15 Simple Ways to Eat Better Today

— By Leanne Beattie, Health & Fitness Writer

Most people are creatures of habit. We go to the grocery store on the same day every week and fill our carts with the same stuff. If it’s Monday, chicken’s for dinner and Wednesday always means spaghetti. We are comforted with knowing what to expect—even if our meals aren’t that exciting, we know what we’re going to eat.

That’s what makes eating healthier so scary sometimes. We are so used to eating a certain way that we rarely think about what we’re actually putting into our bodies. So to eat a healthier diet means actually waking up and paying attention to what’s on your plate.

Make Healthy Eating a Habit
Eating healthier doesn’t have to be overwhelming. If you want to adopt healthy habits that will last, then the easiest way to do it is by making small, gradual changes. Don’t expect too much from yourself too soon—it takes about a month for any new action to become habit.

Before you start making any changes to your diet, take a week or two to observe your current eating habits. Track everything that goes in your mouth, including drinks and treats, no matter how small. Keeping a food journal will really open your eyes—realizing that you ate 10 cookies over the course of the week might make you think twice before reaching into the cookie jar again tonight, for example. You might not realize how bad your present eating habits are until you see an unhealthy pattern right there in black and white. Once you see that some changes are in order, then you’re ready to take the next steps.

Small Changes Mean Big Rewards
If you can’t stand the taste of broccoli, then vowing to eat it more often is pretty unrealistic. But if increasing the number of vegetables you eat each day is one of your goals, start by finding a few different ones that you can painlessly work into your diet. Make sure you select a variety of colors (dark green, red, orange, etc.) to get the most nutrients per bite. Add some shredded carrots to your muffin batter or top your pizza with fresh tomatoes, for example.

If you know you need to eat more fruit, start by adding some sliced bananas to your cereal in the morning or bake an apple with a bit of brown sugar for a yummy, low-cal dessert. Fresh berries and yogurt make a nice, light breakfast or snack too.

As you adopt this new style of eating, you will find that your food preferences will gradually change—when you cut out high-sugar, high-fat goodies, your cravings will actually go away in time. Your body wants healthy food!

One of the biggest challenges to eating healthier is finding substitutions for existing foods in your diet. Here are some tips to make the transition easier:

• Use mustard instead of mayo on your sandwiches. You’ll get lots of flavor with much fewer calories and fat.
   
• Select whole wheat bread over white bread. Be sure to read the label to ensure you’re getting whole grains, not just colored white bread.
   
• Eat the white meat of turkey or chicken, which is lower in fat than dark meat, red meat and pork. Animal fat is the number one dietary source of unhealthy saturated fat.
   
• Start using lean ground beef, pork tenderloin or fish instead of high-fat cuts of meat.
   
• Change your cooking methods. Bake, grill or broil your meals instead of frying. Use non-stick sprays—or better yet, non-stick pans—instead of oil.
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• Drink more water. Slowly reduce the amount of soda you drink and replace it with herbal tea or water. Aim for eight cups of pure water each day.
   
• Don’t drink your calories. Eat a whole orange instead of drinking a glass of juice, for example. Real food is usually more filling and more nutritious than juices, fruit drinks, and other high-calorie beverages.
   
• Serve sauces and dressings on the side. Dip your fork into the sauce, then dip your fork into the food. You’ll still have the flavor but with fewer calories.
   
• Gradually switch to skim milk. Milk commonly comes in four varieties: whole (4% fat), 2%, 1% and skim (0% fat). Gradually wean yourself from the higher-fat varieties to the lower fat milk every two weeks. For example: continue drinking your normal 2% milk for two weeks, then move to 1% for two weeks, and then your palate will be ready for the consistency of skim milk.
   
• Switch from full-fat cheeses to reduced-fat or fat-free cheeses the same way you would with milk (see tip above).
   
• Order vegetables on the side instead of fries. Flavor them with lemon juice or herbs instead of butter.
   
• Snack on fruit and nuts instead of sugary treats. The fiber, protein and healthy fats in this combo will sustain you to your next meal and you won’t have the energy slump that comes after eating candy.
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• Reduce your portion size. Most people will eat whatever amount of food is in front of them, so start putting your meals on smaller plates. You will be just as satisfied because your mind “sees” that you’re eating a full plate of food.

Eating a healthier diet doesn’t have to mean deprivation. You don’t have to cut out your favorite foods completely—you just have to make a few changes. Treat yourself to a mini chocolate bar instead of a full-sized one, for example. By trying to eat the most nutritious foods possible, you are creating a healthy lifestyle that will help you reach your best weight. You deserve the very best!

i agree with jamie eason:

its not 80% diet and 20% fitness.

its 100% diet and 100% fitness.

..sue xx

Close your eyes. No, not literally. I want you to keep reading. But imagine a picture of perfect health. What does it look like? Do you want to see yourself in that picture? If you do, then let our 18 best-ever tips help you get there.

If you really want to boost your overall health, supplement for your fitness goal. Training for a marathon? Once you get to mile number eight, you may want to think about endurance supplements and electrolyte chews. Find yourself lagging during your 5th workout of the week? Try energy boosting pre-workout supplements.

Personalize your supplement program to match your goals, and your overall health will benefit.

Supplements provide the steam
to your ‘Little Engine That Could.’

There are a wide variety of healthy foods out there for one reason: so you can eat them all! But achieving a healthy balance is key. Former Mr. Universe and health guru Lee Labrada has a super-easy way of practicing food balance. He calls it The Rule of Thirds.

