As a fitness professional, I don’t believe I’ve ever met a single person that said to me, “I don’t want to be healthy.” In fact, every one of my clients shares the same goal: to be healthier. They each had individual motivators, but the end goal remained the same; get healthy and stay there. Being healthy is not easy because we are surrounded with convenient and tempting alternatives. It’s much easier to pick up dinner than to prepare a home-cooked meal. It’s easy to drink after a stressful week and it’s way easier to enjoy a movie than to work out. I get it and I struggle with it too, but making good choices adds up! Here are a few tips to get you started and moving in the right direction. Keep applying these tips daily and before you know it you will have created sustainable habits!
1. EAT MEALS FROM A SALAD PLATE
Ditch the dinner plate and start using the salad plate for your meals. This will ensure your portions are smaller and you end up eating less. Many times, the issue isn’t what we’re eating but how much. Remember, if you’re trying to lose fat you have to reduce calorie intake. People assume if they eat healthy, they won’t gain weight. WRONG. Healthy food like avocados and nuts are great but they still have calories. So, if you’re eating more than your body needs chances are the healthy foods are making you gain weight.
2. PLATE VEGGIES FIRST AND FOLLOW THE 50/25/25 RULE
We’re led to believe the more protein the better and guess what? We have more overweight people in this country than ever before. More protein isn’t what you need, it is more vegetables. Not only are vegetables incredibly good for you, they’re also extremely low in calories. So that means you can eat a ton of vegetables, get full, and still be under in your overall calorie intake for the day. Instead of grabbing the meat first, cover 50% of your plate with colorful vegetables, 25% with whole grain, and the last 25% with a protein. Trust me, this shift in eating will make a difference in your waistline while also improving your skin, nails, energy level, hair, and overall attitude.
3. ONE SNACK PER WEEK RULE
We have the tendency to buy a lot of food for our kids including unnecessary amounts of chips, cookies, crackers, and snacks. So, our kids will eat junk for most of the day and we end up eating it, too. Stop! Give your kids the choice of one snack per week. They have to ration it out for the week and when it’s gone, it’s gone. This teaches them self-control and good eating habits, while also keeping the temptation away from you. At first, my kids hated this, but now they’re used to it and know how to make a bag of chips last the entire week. I’m teaching my kids good habits, keeping temptation at bay, and saving money. Win-win!
4. DRINK MORE WATER
I can’t stress how important it is to drink water. It flushes toxins, nourishes the body, helps you feel fuller, and hydrates you. It’s an essential element to living a healthy life. I don’t know a single healthy person that says, “I don’t drink that much water.” Almost every athlete, healthcare provider, nutritionist, and health advocate promotes drinking more water. Here’s how you can do it: drink a tall glass of water before you eat or drink anything. Just before coffee in the morning ask yourself, “Did I have a glass of water yet?” Before breakfast, lunch and dinner, ask yourself the same question. This small measure of accountability will help you stay focused and hydrated!
5. GET UP AND WALK EVERY 50 MINUTES OF SITTING
We have demanding jobs these days and it’s easy to get in a rut of sitting in front of the computer for hours to relax. We are not designed to sit; we are built to move. The more you move, the more energy you will have and the healthier you’ll be. I understand it’s not an easy task to step away from your computer, but it’s important that you do it anyway. Set a timer and take a break every 50 minutes to walk. No excuses; get up and walk in place if you have to.
We all want to be healthy and it seems like a difficult thing to accomplish, but small changes can lead to big results! Don’t feel overwhelmed like you have to change everything at once. Instead, focus on small goals and work on improving each day. Apply my 5 tips and I promise you’ll be one step closer to the healthiest version of you!
Nidaa Hossenlopp is a personal trainer and creator of Trufitness with Nidaa. She is a wife, mother of 2, and dedicated to educating women and men about the benefits of exercise for the mind, body and soul. For more health and fitness ideas or questions about your fitness journey contact her at trufitnesswithnidaa@gmail.com or visit her website at trufitnesswithnidaa.com. You can also follow Nidaa on Instagram @trufitnesswithnidaa and Facebook @Trufitness with Nidaa.
