Hi everyone how is 2013 treating you? Have you joined a gym, a fitness class, are you still feeling motivated and getting the results you require? If the answer is YES then brilliant for you keep it up, and if it is NO then what can you do to change this and keep you focused on your goals?
Well the first thing to do would be to address your nutrition and portion sizes. Has your diet changed? Have you been mindful of what you are eating and drinking? Have you taken out the processed foods and alcohol, and are you eating fresh foods cooked from scratch?
A lot of people will go on a restrictive diet, reducing the calories they consume but not thinking about the food they are putting in their body. Restrictive, calorie counting diets will never work, what is the point in living on a 1500 calorie intake a day if it is all rubbish food? You are starved nutritiously and have no energy to exercise. You need to nourish your body not starve it and abuse it. How can you expect the body to partake in exercise and work for you if you do not fuel it properly and with the right food? So what should you have in your daily/weekly food intake?
• Lots and lots of water with a slice of lemon/lime
• Herbal teas
• Lots of fresh/frozen vegetables (organic where possible)
• Lots of salad (organic where possible)
• Lean meat, red meat occasionally (organic where possible)
• Organic eggs (rich in Omega 3)
• Fresh line caught fish
• Essential fats in olive oil, nut oils, avocado, raw nuts, raw seeds and oily fish
• Cook all sauces from scratch, no pre-made sauces or dressings
• Lentils and beans
• Fresh/frozen Fruit (2-3 pieces a day)
• Limited starchy energy foods where needed – sweet potatoes, root veg, brown rice, quinoa, grains
Are you being more active and exercising clever?
Are you being more active; walking, cycling, using the stairs and parking further away from your destination?
If you are partaking in exercise, are you getting your heart rate up? Mixing up your exercises or are they repetitive? Long bouts on the treadmill or long impacting cardio classes are not the key. You need to incorporate high intensity interval training (HIIT), strength exercises, weights and variety. If I told you that you could do 45 minutes of training times a week instead of every single day for over an hour that would keep you motivated, don’t you think?
Train smart and get to your goals quicker. These little bits of information will help you but it is up to you to take the information and use it. Either by researching this yourself or save yourself the time and trouble and get yourself a personal trainer.
Check me out at www.laurabanks.co.uk.
I will be putting examples of HIIT training on here on my next blog so watch this space.