One third of your plate should be home to a healthy carbohydrate; one third should be a quality source of protein; and the last third goes to vegetables or salad. For example, at dinner you could have a plate of baked sweet potato, a spinach salad, and grilled halibut or chicken!

If you balance every meal, your body will learn to trust that you’re feeding it the good stuff. You’ll be full of energy, vitality, and promoting the longevity of a healthy body and mind!

Do you know why you’re always told to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables? There’s actually science behind that advice, and it has to do with your body’s anatomy and physiology.

The human body is put under stress every day. From our cells to our organs to our skin, every piece of the anatomy puzzle ages and deteriorates. Things like free radicals and inflammation may only add to the chances of breaking down and signs of aging.

But there are many foods that can help your body arm itself against the ravages of time and the stress of use. Check out the list of foods and herbs below to see how easy it is to sign up for Triple AAA nutrition every day.

• Apples-rich in vitamins, minerals, and flavonoids such as quercetin, also high in fiber
• Spinach-loaded with Vitamin E, anti-inflammatory compounds, omega-3 fatty acids, and it’s also high in B-Vitamins
• Sweet Potatoes-high in antioxidants, mainly beta-carotene, alpha-tocopherol and ascorbic acid
• Almonds-rich in Vitamin E, high amounts of unsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids
• Walnuts-richest source of omega-3 fatty acids among nuts
• Turmeric-contains Curcumin, which may provide anti-inflammatory benefits
• Ginger-contains the phytochemicals gingerol, shogaol, and zingerone, which may provide antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits

• Reds
  tomatoes, raspberries, red bell peppers, red grapes, beets and pomegranates
• Oranges / Yellows
  cantaloupes, carrots, mangoes, and winter squashes
• Greens
  asparagus, artichokes, broccoli, brussels sprouts, kale, seaweed, green tea
• Blues / Purples
  blueberries, blackberries, raisins, eggplants and plums
• Browns
  coffee and theobroma cacao otherwise known as cocoa!

Antioxidants Decrease the production of damaging free radicals and support overall health and wellness with antioxidant products!

Get all your Antioxidant products

There’s a famous saying in the fitness industry: “If you don’t prepare, be prepared to fail.” Cooking your own food takes time. Shopping takes time. If you don’t cook, it takes time and money to figure out where you can eat out and still eat healthy, unprocessed foods.

But it takes less time than you might think! Spend a few hours on one of your days off from work or school cooking up your meals for the week, and you can knock it out in one day! Don’t be afraid to abuse the convenience of Tupperware, plastic baggies, and insulated lunch boxes.

One of the easiest ways to improve your general health is to surround yourself with nutritious and filling snacks. Because everybody snacks, so you might as well make it healthy and make smart lifestyle choices today.

Great healthy snack ideas: home-made trail mix (try almonds, walnuts, dried apricots, pumpkin seeds, and cranberries), low-fat cheese with whole grain crackers, Greek yogurt with low-sugar granola, canned tuna, meal replacement protein shakes, hard boiled eggs, beef jerky, fresh fruit or veggies with nut butter (almond or peanut), protein bars

Portion control, natural foods, and balanced meals-don’t forget that these nutrition tips apply to drinks too! Avoid the blood sugar rush and subsequent crash that’ll leave you cranky, tired, and craving even more sugar by choosing to sip on zero calorie drinks. The most important drink in your life should be water. Hands down. At least 8 glasses of water a day.

Other liquids to help satisfy your thirst should come from unsweetened teas (green tea is a wonderful choice), drip coffee or espresso served black or with a bit of cream, and, of course, protein shakes—delicious, nutritious, and generally low in sugars.

If you need more reasons to avoid slurping a sugar-packed drink, check out the 10 worst drinks that will destroy your nutrition plan.

Elephants have to drink 10-12 gallons of H2O a day,
so what are you complaining about?

Of course to maintain your health, you have to exercise. But many people make the mistake of exercising without a goal in mind. Without a goal, you can’t have a plan of action. And without a plan, you aren’t as likely to stick with a program and see results.

Whether you want to radically transform your body, put on a few pounds of muscle, burn a few pounds of fat, train for a sport, or just “get fit,” your goal should be measurable and attainable. Create a timeline for your goal. It could be as simple as, “I want to increase my bench by 10 lbs in a month.” Or it could be as dramatic as, “I want to train for and run my first marathon in 6 months.”

Given a goal, a timeline, a plan, and a way to measure your success, you’ll have no option but to stay active and stay healthy. And you’ll have fun while doing it.

Find A Plan Complete daily trainers, muscle building plans, fat loss plans, nutrition programs, supplement schedules, and motivation tips. Here’s the kicker… it’s all 100% free.

Get your Complete Plan

Does the term “cardio-bunny” describe you? Or do you spend all your gym time doing bench and leg press? Maybe you only hit the gym once a week and you’re looking to start a workout program. No matter where you fall on this spectrum of gym-goers, you should incorporate both weight training and cardiovascular training into your regimen in order to achieve optimal health.

Weight training will help you build and maintain lean muscle, which will lead to better joint support, healthy metabolism, and a healthy overall body composition.

Cardiovascular training will help you maintain a strong heart and lungs, healthy blood flow, healthy metabolism, and a normal mood.

When you hit the weights, are you going through the motions? Or are you lifting to impress the other “bros?” Either way, you may sacrifice form, which means you’re also sacrificing results.

Just like pro-footballers have to perform training drills with good form, the rest of us have to lift, run, jump, bend, and stretch with good form. Perfecting your form on any exercise takes mountains of concentration and focus. But it ultimately leads to fewer injuries and faster results.

