Healthy New Year to All!

So you made it through the "food" holidays, congratulations! Hopefully you made it through without tipping the scale too much. It can be hard to go to all the gatherings and endure the pressure to partake in decadent foods and drinks and not have a little gain. The important thing is to not let a little gain become discouraging. Instead of getting down about it, let it motivate you! Put in some extra time doing cardio, make sure you are lifting weights too. New Years is just a couple days away. Now that you don't have Aunt Bethany telling you to have another plate of cat food jell-o, you can make it through this last celebration without adding any notches to the belt. First, get in some cardio during the day New Year's Eve. Try a HIIT exercise to get a super calorie bump, especially if you are short on time. Spend the day eating healthy high protein, low carb (and good carb!) meals and make sure you are eating every 3 hours. Not eating all day and then splurging at a party causes your body to go into starvation mode and to store all the food you do eat as fat instead of feeding your metabolism and burning the calories as energy. Drink LOTS of water all day!! I can't stress this enough, WATER IS YOUR FRIEND! Also, take a healthy snack to any celebration you may be attending. I like to make sure I have some good protein powder and baby carrots with me to eat so I don't go crazy on finger foods and sweets. And last, if you are going to drink, have a glass of water in between glasses of alcohol and try to stay away from sugary drinks. Make your Happy New Year a Healthy New Year, your body will thank you for it!

Eat Your Veggies or Get no Dessert Kids!

I have gone through two different weight loss transformations. The first, I gained some serious ground toward getting toward my weight goal. The second, I nailed it. Going through the transformations was not easy, but I had accountability with my trainer to keep me on track. The hardest part has been maintenance. I have had to be accountable to only myself and that takes so much more will power. I have found the secret to staying away from cravings and not going crazy on junk food is as simple as eating my vegetables. Yes, I know, they are not the greatest when it comes to taste, especially when they are eaten without sauces or dips however, they work! Just a cup of veggies with each meal, even snacks, keeps me on track. I have turned to Pinterest to get new ideas for preparing my veggies and keep from getting bored. I use canned, frozen and fresh. And when I fill up on high fiber, tummy filling veggies, I find that when I do have something a little more decadent, I eat a smaller portion size instead of going crazy. So make sure you are eating your veggies, your waistline will thank you.

Daylight Running Time is On!

Thanks to warmer weather, I, like many, am running outside much later in the year than ever before. I am so thankful for this but have discovered that autumn running has more obstacles than summer running. There are acorns and tree nuts everywhere just waiting to roll your ankle, piles of leaves covering remarkably deep foot holes, ridiculously uneven sidewalks I didn't notice when it wasn't pitch black out and morning drivers whose coffee hasn't kicked in so they don't see me even though I'm lit up like a frickin Christmas tree. All that aside, it truly is nice to be outside, enjoying this mild weather and I plan on relishing every bit of it until the snow moves in!

Binge watch with less guilt

So we have all had that day we spent on the couch binge watching a show on Netflix. Before you know it the day is gone and so is your motivation to work out. Well a friend of mine came up with a brilliant solution to this that I have incorporated into my workout routine. From now on, I only allow myself to watch my favorite Netflix show while I am on the treadmill. Walking, running, it doesn't matter, I'm burning calories either way but if I want to watch my show, I have to be moving on the treadmill. If you don't have a treadmill, try a simple HIIT cardio routine using moves like jumping jacks, push-ups, burpees, mountain climbers, etc. The point is to keep moving. It's definitely bumped up my daily step count! And I no longer suffer from the guilt of a day wasted on the couch.

Smile while you run

When I was younger, I always joked that I if I ever saw a runner smiling, I would take it up. Well, this morning I was that smiling runner. I had great music, great weather, great neighbors and got to see a beautiful sun rise. I smiled the whole run. It’s a beautiful time of year, get out in it! Take in all the cool fresh air, even if it is in short panting breaths. And remember to smile! You never know who you may inspire.