Simple Systems: Staying Motivated

{via}

January is almost through and that means some people may be needing a little help staying motivated and on track with their fitness goals. You should be seeing some good results after a month of work towards new year's resolutions, and sometimes, this can be the hardest part. A little bit of a result is better than none at all. Here are some simple tips for staying motivated through January and all year long.

Reward Yourself

An important aspect of staying motivated is to set short-term goals and reward success. If your overall goal is to lose 20 pounds, reward yourself with a new outfit after every 5 pounds. This is a great way to track success and keep motivated through the not-so-easy times.

Have Fun

Chances are, if something is not fun, it will not be done for long.  Help keep yourself on track by making workouts fun. There are some great outdoor activities that do wonders for our waistline. Try rock climbing for some toned arms, paddle boarding for those washboard abs, or swimming for some massive calorie torching.

Sign-up for a Race

Having a goal that you know is coming is a great way to keep motivated. If you are having a hard time in the procrastination area, sign-up for a competitive activity. This can be as easy as a 5k in four months, or Iron Man. Having these timed and public goals can help kill the procrastination bug and keep you on track for success.

Remind Yourself Daily

It is important to have specific goals and remind yourself of them daily. Goals should be uplifting and in the mindset of already being completed. If you want toned arms, have a goal like," I am so happy my hard work paid off and my arms are stronger. My arms have muscle definition and look killer in tank tops!" Then, read this at least once per day.

Enlist Friends

Sometimes, we all need a little help from our friends. Friends help keep each other accountable and can make workouts quite a bit more fun. Get a few of your buddies together and sign-up for a certain workout class, or, agree to go on exercise outings together. Group fitness can take something monotonous and turn it into something entertaining!

Chart Progress

Seeing progress is one of the greatest ways to stay motivated. Chart before's and after's at the start and end of the month. These should include weigh in's and pictures if you are trying to lose weight, or distance and time if you are trying to increase running performance. Adding in a little excerpt on how you are feeling is also handy.

Sometimes the gradual changes in weight, performance, or energy are hard to be seen over a month's time; tracking them will help show what is working and what needs to be changed. 

Splurge Wisely

One of the most detrimental things to a diet can be ignoring, then, splurging on cravings. Stay motivated through the diet days by having one day a week when you can eat what you want. Surprisingly, having one splurge day a week can actually help us lose weight! The influx of calories can kick our metabolism into hyper drive and help burn more than what we eat every other day of the week. Just be sure to have your splurge day be on a workout day as well.

Simple Systems: Foods to Decrease Bloating

View fullsize

There are certain foods that we eat that will decrease bloating and some the will cause it. Everyone knows that beans and salty foods will cause bloating, but what about brussels sprouts and onions? Yep, those can cause bloating too. Our stomachs can hold up to six cups of food, best keep it to things that will decrease gas production and water retention, rather than aid it.

Water

Yep, it may seems counter intuitive, but drinking water will decrease water retention. I like to think of this as the camel effect. If our bodies become dehydrated, it will retain more water since it does not know the next time water will be available... A bit like a camel and it's humps. When we drink water, we are re hydrating our body and making the water retention unneeded. Be sure to get in at least six to eight cups of water daily. This can be a hard habit to gain, but will be worth it for your health.

Garlic

Garlic is great for heart health and immunity, but can also help with bloating. Garlic aids in fat loss in our livers, which can help in decreasing bloating. The liver is one of the greatest detoxifies in our body; by having this at proper working order, we can also help detoxify, and thus, de-bloat.

Watermelons

These giant fruits are giant wonders. They are quite filling and comprised of about 92% water. Watermelon is a great alternative to a sweets craving. They can also act as a diuretic and have high amounts of antioxidants. When eating watermelon, try not to mix many other foods with them since they can go through a chemical change when being digested and, actually, cause bloating. Yikes!

Non-Artificial Sweeteners

People who have a great amount of artificial sweeteners tend to be bloated more than those who have natural sugars. Check the foods that you are already eating that are sugar free (gum, diet sodas, and some energy drinks), chances are they have aspartame, saccharin, or sucralose. These all have sugar alcohols that cause bloating. Instead, opt for some agave nectar, stevia, or honey. Stevia and truvia are great options and can be found in a number of health-concience brands. 

Grapefruit

Grapefruit is one of those foods that I just hate eating, but with all the benefits, I may have to forgo the taste and eat them anyway. Not only are grapefruits great to help against bloating, they can also help us lose weight! Grapefruit has insulin regulating properties, so when we eat it, our insulin levels are going down. When insulin levels go down, more glucose is burned and less fat is retained.

There are many health and fitness experts out there who recommend eating half a grapefruit or drinking 100% grapefruit juice before a meal. People who have done this reported losing an average of three pounds over a 12 week span. 