A great place to check on your form for any exercise is the Bodybuilding.com Exercise Database.

Ladies, practice perfect-form squats; you’ll intimidate
the bros and impress the hotties.

If you’re reading this article you probably won’t settle for status-quo health. You want exceptional health. To get there, you must reject status-quo training. To keep your body in the best shape, every workout should be a challenge. Don’t let your muscles, heart, and lungs adapt to the point where there is no longer progress and/or growth.

And all it takes is slight adjustments. Add weight to your bench press each week. Do an extra set to really burn out. Add high-intensity intervals to your cardio sessions. Keep pushing the intensity and you’ll never get bored; you’ll never fall off the wagon; and you’ll be in the best shape of your life for the rest of your life.

One easy way to keep your body guessing is to learn how to do new stuff at the gym. It may be new exercises, combinations of exercises, or a new way to do your normal routine. But if you’re always enlarging your workout vocabulary, you’ll never get bored, which means you’ll keep coming back.

Since consistency is 99 percent of the battle for your health, you’ve got to keep it fun and keep it interesting. Change your routine every 2-4 weeks. Add in something new like a drop set, super set, giant set, circuit training, tabata, cross fit, and more. The options are endless! If you aren’t familiar with the terms above, then get ready to learn, baby. You’ve got a massive online resource that’s free and at your fingertips: Training Articles Database.

A hardcore workout with just balls and bands?
Yes, young padawan, much to learn do you have.

Fad diets come and go; but fitness is forever. Just look at legendary fitness guru Jack LaLanne, who passed away in 2011 at the age of 96. In Jack LaLanne’s version of utopia, everyone would join up to live a healthy and active lifestyle. By surrounding yourself with people who care about fitness, you’ll stay motivated 24/7.

Whether you train with a partner who pushes your boundaries, or you post your lifting stats on an online fitness forum, it’s the sense of accountability and community that will keep you pushing for bigger and better things.

Though sometimes you may feel alone when it comes to caring for your own health and wellness, there’s an entire nation of people waiting to support your fitness journey. Start by creating a BodySpace account and don’t be surprised if you get inspired in less time than it takes to eat a potato chip.

BodySpace Find strength in numbers. If the largest online fitness community has your back, think of how easy it will be to meet your goals.

Start your BodySpace profile today

A house is only as strong as the foundation it sits on, and the same goes for nutrition. But your busy life and high activity level may help deplete you of essential vitamins and minerals faster than you can replenish them with food alone.

By adding a multivitamin-mineral supplement to your day, you’ll have extra support for optimal health. Nobody eats perfectly all of the time. Well-maybe somebody out there does, but a multivitamin is still a great recommendation to start building your overall health and wellness supplement stack.

You’ve seen it mentioned in this article already: omega-3 fatty acids. What’s so special about them? Number 1: Your body can’t make this essential fatty acid; you have to get it through foods (e.g. wild salmon, flax seeds, kiwi fruit, and walnuts).

Number 2: Omega-3 fatty acids help support healthy brain and cardiovascular function, normal hormone levels, and may provide anti-inflammatory benefits. Basically everything major inside of your body can benefit somehow from a healthy intake of omega-3s.

So whether it’s daily fish for dinner, a tablespoon of flax seed oil, or a supplement, getting your omega-3s will give you an edge on maintaining great health.

Omega-3 Omega-3 is an essential fatty acid with tons of health benefits! Support brain and heart function and promote optimal health!

Get all your Omega-3 products

One of the most convenient, time-saving and health-promoting supplements you can invest in is a quality protein powder. From zero-carb powders to meal replacement ready-to-drink shakes, the options are endless. With a bit of exploration, you can find a flavor and consistency that you love that also keeps you healthy!

Before you grab a vending-machine snack or fast-food meal consider these factors: protein supplements can be cheaper per-serving than most snack foods; they’ll fill you up better; they won’t cause the spike and crash of blood sugar like processed carbs will; and they’ll support the growth and development of lean muscle mass.

Need any more convincing? No? I didn’t think so.

Go outside and play! True, we adults normally only think of saying this to children. But it’s time to face the music and realize that we need sunlight and fresh air too! Even if the weather is frightful, bundle up and take a stroll. Not only will it boost your mental health, but if you don’t see enough of the sun, you may want to consider a vitamin D supplement.

No, it’s the not the bear terrorizing peanut-butter sandwiches in Jellystone Park. Yogi refers to someone who practices yoga. But really, any type of dynamic stretching time is going to greatly benefit your overall health.

Stretching gets pushed to the backburner for many people when they have a specific fitness goal like losing 20 pounds or building bigger pecs. But stretching is an essential part of fitness and should be included in everybody’s routine, hands down. Taking care of your connective tissues can also help with injury prevention.

Besides, you can also use stretching time to de-stress, listen to your favorite tunes, and perhaps slip into a short cat nap. What could be better? I’m pretty sure “nothing” is the correct answer.

Yoga pose Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana—Say that 3 times fast!
If you can say it at all.

Never underestimate the power of R&R. It may sound counter-intuitive, but after all the activity you’re going to be doing to stay healthy you’ve got to make time to rest and relax.

Make time every week to de-stress from life’s daily toil. Vary your activities and always strive to get 8 hours of sleep a night. If you push relaxation to the bottom of your to-do list, you’ll find your health (the mental and the physical) deteriorating faster than you can spell “Stress-Ball” backwards.

Take a vacation. Visit a beach. Hike a mountain. Do a puzzle. Play with your loved ones. Lie around doing nothing and forget about time.

