There are 3 KEY PRINCIPLES to staying FIT regardless of trends: Eating Mindfully, Choosing workouts you like and Consistency.
“What do you eat” & “What is your workout routine?”
How many “hot new” diet and fitness trends can you recall off the top of your head – from over the last 20 years? The Grapefruit diet, Mediterranean diet, Keto, Atkins, Paleo, the Zone, Gluten-Free, Blood-Type, Vegan, Vegetarian, Raw, Plant-Based, South-Beach, Lemon-water-cayenne-honey fasting diet – and then the entire “Low” category…..Low-fat, Low-calorie, Low- sugar, etc. Now – look at how many of these popular diets actually contradict one another.
Fat is good, fat is bad. Eat carbs, but no fat. Eat fat, but no carbs. I mean – it’s all over the board. Add into that, a new workout craze every flippin’ day, or a new piece of workout equipment that promises to make us look “amazing”…. and it can just be flat out confusing.
Rather than focusing on the specifics of what to eat and how to workout – I will instead share 3 very simple Key Principles that if followed, will help you get (or stay) fit for your entire life – and here’s the important part….. Regardless of diet or fitness trends!
One of the most-asked questions I’ve always gotten is: “What do you eat and What is your work-out routine?” I’m a share-er, so I always spilled the beans on everything I did and how I ate, when asked. The specific answer varied depending on the time. For example at one point it was a “Fat-Free” diet and High-Impact Aerobics with those thong leotards, lol.
Looking back – I can identify 3 Key Principles that I practiced regardless of the particular diet or exercise trends of the time (which admittedly, I fully engaged in just like everyone else!) These Principles have acted as a rudder, and are without a doubt responsible for maintaining a consistently healthy lifestyle and a healthy weight. Well, except for the time I got “fat” Juicing….but that’s another story ;-(
The 3 Key Principles are:
+ Eat Mindfully
+ Choose a Workout That You Like
+ Be Consistent
Eat Mindfully
Keeping a Food Journal really helps, especially with emotional-eating
I almost called this section “Conscious Eating” but the whole Gwynnth Paltrow “Conscious Uncoupling” episode hit me upside the head like a ton of bricks and I just… couldn’t…. do it. You’re welcome. The point – take note of what you’re eating, as you’re about to eat it in the form of a written Food Journal.
Yup. We’re goin’ old-school people!! Misery loves company, so don’t worry – I do it too, logging it into my phone. Why? Because it works and it helps with staying on track. Most of the time. Look, we’re all human. I’m “good” probably 85% of the time. 15% – well, that’s when a bucket of buttercream & sugar cookies comes into play. I digress.
There is something so powerful about the written word. We feel a heightened sense of accountability to ourselves even if we are the only one who sees it. It is a powerful tool in identifying emotional eating.
Many times, logging food brings about an awareness that I’m not actually hungry. Rather I’m bored, anxious or stressed about something and am mindlessly reaching for food. I think a lot of us fall into that category – eating emotionally.
Second, reviewing your Food Journal at the end of the day can be really enlightening if you’ve never done it before. If you’ve ever found yourself saying “I eat really healthy” or “I don’t eat that much but I’m still gaining / not losing” – I can almost promise that the Food Journal will pinpoint the issue clear as day.
You cannot exercise away a poor diet.
A consistent, healthy diet is hands-down, 80% of getting and staying fit and healthy. No joke. The exercise portion helps us to feel mentally amazing, energetic and positive. Plus, exercise is key in actually toning and defining the muscles – but it will not compensate for a poor diet. The muscle and definition built with an exercise program will be hidden beneath the fat layer of a poor diet.
Choose a Workout That You Like
You’re much more likely to stick with it!
Choose a workout or exercise program that you legitimately enjoy – not what someone says you “should” do. Why? Because by choosing something that resonates and feels the best to your body – greatly increases the chance that you’ll stick with it. Some people absolutely love running. I hate it. It hurts my body and I find myself making excuses not to do it. So I don’t. I do what I like and what feels best to my body.
Do you love to swim? Do that. Hate Spinning? Me too. Let’s not Spin. Been in love with your Boot Camp class for a few years, but feeling less than motivated lately? Change it up! Recovering from an injury – or can’t do certain movements? Find something that you can do and actually enjoy doing. That is hands-down, the secret to integrating exercise as a long-term lifestyle vs a phase.
Have you ever gone through a phase when you’re totally into a particular food or favorite dish from a restaurant, then gotten tired of it? Same idea. Chances are, you’ll get sick of your favorite workout at some point. That’s completely normal. Just find something else that you like. You are the boss of you!
Be Consistent
If there is one magic bullet to staying fit, it is consistency.
Do you know someone who gets really excited about a new diet or exercise program, goes balls-out on it – then a few months later it’s all over? We kinda used to joke about it, but every January the gym was packed with all of the New Year’s Resolution-ers. Every treadmill taken, reams of Personal Trainers with new clients in tow – for about 2 months. By March, they were all gone and the same people remained. That isn’t a put-down, it’s just what happened. And I get it. Being consistent with exercise can for sure be a challenge if it hasn’t been a regular habit or a part of your lifestyle.
Staying fit and healthy truly comes down eating mindfully, choosing workouts that you like andmost of all – doing it consistently. Think of Aesop’s fable, the Tortoise and the Hare. In a long-distance race between the two, the hare takes off like a bat-out-of-hell, while the tortoise dutifully keeps putting one foot in front of the other, ultimately winning the race – with the Hare panting and burned out on the side of the track.
Health and fitness is a marathon – not a sprint. Do what you like and do it consistently, week in and week out. After a short time, it becomes a habit and you know what they say….habits are hard to break. In this case, it’s a good thing!
Get the Look:
+ “Sparkling Champagne” Stainless Steel Water Bottle
+ Nike Air Max Running Sneaker
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