80% Nutrition

Are you one of those people that works out regularly, but never seems to be able to slim down? Well, you may need to take a look at your nutrition throughout the day. See many of us workout so we can eat whatever we want. Unfortunately, that is the very reason we don't see the changes we desire. We are constantly changing our workout routine, but we don't change our diet. Your nutrition makes up 80% of what your figure looks like. Can you believe that...80%!! That is astounding! The other 20% is made up of 10% genetics and 10% physical activity. So when you look at that, you can clearly see just how important your nutrition is when it comes to accomplishing your health and fitness goals.

Most people struggle with the nutrition aspect since you can't just do it for one hour a day 4-6 days a week like you do with your workouts. You must focus and be committed to eating healthy 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Living healthy truly is a lifestyle.

My fiance and I took a little trip this weekend. Being away from home can make it very difficult to stick to that healthy lifestyle, but it's a must. I made sure I packed some oatmeal for breakfast, protein shakes to ensure I was getting enough protein as well as some almonds, raisins and apples. Although we still had to eat out, I made sure we ate a healthy breakfast and had healthy snack options for the day. I was able to make sure I ate every 2-3 hours. Again, it all goes back to commitment. It does take more planning and preparation to eat healthy, but trust me your body will thank you!! You are worth it!!

Gotta Get My Zzzzzz's

Whew!! Glad I made it through the day. So today I experienced the importance of getting a good night's sleep or should I say lack there of. I didn't get enough sleep last night and that led to a difficult day - struggled with my workout this morning and made poor nutritional choices. Athough, I have to commend myself on having the self discipline of getting out of bed to workout this morning and not sleeping in. So needless to say, I will get to bed at a decent time tonight and start tomorrow off feeling refreshed and ready to take on the day! Thank goodness we're given the opportunity to start fresh tomorrow!

Sleep is so incredibly important for our health. Our bodies don't function properly when we don't give them time to recover. So with that....Sleep tight! -H

To Much Fun on the Weekend = Sore Mondays!

Yesterday my fiance and I played tennis for the first time this year, and let's just say we are both very sore!! It's amazing the muscles you have, but don't use on a regular basis. Although I work out every morning and try to vary my workout routines to hit all the muscle groups, I apparently missed a few! Guess that goes to show that you need to continue to incorporate different activities and exercises in order to truly hit all your muscle groups and keep your muscles balanced.

I'm so pumped that spring is here because being able to play various sports has always shocked my metabolism and cranked up the calorie burnin' furnace! Which I absolutely love!!

This week challenge yourself to try an activity you normally wouldn't do. Maybe you try a new class at the gym or take up a new sport. You don't have to be a super star at the activity, you've just got to get out there and do it!! You just might surprise yourself and your metabolism!! - H

It's All About Commitment!

Every day you wake up, you are forced to make decisions. Some are very easy decisions and some are very difficult decisions. So why are some decisions so hard for us to make? It's simple...it's all a matter of commitment. Often times we know what the right thing to do is, but for some reason we don't do it. Have you ever gone to work and someone has brought in doughnuts for everyone, and you tell yourself "oh, it's just one doughnut, it won't kill me." Well you're right, it's not going to kill you, but it also won't help you achieve your health goals. So why is that decision so hard...because you haven't made a conscious decision to be committed to a healthy lifestyle. Once you make that commitment, you no longer have to make the decision of whether or not you are going to eat the doughnut. The decision has already been made for you. You made that decision the moment you made a commitment to live a healthy lifestyle.

Today my fiance and I decided to grab a sandwich at Quizno's. I would always choose something off their lite menu. Well, when it was finally my turn to order, I didn't see the lite menu listed anywhere so I asked the gentleman working if they still made the sandwiches on the lite menu. He told me they discontinued those sandwiches. So after scanning the menu to see if there were any other healthy options, I decided not to order a sandwich. They simply didn't have any healthy menu options, and since I have made a commitment to live a healthy lifestyle, the decision to pass on eating at Quizno's was easy - the decision was already made for me. Thankfully, my fiance is incredibly supportive of my lifestyle and made sure we stopped somewhere else that offered a healthy menu.

So with that, I encourage all of you to stay committed to a healthy lifestyle, and once you do, the choices you are faced with everyday will no longer be a difficult decision for you. Your decision has already been made!! -H

Welcome

Welcome to my new blog. I look foward to sharing my ideas, challenges, and prior experiences with you. As I find new health and wellness information, I will share it with you. Please email me your comments or leave them here. I want to not only share my experiences with you, but also bring you information to help you train for life. -H