If you’re ever in Rome (or any part of Italy, really) you’ll realize why so many people love the saying, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” Because Italians have mastered the art of enjoying life. They call it la bella vita, which means the beautiful life. And by following these 18 tips, you’ll definitely have earned the right to enjoy it.

What is body image? 

Body image is your attitude towards your body - how you see yourself, how you think and feel about the way you look and how you think others perceive you. Your body image can be influenced by your own beliefs and attitudes as well as those of society, the media and peer groups.

An unhealthy body image is thinking your body is bigger or smaller that it is in reality, believing that you aren’t perfect on the outside, and thinking that how you look on the outside is your entirety. You are more than just your skin!

A healthy body image is being comfortable in your own skin, being happy with the way you look, and feeling good within yourself.

For more info on body image issues specific to guys check out the Body image + blokes fact sheet.

How do people get unhealthy body image?

It is likely that you come across images of other people from all over the place on a daily basis. These images probably include a large proportion of images of super-slim or buff male and female models in magazines, super-skinny celebrities on TV, and slender mannequins in stores, and it is possible that being bombarded by all these images might make you feel bad about yourself and the way your body looks, and you may feel like it is important to be like them.

In truth, over the course of history, the ideal body shape has changed. It has always been the opposite of the social climate. During the potato famine in Ireland, it was very stylish to be plump, as it showed style and wealth. These days, some reasons why it is fashionable to be slim and well toned might be that it shows you have the money for a gym membership or a personal trainer.

Body image: did you know?

• Only about 5 to 10% of women are in the height and weight range of models.
• Males are also unlikely to the height and weight range of models.
• The images of models (male and female) portrayed in magazines are altered with airbrushing and fancy lighting.
• The images in magazines don’t reflect different shapes, cultures, and sizes. They have a “one size fits all” policy to our multicultural and diverse world.
• Dress models (for girls) in stores are an average size 8, yet the average women is between a 12 and 16, and the guy models are super toned, size 30s. Have you noticed the only size of men’s pants you can ever find at the shops are 30s?
• When it comes to weight, genetics may be more important than the environment or learned behaviour.

Unhealthy body image can damage your self-esteem

An unhealthy body image can damage your self-esteem. Once you feel bad about the way you look, you may be inclined to think that you, as a person, are not as worthy. No matter what you look like, you are special. A person with a healthy body image will, most likely, have clear boundaries between body image and self image.

If you are feeling inadequate about your body or yourself in general, it may be worth talking to someone about it. This may be a family member, friend, teacher or counsellor.

Check out the Who can help you section for more information about how these people might be able to help. A happier and more confident you may also translate to others reacting more positively towards you.

How to get a more positive body image

Instead of passively receiving unrealistic images, why don’t you:

Question messages in the media - Every time you see a magazine article telling you to become thinner/wear a particular type of clothing/buy a certain kind of shampoo, ask yourself why the article is doing so. Is it to sell more copies or to encourage the purchase of a particular item? What will happen to you if you don’t listen to the article? What would you think if you hadn’t read the article at all?

Are the images you see in the media showing strong, respectable, smart people or are they showing somebody solely focused on how pretty or handsome they are?

Stand up for your rights - You don’t have to listen to what other people say about how you look. You have the right to be happy with who you are. Don’t let anybody take that away from you.

Choose your media - Does reading magazines actually improve your life? Do you want to be a girl or guy out there only to impress a potential boyfriend or girlfriend, or do you want to be somebody out there to live life to the fullest?

Find your own style - Wear what you want to wear and not what is in fashion.  Fashion comes and goes but we’ll outlast the trends!

Describe yourself - Without a single word to your physique, say good things about yourself. Try to describe your friends without how they look. Think of the good parts of them. When you come up with something, tell them! It will make their day all the better and we can never underestimate the power of our words.

You hear a lot about living a healthy lifestyle, but what does that mean? In general, a healthy person doesn’t smoke, is at a healthy weight, eats healthy and exercises. Sounds simple, doesn’t it?

The trick to healthy living is making small changes…taking more steps, adding fruit to your cereal, having an extra glass of water…these are just a few ways you can start living healthy without drastic changes.

Exercise

One of the biggest problems in America today is lack of activity. We know it’s good for us but avoid it like the plague either because we’re used to being sedentary or afraid that exercise has to be vigorous to be worth our time. The truth is, movement is movement and the more you do, the healthier you’ll be. Even moderate activities like chores, gardening and walking can make a difference.

Just adding a little movement to your life can:

• Reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes
• Improve joint stability
• Increase and improve range of movement
• Help maintain flexibility as you age
• Maintain bone mass
• Prevent osteoporosis and fractures
• Improve mood and reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression
• Enhance self esteem
• Improve memory in elderly people
• Reduce stress

So, even if you opt for small changes and a more modest weight loss, you can see the benefits are still pretty good. One study has found that just a 10% weight reduction helped obese patients reduce blood pressure, cholesterol and increase longevity.

Simple Ways to Move Your Body

You can start the process of weight loss now by adding a little more activity to your life. If you’re not ready for a structured program, start small. Every little bit counts and it all adds up to burning more calories.

