7 Fat Loss Tips for Busy Moms (You’re going to LOVE #2)

Most moms I know, including my lovely wife, lead extremely busy lives. And many also have full time jobs on top of that. Finding time to exercise and eat right can be a real challenge. Here are 7 tips to help all of the amazing moms out there reach those fat loss goals…

Yesterday we talked about how poor (or no) planning can derail you from the goals you’ve set for yourself. And, as I implied in that post, planning how you are going to reach your goal is critical. Would you go on a road trip across the country without a plan?

Today we’ll talk about another potential obstacle to those ever elusive goals…

As of today we are 19 days into the new year, which means that we are about half way to what Gold’s Gym has labeled the “Fitness Cliff”. According to an interview I listened to recently, between February 7th and 18th every year Gold’s Gym notices a significant drop in gym attendance. This drop is so dramatic that they have labeled it the “Fitness Cliff”. What this tells us is that many of those people with fitness as a New Year’s resolution have given up already.

In an effort to prevent you guys from being a part of that statistic, this week I’ll be talking about some things that can derail you from reaching those ever illusive health and fitness goals. The first, and in my opinion, the most important is…

Poor Planning  

“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.” Ben Franklin

• Meals: To eat healthy you MUST plan your meals. And doing it right takes time. For me the best time is Sunday afternoon. Get with your spouse and figure out what meals you both like that match up with your nutrition plan (more about that later).

There are lots of online sites designed specifically for this: emeals, Fresh20, RelishRelish, and many others. Most of the good ones have healthy eating categories like Clean Eating, Paleo, Mediterranean, etc. I personally use RelishRelish because they don’t limit you to one category like some of the others, and I have finicky-eating kids, and Relish has a good Kid Friendly section. All of these sites make it easy to choose recipes and create shopping lists to help you eat according to whichever plan you and/or your coach have selected. Some of them even have smart phone apps.

• Movement:  Just like planning your meals for the week, you also need to plan your movement. Movement includes your planned exercise sessions as well as the opportunities that present themselves for movement. For example, you know you need to pick up your kids from school on Fridays, and there is a park right next to the school. Get there a early, park, and go for a walk. To plan for this means you wear the right clothes for the weather, and either wear or bring the correct shoes for walking. Another example is the weekly trip to the grocery store: park as far away from the store as possible, and wear the right shoes for a walk. If you are using a fitness app like RunKeeper or a wearable device like FitBit you’ll be able to count these towards your weekly movement goals if you have them. And yes, you should have them.

Check back tomorrow for the next thing that can keep you from reaching your goals.

What method do you use to plan your meals? How do you stay prepared to get in a quick workout when the opportunity presents itself?

 

Assuming you used the S.M.A.R.T.E.R. strategy for choosing your goal(s), you might we wondering, “what do I do now?” If so, that’s what today’s post is about.

If you are serious and committed about your goal, you first need to look at some of your HABITS.

• What HABITS do you currently have that will help you toward reaching your goal?
• What HABITS do you currently have that will hinder you from reaching your goal?
• What HABITS do you need to develop to help you reach your goal?
• What HABITS do you need to break right now so you can more easily and quickly reach your goal?

11 Ridiculously Simple Tips to Improve Your Health

Sometimes we make things way too complicated when it comes to our health. Here are 11 Really Simple Things you can do TODAY to improve your health…

1. STOP drinking soft drinks! This includes diet soft drinks too. Just STOP. You know it’s bad for you. If not, Google it.
2. Eat more vegetables. Nothing new here, but choose wisely. Pick a green veggie like broccoli, spinach, or kale. Eat as much as you want.
3. Add good fats to your diet with Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO). Sprinkle it on your veggies.
4. Drink more water. Since you have given up soft drinks, this is the logical replacement. I like lime in mine.
5. Eat more protein. Red meat is NOT bad for you like we were told several decades ago. Add some to your diet. Add some fish too.
6. Stop sitting so much. If you sit at a desk for your job, set an alarm to walk around every 30-60 minutes. Park farther away from Walmart.
7. Go to bed at the same time every night, and get up at the same time every morning. 7 days a week. Consistency is the key to pretty much everything.
8. Pick a type of exercise you enjoy. If you don’t you’ll never stick to it.
9. Exercise with a friend if possible. Accountability helps with that whole consistency thing. If we know someone else is counting on us, it’s harder to blow it off.
10. Eat breakfast. But beware of the sugar-filled cereals/yogurts/donuts/juices/etc. Eggs are one of the best sources of protein money can buy, and they are also NOT bad for you as we were once told. Google it.
11. Stop looking at food as just something you put in your gut. It is fuel for your body, and your body is an amazing machine. Treat it as such and you will reap the benefits.