Blueberries

They are not called super fruits for nothing, these little guys pack quite the punch in the health department. Blueberries are among the highest in antioxidants per servings and also have a high fiber content. Between the fiber, vitamin content, and antioxidants, bloating does not stand a chance.

Simple Systems: Holiday Parties

Tis' the season for holiday parties filled with awesomely ugly holiday sweaters, pretty dresses, cookies, and all the other delicious stuff we stay away from in bikini season. There are a few simple secrets out there for ways to eat, drink, and be merry at holiday parties without packing on some extra lbs. Here are my three faves!

Eat

Eat at home. This may seem counter productive since there is a party with free food in the near future, but it is important. Christmas parties tend to have foods filled with hidden carbs and fats with little nutritional value... Even the healthy crudites are lacking with all the added dressings.

Snacking at home before a party will curb our appetite just enough so we do not go into starvation mode. There are more healthy choices for foods at home and not feeling famished at a party will encourage mild eating with fewer sweets and carbs. Besides, who wants to spend more time with the bon bons than friends?

Drink

There are usually lots and lots of yummy drink options at parties. I would never say to not even try one, but limit it to one. Having one of those carbtastic sugar drinks will leave our brains satisfied without killing all the gym work that week. After a splurge drink, stick to water; it will be more satisfying and the extra hydration will help skin keep that pretty holiday glow!

And Work It

This is my biggest secret to curbing holiday gorging and will even help you stick to the other two tips!

Once party time rolls around, workout per usual, but only workout for 85% of the usual time. The 85% rule seems to be the perfect medium between feeling satisfied with a workout and feeling like the workout was not enough. Working out less on a party day will actually do more for our health than working out more or not working out at all. On days when people workout over their average, they tend to feel like that extra french fry or cookie won't matter as much. When people skip a gym day, it is easier to think the whole day does not count and will start back on a healthy lifestyle tomorrow. Neither of these are what we want when mass cookies are near. 

By working out a little less than the usual, we will not feel like the entire day is a wash, but we will also not feel like we did enough. This feeling of not doing enough will help curb unhealthy cravings and keep us away from the unhealthy eats.

And yes, I am terrible for using that picture... Insert evil laugh now ;)

Simple Systems: Healthy Eating on Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is just one day away! Family and friends will be gathered together, some having traveled across country, and some from right next door! I love this time of year; we are able to give thanks for everything we are blessed with, and eat until we, literally, cannot move! That being said, I have formed a few great guidelines for myself on Thanksgiving. No need to stress and fret over every calorie on a day that is meant for celebration! Here are my simple ways to keep your metabolism going all day, eat a ton, and still feel good on Friday.

Work Out Before Eating

Ok, this may sound silly, and you may want to slap me for asking you to work out on a holiday, but just stay with me for a minute... Getting your heart and metabolism jump started a few minutes before eating can do wonders for calorie burning. Luckily, we are not talking about an hour of kick boxing before every bite of pumpkin pie. Working out for just three minutes before you eat is enough. Sure, it is not going to burn 600 calories, but it will jump start your metabolism so your body can burn more. Try doing a few minutes of wall or traditional squats. You can do these in the secret of a bathroom without changing into exercise gear!

Drink, A Lot

Drinking water is vital on a day that your are going to be eating, and eating, and eating some more. People often mistake hunger for thirst, keeping yourself hydrated throughout the whole holiday season will help curb the snacking bug that can add on so many unwanted calories. Water is the best thing to drink any day of the week. The average American gets almost 50% of their sugar intake from carbonated and sweet beverages. Cut out all of this over the holidays and your waist may come out on top, even with all the extra cookies. 

Choose Smaller Portions

Do not confuse this tip for eating less. Just eat less the first time around. I like to view the first course as my test course. Get a little bit of everything offered, try it all, then only go back for your favorites. This will not only leave more of what you hate for the person who loves it, but you won't have to feel guilty for not eating all of that weird jell-o mold. Keep the calories you eat for the food you want!

Eat A Good Breakfast

Yep, the tip for staying fit over Thanksgiving is to eat more! Your welcome :) Eating a protein rich breakfast on a day that we are going overboard can help curb some of those calories away from our thighs. Make sure that the first thing you eat in the morning is protein rich and carb and fat low. Something like eggs or low fat, plain greek yogurt is a great option and will kick start your metabolism for the rest of the day. If you are off and running early in the morning, grab a protein bar instead, just read the label first. There are quite a few protein bars on the market that have more carbs and fat than protein... We are going for protein rich, not breakfast candy bar!

Relax and Enjoy

Stress can create major issues in the human body over the long haul. When people are stressed, they tend to eat more and their body's will try to hold on to those calories. Staying relaxed and happy can be one of our best defense to staying fit! Sometimes we all need a little break on the holidays. If you feel stressed, just sit down and relax. Family would rather we be late than be a big ball of annoyed. Thanksgiving is such a wonderful time of year and their is so much to be thankful for, relax and enjoy it... Our dieting can start back up tomorrow!!