• Turn off the TV. Once a week, turn off the TV and do something a little more physical with your family. Play games, take a walk…almost anything will be more active than sitting on the couch.
• Walk more. Look for small ways to walk more. When you get the mail, take a walk around the block, take the dog for an extra outing each day or walk on your treadmill for 5 minutes before getting ready for work.
• Do some chores. Shoveling snow, working in the garden, raking leaves, sweeping the floor…these kinds of activities may not be ‘vigorous’ exercise, but they can keep you moving while getting your house in order.
• Pace while you talk. When you’re on the phone, pace around or even do some cleaning while gabbing. This is a great way to stay moving while doing something you enjoy.
• Be aware. Make a list of all the physical activities you do on a typical day. If you find that the bulk of your time is spent sitting, make another list of all the ways you could move more—getting up each hour to stretch or walk, walk the stairs at work, etc.

Learn about more ways to fit in exercise.

Eating Well

Eating a healthy diet is another part of the healthy lifestyle. Not only can a clean diet help with weight management, it can also improve your health and quality of life as you get older. You can use the new MyPlate to determine how many calories you need and what food groups you should focus on or, if you’re looking for smaller changes, you can use these tips for simple ways to change how you eat:

• Eat more fruit. Add it to your cereal, your salads or even your dinners
• Sneak in more veggies. Add them wherever you can—a tomato on your sandwich, peppers on your pizza, or extra veggies in your pasta sauce. Keep pre-cut or canned/frozen veggies ready for quick snacks.
• Switch your salad dressing. If you eat full-fat dressing, switch to something lighter and you’ll automatically eat less calories.
• Eat low-fat or fat-free dairy. Switching to skim milk or fat free yogurt is another simple way to eat less calories without having to change too much in your diet.
• Make some substitutes. Look through your cabinets or fridge and pick 3 foods you eat every day. Write down the nutritional content and, the next time you’re at the store, find lower-calorie substitutes for just those 3 items.

Find more ideas for healthy foods with this Healthy Foods Grocery List.

Creating a healthy lifestyle doesn’t have to mean drastic changes. In fact, drastic changes almost always lead to failure. Making small changes in how you live each day can lead to big rewards, so figure out what you can to be healthy today.

_Sources:

_{Fentem, P H. ABC of Sports Medicine: Benefits of exercise in health and disease. BMJ 1994;308:1291-1295 (14 May)}

_{Goldstein DJ. Beneficial health effects of modest weight loss. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 1992 Jun;16(6):397-415.}

7 strategies to changing your day for the better.

By: Miryah Scott; Photography by: Paul Buceta

The other day I went into work and lo and behold, someone had brought in a tray of sweets. Anyone who knows me knows that sweets are my vice and, although I’m usually in control, this day my sweet tooth got the best of me. The problem was that once I had tried one, I instantly wanted another. And here’s where my willpower was tested: I could either choose to follow the slippery slope and call the day a “Treat Day,” or I could brush off the small slip-up and make the most out of the choices that followed.  

I’m human and have gone both ways, but I have to say that it is a huge win when I’m able to stop the downward spiral and change the direction of my day for the better.  

Here are some of the strategies I use to stay in control of my daily choices: 

1. Stop Yourself  

• Take a moment and breathe. Sometimes we can get a little anxious when we are in the midst of a decision. Relax and take control. 
• Remove yourself from the tempting situation. For example, if late-night eating is a weakness, leave the house and go for a walk.  
• You can also distract yourself with reading, writing, watching TV or even cleaning. I like to play on the computer or paint my nails. 

2. Do a Reality Check (Chances are your blunder wasn’t that bad)

• If you missed a workout (or two) or lapsed on your diet, remember that it takes 3,500 calories to gain one pound, so one slip won’t make a huge difference, but a full day of treats or a week of missed workouts can add up.
• If you catch yourself before you go too far, you can still easily make your day a success!

3. Think Long-Term vs. Short-Term 

• Sure, the easy way out is to miss your workout and just go home, but will you feel good about your choice at the end of the day when the opportunity to work out is gone? 
• It feels better long-term if you stay strong and make choices that are good for your health. When we make the healthier choice, we can hold our head up high throughout the day. 

4. Let Go of the Guilt

• What’s done is done and you can’t change it, so move on!  
• Make a conscious decision to be happy and confident from that moment forward. When you’re in a positive state of mind, making good choices is easier. 

5. Make Good Choices

• Do things like take the stairs, say “no” to tempting situations and make your next snack or meal a healthy one.

6. Set Small Goals 

• Big goals can seem daunting and unachievable, but breaking them up into smaller objectives, lets you celebrate small wins more often.
• Try drinking more water, getting through a social function without cheating on your diet or going to bed early.

7. Celebrate Your Wins

• Take a moment to celebrate all the things you’ve accomplished in your day. You can even write down all of your good choices in a journal. 
• Be proud of every good choice you make! 

So lift your head up high and make the decision to take the high road. Don’t get discouraged by big goals or little slips; empower yourself and take control. A single choice will not make or break you, but an accumulation of bad choices can alter your entire direction. Change happens one day, one choice, one moment at a time, and you have the power to make the most out of each moment. Now that’s something to celebrate!

found at oxygenmag.com here: http://www.oxygenmag.com/Cover-Girls/Articles/Youre-in-Control.aspx

Five ways to start every day strong.

By Kasia Kurek

erm…..wow to so much of this. and haha to such a lot of the rest! :p

i particularly enjoyed the references to sex and ”immoral girls” hahaha. oh you boys. you funny funny boys :p

……………………………..

‘Keeping Fit” was a 48-poster series produced by the U.S. Public Health Service and the YMCA in 1919. It was designed to educate teenage boys and young men about the dangers of sexual promiscuity and urged them to embrace moral and physical fitness.’

