everyone and learning to enjoy the process that comes with making changes will help you in the long run.

 

Happy November everyone! Hard to believe that Thanksgiving is next week! As we get closer to the end of 2017, I would like to talk about ways you can set yourself up for success when it comes to reaching your goals in 2018. Don’t wait until the beginning of the New Year to act; start now and get a clear definition on what you would like to accomplish. Whether your goal is to lose weight, get a new job, quit smoking, or anything in between, following these steps will help you reach your goal.

When was the last time you said you were thankful for something? Expressing gratitude, even in the smallest amount, is a great way to reflect on your progress while also bringing awareness to your current situation. It has also been proven that people who express gratitude on a consistent basis live happier and healthier lives. So, take 5 minutes out of your day to name at least three things you are thankful for. Do that for 12 weeks and see how your mood improves. There are plenty of people in this world who are happy with less than what you have. As T.I. put it, “Stop lookin at what you ain’t got and start being thankful for what you do got.”

It’s also no secret that most people who make New Year’s Resolutions rarely stick to them after the first 3 months if they even make it past the first week. Why? Plenty of reasons. They try to do too much too fast and get overwhelmed, or abandon ship at the first sign of struggle because they didn’t plan for life’s little obstacles. In today’s world we live for instant gratification and when that doesn’t happen we tend to get frustrated which can lead to giving up altogether. Look, you didn’t gain that extra 20 lbs. in a week so don’t expect to lose it by next Tuesday. Change takes time, have some damn patience. Twelve weeks is a perfectly reasonable amount of time to measure change; give yourself at least that long before you give up hope and cry into a pint of Ben and Jerry’s.

Another rule for success in 2018 is to let yourself mess up. That’s right. Make mistakes. Make a lot of them. Why? Because that’s how you learn! You think anyone who has ever been successful didn’t make a few mistakes here and there? News Flash! Everyone makes mistakes. As Thomas Edison once said “I haven’t failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Acknowledging the fact that you will make a mistake when it comes to your new goal is not only realistic, but it can help you become better prepared for when you do slip up. Say you accidently ate the entire sleeve of Oreos instead of the 2 you originally planned to have. Take this as a learning opportunity to not buy anymore Oreos (even though they are addictive as crack) and move on with your life. If you can learn even one thing from any mistake you make then it’s not a mistake, it’s a learning opportunity. How many learning opportunities can you make in 12 weeks? Let’s find out.

Now that we know mistakes can happen the last rule is to have some compassion, towards yourself and others. Don’t beat yourself up when you make mistakes; simply reset and try again. And if your friends or family offer you something that isn’t in line with your goals, don’t react negatively towards them. They didn’t have (insert fad diet) in your grandmother’s day. She has no clue what the hell you’re talking about. Give her a break.

Alright readers here’s the breakdown for achieving your goals in the new year or whenever you so please.
• Express gratitude for the things you do have every single day.
• Set your goals. Make them specific.
• Have patience. Don’t measure your progress until you’ve made it through at least 12 weeks of working towards your goal.
• Make mistakes. Learn from them.
• Be Compassionate. We could all use a little more of that.

Well, it’s officially October! School is back in session, the leaves are turning, and Halloween is just around the corner. I love the season change. To me, it signifies the rebirth of something new and exciting; a time to refocus on goals, and perhaps even set some new ones. Unfortunately, it is also the time I see the fewest people at the gym. Why? Because there is something about that 3-month window from October to December that has people abandoning all their fitness goals, and hopping on a sugar fuelled freight train into a downward spiral of overindulgence. A time filled with office parties, and other social gatherings where you will undoubtedly be tempted with drinks and treats that DO NOT fit your macros. I don’t care what the commercials try to make us believe, Snickers are not a meal replacement bar.

It all starts with Halloween. The aisles of your local grocery store are now lined with bags of assorted candies and baked goods that seem way more appealing than the vegetables and fruits you intended on buying. Will you even have trick or treaters this year? Who cares? Better buy a bag of candy just in case. If no one comes to your door you’ll have the perfect snack for binge-watching the latest season of Stranger Things. Next up is Thanksgiving; a holiday where we give thanks by filling our stomachs with as many carb loaded items one can think of! You may have already had three plates of food, but Gretchen from accounting just brought in a whole dessert tray, and you don’t want to be wasteful. After Thanksgiving we have Christmas and let’s be honest, those cookies for Santa aren’t going to eat themselves. Before you know it, it’s New Years and your goal now is to become a brand-new person who doesn’t overindulge during next year’s holiday season. Sound familiar? While it is true that holidays provide a lot of temptations, all hope is not lost. I’m here to provide you with some helpful tips to get through this holiday season without adding inches to your waistline.

Let’s start with the temptation in the grocery stores. Going in with a written list of you what need is the best way to ensure you don’t come out with a cart full of sugary snacks and other unnecessary items. If you are shopping in between meals I also suggest bringing along a small, healthy snack to munch on so you don’t fall victim to “hunger purchases”. Avoiding the aisles altogether is a good rule of thumb for the grocery store because most of the lean proteins and other whole foods run along the perimeter. Stick to the list and walk out with a little extra pep in your step!

Next is the office parties, or just the office in general. It can be hard to resist a break table filled with baked goods, or the jar of candy at the front desk when you must walk by it every day. My best advice? Pack your own lunch, and repeat to yourself “Cupcakes cannot talk”. You may laugh but I tried this once and it was seriously life-changing. If you have harder time with sweets try bringing in your own healthy sweet treat. Almonds, dark chocolate, with dried cranberries and bananas are one of my favorite mixes. Just make sure you pay attention to serving sizes.

Lastly, we have the social gatherings of friends and family. I highly suggest eating your own healthy meal before going out. While we do not want to hurt anyone’s feelings by not eating the food they brought, it is perfectly acceptable to lie and say you are so full that if you ate another bite you may vomit. No one is going to question that. Trust me. And if they do, vomit on them. Serves them right.

Those three steps may seem simple and obvious but they are often overlooked when it comes to the holiday season. You don’t want to be the person who wakes up on January 1^st feeling so disgusted with themselves that they spend the next three months in a state of self-loathing over the choices they made the last three months. Stick to your grocery list, pack your own lunch, and eat before you go out to that holiday party. No one’s feelings get hurt and you come out of the holiday season with minimal damage to your waistline.