Very honored to be featured on the cover of Health & Fitness Magazine for the second time! It’s amazing to get the December issue as this is my favorite time of year! With our hectic schedules year round (and the holiday season even more insane) it’s nice to step back and enjoy the one’s we love and take some time to soak them up.
I encourage you to continue pressing hard for your goals and not lose track simply because of all the seasonal indulgences. While you should definitely enjoy some of your favorite things, moderation is key in making sure you aren’t creating more resistance for yourself. DO NOT wait until January 1st to implement healthier habits, start now so you’ll be well on your way to a better you by then. It would seem Santa could benefit from the addition of a few of these tips…
Here’s a few tips you can implement today so you don’t end up on Santa’s Naughty List!
Eat Real Food!
I follow and anti-inflammatory diet (aka Paleo) and find this to be one of the easiest ways to live. I don’t weigh or measure anything, but I did for so many years while competing that I’m a great judge at portion sizes. You don’t need to follow any set structured “diet” other than one you can personally stick with. This is just what blends easiest into my life.
Shop the perimeter of the grocery store, as that is where you find the real food. Unless you need to refill your toilet paper supply, be leery of heading down those aisles upon aisles of processed, packaged junk. When in doubt, find a local nutritionist to help recommend a healthy plan to follow. Learning to prepare healthy meals that taste good will insure your success.
GET OFF YOUR ASS!
Sure, we are talking about cleaning up your diet, but eating well and exercising go hand in hand. One thing I’ve found is that when I’ve gotten my workout in, I’m less likely to want to mess up my efforts by eating garbage.
Another benefit is that when eating healthier and adding in workouts customized to meet your goals, the exciting news is, YOU’LL GET THERE FASTER!! I don’t know about you, but I’m an instant gratification girl, so anything I can do to achieve my goals quicker is a win/win. Adding some muscle to your frame helps make you shapelier and turns your body into a fat burning machine, even at rest. Not sure where to start at the gym? Enlist the help of a trainer to teach you proper form and technique and you’ll soon be on your way to running the joint. So what are you waiting for, get lace em up and get moving!
Think!
Traveling, heading to a party or leaving home for an extended period of time? All of these situations can be tricky to navigate if you are unprepared, but they don’t have to be. Planning weekly meals in advance, shopping, cooking and packing for easy grab-and-go, is a lifesaver. This eliminates the worry of finding something healthy. A little trick I follow before heading to a party is filling my belly with a healthy meal or snack before I go. In the event I show up and I’m not starving, I won’t reach for all the pigs in a blanket and high calorie crap.
Moderate the naughty stuff
Ok, I’m being a realist here for a minute…you need to treat yourself on occasion or you will snap. Enjoying some of the things you love in life is called balance and we should all seek some. When on good behavior and making progress in the direction of your goals, you should allow yourself a treat meal at least once a week. I find that I don’t feel so great after eating inflammatory foods, so I’m usually excited to indulge a bit and then eager to get right back to eating healthy food.
Good luck, happy holidays and keep your head up and you will get there!
XX,
Tiffany