- Social Welfare History Archives

…

Thank you to the Social Welfare History Archives

This capsule was curated by John Pollock

While you may have incredible internal motivation when it comes to sticking with your workout program, there are going to be some times when you have no choice but to take time away from your workout regime.

Whether it’s because work demands are increasing, you’re injured or you’re just too focused on other aspects of your life, time away from the gym can actually work to your advantage if you’re smart about it and know how to get back into your fitness routine once you’re ready.

Benefits of time off

First, it’s important to address the ways in which time away from the gym can actually help you. So many people are quick to jump to the conclusion that taking time off will leave them lazy, fat and extremely unfit.

You will not lose all of your fitness gains over a span of a week; in fact, even if you took a whole month off, chances are the effects wouldn’t be too extreme when you decide to get back into your fitness routine.

One of the biggest benefits that this time away from the gym will provide you with is a complete chance to recover. While you should definitely take steps to ensure that your program is regularly interspersed with easy days and complete rest days, you still may not be fully recovering from week to week.

A couple of weeks away from your fitness routine will allow your body that extra time to fully regenerate, and you might just find you that once you get back into your fitness routine, you’ll feel stronger.

Another benefit of taking time away from the gym is an increase in motivational levels. Going to the gym day in and day out can wear on you over time — especially if you’re continually doing the same thing over and over and not making weekly or monthly adjustments to your workouts. Two or three weeks off might be just what you need to get motivated.

Finally, the last advantage to taking time away from the gym is that you’ll reduce the risk of training addiction. This is somewhat tied into the first benefit, but takes it to an even greater extreme. Overtraining is a very serious issue and if you are not taking steps to prevent it, it can definitely creep up on you.

Everyone should, theoretically speaking, take at least one full week of rest after every six or so months of training. So, if it’s been a while since you did have time away from your fitness routine, this time off could come at the perfect time.

getting back into things

Now that we’ve discussed the benefits of time away from the gym, it’s time to look at what you should be doing when you can get back into your fitness routine.

Reduce your intensity

The first week of getting back into your fitness routine, try cutting your intensity by about half to three-quarters. If you used to bench press with 70kg, now use 50 to 60. Keep in mind that this is just for the first week, so don’t feel like you’re backtracking. 

The reason you should downplay your regular routine is to reduce the chances of you becoming incredibly sore after just a day or two, preventing you from completing your week’s worth of fitness training.

Get back into your fitness routine by taking cardio slowly and not forgetting your nutrition…

Whenever we take a break and then do a movement the body isn’t used to, there will be some neuromuscular adaptations going on, which are more likely to increase muscle soreness the next day. You’ve likely experienced this before if you’ve picked up a movement you haven’t done in a while (say changing lunges for split squats instead). The day after doing that new exercise, you may be struggling to get out of bed.

Once the week is up, then you can bump the weight back up to your normal level.

Take cardio slow

If you’ve taken time off from your regular cardio programme and are trying to get back into it, expect a bit more of a setback than you would with weight training.

Generally, we lose our cardiovascular fitness faster than we lose our muscular strength. But not to worry, this cardiovascular fitness will come back relatively fast once you get back into your fitness routine.

When you first get back into your cardio routine, you should alternate periods at your old pace with periods at a slower pace. So, for example, if you used to run at a seven-mile-per-hour pace, now do five minutes at your original pace followed by five minutes at six miles per hour or reduce it even further and just walk for two to five minutes between sets of your regular pace. Alternate back and forth between these until the total session is completed, reducing the total time at the slower pace over a week or two until you are back to your normal cardio level.

If it’s been a month or more since you’ve done any cardio activity at all, you might find that you have to go at the slower pace for a much longer portion of the workout than before or you may just need to do the entire session at a slower pace. Try not to become discouraged by this. Within a couple of weeks, you should be feeling better, and then you should fall back into your cardio groove.

Don’t forget to stretch

To further reduce the chance that you experience a great deal of muscle soreness when you get back into your fitness routine, be sure to spend a little extra time after each session stretching.

The ideal time to stretch is while you are still warm, as your muscles are most limber at this point. You can do some general stretching immediately after your warm-up, before moving on to your weight lifting routine. However, afterwards is when you really want to push your muscles a little more, and be sure to hold each stretch for 20 seconds or longer.

Remember your nutrition

Finally, when you get back to your fitness routine you must pay attention to your nutritional intake. If you’ve been cutting back on your total calorie intake while not exercising to account for the decrease in calories burned and prevent a weight gain, you need to be sure to add them back in your diet again.

Furthermore, if you’ve also been really watching your carb intake, and have been eating relatively low-carb meals while not exercising, you may want to bump up the carb volume a little over and above what you’d normally eat for two or three days after you get back into your fitness routine.

Chances are that your muscle glycogen stores are going to be running a bit low after a period of low-carb eating, so providing a little extra on top of what’s needed to work out will help replenish them. This will help you to avoid suffering from fatigue during your workouts.

get back into the swing

So, if you’ve been away from your workout programme for quite some time now, consider these points. If you’ve only been away a week or two, you might find that you come back without any problems at all and actually feel better than you did before the break. However, if you are coming off of a longer break, you will need to be slightly more patient with your body as it adjusts to the demands of exercise once again.

i love this man. lee………..i LOVE you lol.

..sue xx

if ”thinspo” people insist on posting their ridiculous, frightening posts about how little they eat on fitspo/fitblr etc, where i look around, then im sorry, but i will continue to tell you how it really is.

for fucks sake EAT. stop being so stupid.

and yes, im sorry, but thinking that you can survive on 400 calories a day or whatever is stupid.

if you have an eating disorder, i truly do wish you well, i wish you would get some real help. you are literally killing yourself.

i do not wish to upset anyone, or say anything against GENUINE psychological problems, but this is aimed at people who just think its ok to starve themselves because they think it will make them wake up one day 50lbs lighter.

if you want advice or someone to answer simple questions, then i am here for anyone who wants me. im no expert, im just an average woman who works hard to keep herself fit and HEALTHY, and i will help anyone out there who wants it.

but LEARN about nutrition and simple biology. its not brain surgery. its quite a simple fact. your body needs a certain amount of food to function properly. how hard is that to understand?

but ive said this a million times, and i will continue to say it, starving yourself has NOTHING AT ALL TO DO WITH BEING FIT AND SLIM. nothing. get that in your head.

..sue xx

10. Be Positive

Having a positive attitude about aging can add more than seven years to your life, according to researchers. Avoid the cultural push to glorify youth and regret each passing year. Find ways to to pleasure in your increasing age and enjoy greater learning, experience, and control in your life.

just remember, that reaching your goal weight, or fitting into your too small skinny jeans is only the BEGINNING OF THE JOURNEY.

unless of course, you just want to do it and then pile it all back on again, then start again from the beginning.

no thanks. i want to be slim (NEVER skinny), toned and fit for life!

im two pounds away from my ultimate goal weight, but as i got closer, that number meant less and less to me.

now im healthy, my weight is spot on, my BMI is spot on, i am the ‘me’ that i deserve to be.

but that doesnt mean i can think ”wow, ive done it!” i wont have ”done it” until i die. i will work on my fitness and my health and my weight issues for the rest of my life.

does anyone truly believe that if they lose weight, and they are at a certain size/weight etc, that it suddenly becomes easy and they can stop thinking about it?

does it hell. it never gets ”easy”. never ever ever.

but ive said it before and i will say it again. easy sucks. easy is for losers!

stop focusing on that ”goal weight”. of course, its good to have a goal, and something to focus on, thats fine, but when thats the ONLY thing you focus on in this whole situation, then you are doomed from the start.

the number on the scales dont define you. YOU define you. how you live, how you treat yourself and others, how you feel, what you do defines you.

learn, accept, move on.

..sue xx

Many of us have, at one time or another, eaten beyond our hunger—and I don’t just mean at Thanksgiving. Millions of people regularly turn to food during times of stress, sadness, anger or frustration. They eat in response to their emotions instead of their appetites. And once they get used to dealing with their feelings in this way, they find it almost impossible to remember what true hunger feels like.

In fact, I’ve found that only about one in ten emotional eaters succeeds in changing his or her behavior for longer than five years. The problem is that those who eat (or deprive themselves) in response to external circumstances think they just need to be (or are being) more disciplined, better organized and so on. They may not realize that to break their self-destructive habit, they need to be aware of more than what they put in their mouths. They must also figure out why they’re choosing to eat at those particular moments. Otherwise, every time they’re faced with a stressful situation or feel unfulfilled, they’ll find their resolve weakening and turn to their best friend: food.

When I first meet with a client who appears to have some issues with food, I ask her to draw a circle with eight slices—a pie chart. I tell her to write the name of an important area of her life in each segment. To get her started, I reel off a few examples such as health and fitness, family, friends, career, spirituality. Then I ask her to cross off the areas she feels are going pretty well. That’s a big key for me. The slices that aren’t crossed off represent the parts of her life in which she might be feeling unfulfilled—I call this dissatisfaction or emptiness the void. And no matter how much fried chicken and how many hot-fudge sundaes a person gulps down, food won’t fill the void.

I’m not saying we shouldn’t enjoy eating (though emotional eaters rarely do). We are really off track if we try to minimize how important food is in our lives. A meal can represent a joyful social gathering, a source of energy and nutrition, or a truly sensuous experience. Overcoming emotional eating isn’t about depriving yourself; it’s about comforting yourself in a way that helps relieve the real problem.

“I travel every week for business. Sitting alone in hotel rooms, I often eat junk food. I know I could go downstairs to the gym, but I get bored and just end up snacking instead.” —Jane McIlwaine

After a long day of meetings, she’s tired and it’s easy for her to buy Chips Ahoy! or Oreos from the hotel snack machine when she stays in at night. McIlwaine knows she’d be better off visiting the hotel gym but says she feels so bored sitting alone in her room that she doesn’t want to move. I know what a drag it can be to schlep down to the StairMaster, but is that the only option? Are there letters she could write? Could she meet with friends (or friends of friends) in the towns she travels to? Could she explore the city’s opera house or the nearest multiplex? Boredom is a surface emotion: Sometimes it means you’re just not aware of or willing to do the work necessary to maintain a balanced life. I promise you, the more active you are, the less you’ll be satisfied spending your time with a couple of cookies.

The other extreme—having too much to do—also inspires bouts of emotional eating. On particularly stressful days at work, Ericka Guthrie Dorsey copes by indulging in elaborate meals of potato chips and candy (she keeps a stash in her desk drawer along with a jar of goodies on her desk).

“I know it’s not great for my health, but on those days when work gets really frantic, I opt for junk food (like the candy or chips and salsa I keep in my desk) instead of eating a proper meal.” —Ericka Guthrie Dorsey

Joy Y. Baltimore was working full-time during the day while studying at night to become a chiropractor. She says that during the school year she would come home, sit down in front of the computer and eat a half gallon of ice cream without even realizing it.

“When I was in night school studying to be a chiropractor and working full-time during the day, I would come home and eat a half gallon of ice cream without even realizing it. I’ve been on a weight- loss program and I’m trying to make healthier choices, but it’s hard.” —Joy Y. Baltimore

These women are all making the same mistake—it’s one of the most common I see: They’ve put one aspect of their lives ahead of every other. They’ve convinced themselves that in order to be successful at that one thing, another aspect of their lives—such as their health—might have to suffer. In the cases of Dorsey and Baltimore, it’s their careers; for other women, it may be their husbands’ needs that take precedence. Oprah found herself in a similar situation: Not until she put her talk show in second place for a while was she able to gain a measure of control over her emotional eating.

“When I’m busy at work, I might skip lunch or dinner. And when I’m stressed in my personal life, I get knots in my stomach and then I can’t even force myself to eat.” —Julie Katz

This may sound like a totally different problem, but it’s not. They also let their emotional states override their appetites (and often overeat after depriving themselves). This response to stress will make you simply ignore the hunger signals, but when you can better manage these feelings, you can tune in to what your body really needs in terms of food.

“I crave carbohydrates—spaghetti, pasta, bread—when I’m down. When I start overeating, I say to myself, ‘I’m going to stop,’ but it’s as if I’m possessed, and I can’t.” —Diane Gavares

Recognizing the triggers is often difficult, as women such as Diane Gavares, Nadine Cremo, Susan Raisch and Jane D’Emic have realized. “I know I’m not a stupid person,” says Gavares. “I know that if I overeat, I’m going to be even more upset later, but I just can’t stop.”

“When I’m upset, I crave sweets and fatty things like bagels with cream cheese or butter. I’m aware of what I’m doing, but right then, I feel so far over the edge, I can’t seem to get a grip.”—Nadine Cremo

Cremo is flummoxed because she feels she has an enviable life—with three beautiful children and a wonderful husband—yet she is often unhappy and feels her eating is out of control. D’Emic has seen her cholesterol rise in the past few years. While she’d like to eat more healthfully, she turns to chocolate during stressful moments.

“I have always eaten chocolate or candy when I’m upset. I never gained weight until I had a child ten years ago—and my cholesterol skyrocketed. Now I worry about my health, but I can’t seem to get a handle on my stress-related cravings.” —Jane D’Emic

I would encourage these women to look more closely at their lives—past, present and future. Some will discover that they are using food to deal with painful memories (say, feeling neglected as a child or having a negative self-image based on teen awkwardness). Others acknowledge that they’re not happy being single, they’ve gotten stuck in a rut at work or they’ve sunk into full-blown depression. If they can’t figure out the root of that unhappiness, I may suggest they seek professional counseling to explore this issue further.

“I find sweets comforting when I’m stressed or bored. I’ve gotten better at managing some of my food issues, but on bad days, I’ll have ice cream for dinner. It’s something that has gone on awhile.” —Susan Raisch

With all my clients, once they’ve had a lightbulb moment—the instant they find out what is fueling their emotional eating—that’s when the hard work begins. Everybody says it’s tough to exercise and eat right, but that’s nothing. Eliminating what is driving your cravings means you need to make some often difficult decisions. One of my clients, despite successfully sticking to a workout schedule, found herself bingeing and unable to lose an extra 30 pounds. She couldn’t figure it out. She was happy with her job, had no family issues and was married to a great guy. After a few months, it became clear that while she loved her husband, he wasn’t the right man for her. She wanted children; he did not. They parted amicably, and she has since met someone else. She now leads a truly fulfilled life. On the other hand, I have clients who’ve figured out that what’s upsetting them is a lack of intimacy with their spouses. After fixing their relationships, they have little desire to binge.

Even after deciding how you want to change your life, you may still make bad choices. For instance, you can say, “I’m not going to stick my head in a bowl of ice cream the next time I have an awful blind date,” and adhere to it for a while before slipping back into your old habits. Sometimes a slipup is a result of “happiness anxiety.” I’ve seen so many clients reach one of their goals—and then clean out the refrigerator. Other women aren’t ready to deal with what achieving that goal means: Perhaps they don’t know how to accept attention from the opposite sex. Or deep down they feel they don’t deserve to be happy, so every time they experience joy, they turn back to food—which only reinforces in their minds that they are weak or unworthy. When I see these kinds of slipups, I know to ask my clients to look at what is behind their minor setbacks. Once they see the connection between getting close to their goals and bingeing, they are often able to get back on track. Others use the opportunity to explore these issues with a professional therapist.

What you have to remember is that changing your eating habits is a process of recommitting to your goals each and every day. Anytime you lose sight of that and start focusing on what’s going wrong, you’ll take yourself away from the life you want to lead. The key to overcoming your eating problem is to remind yourself that at least you’re taking today (or this afternoon or this hour) to move toward your goal. And that’s the trick of the 10 percent of those who manage to overcome this problem.

Emotional eating is a powerful and unhealthy coping mechanism, but you can overcome your tendency to binge when stressed, angry or frustrated. If you can recognize what’s missing in your life and work toward a more fulfilling future, you’ll find it so much easier to make the right choices when it comes to food. Even if you slip and polish off a box of Fig Newtons after a hectic day at work, try to learn from the experience. Why did you need them so much? As I tell my clients, you have an unlimited number of ways to improve your life—and unlimited opportunities to go backward. It helps to remember that every time you put something in your mouth, you are making a decision about the way you want to treat yourself. Your aim is to be good to yourself and to know what fulfills you—not simply what fills you up.

found here, at oprah.com: http://www.oprah.com/index.html