Childhood Obesity
NATIONAL CHILDHOOD OBESITY AWARENESS MONTH was in September. Not necessarily a problem, but an issue with having a month dedicated to this cause, is what happens in between for the next 11 months. National Childhood Obeisty is an organization commited to finding programs, activities and diets to incorporate as the year goes on. This is important becasuse we pass on so much from how our generation does things to the next generation, and it is not fair to not teach our children the best things to put in our body or how to take care of thier bodies.
In the past four decades, obesity rates in the United States have soared among all age groups.
This rise in obesity rates has affected our youth in alarming fashion. More than 23 million children and
teenagers in the United States ages 2 to 19 are obese or overweight, a statistic that health and medical experts consider an epidemic. And this epidemic puts nearly one third of America’s
children at early risk for Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and even stroke –conditions usually associated with adulthood. Even greater disparities exist among young Hispanics and children of color.
But there are opportunities every day to change these trends. In September, there was an extraordinary opportunity to build awareness and take action – nationally, as well as in your state, city, workplace and home.
Every person in the
U.S. can be an important part of Childhood Obesity Awareness Month by taking small steps that add up to a big difference: Eating more balanced meals and snacks, engaging in physical activity more regularly, and sharing your personal plan and commitment with family and friends of all ages.
Fact Sheet – Childhood Obesity Awareness Month
• National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month recognizes the serious threat obesity poses to the health of America’s children and decreasing its prevalence in the United
States.
• Dedicating at least one month per year to the crisis will help maximize the impact of programs, activities, messaging and campaigns – all aligned to help eradicate childhood
obesity.
• Presidential and Congressional proclamations established September 2010 as the first National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. Governors and mayors around the country followed suit. Organizations of all types sponsored events to raise awareness of
the causes and consequences of childhood obesity and to promote solutions.
• National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month is supported by leading national organizations. They help educate the public about the need for increased awareness, proactive steps to prevent childhood obesity in the United States and promotion of
healthier lifestyles.
• Parents, health care providers, educators, civic leaders and organizations are encouraged to observe National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month with programs and activities to help prevent childhood obesity, promote healthy eating and physical
activity, and increase awareness of childhood obesity among individuals of all ages and
walks of life.
• The financial implications of childhood obesity are sobering, at $14 billion per year in direct health care costs alone. Increased awareness and prevention of childhood obesity
will save billions of dollars in unnecessary health care costs and promote healthier lifestyles to improve and prolong the lives of the next generation of Americans.
• Protecting the health and wellbeing of American children for years to come is a critical
endeavor. Adults must ensure that young people receive a healthy start in life.
My commitment to finding ways to be more active, is to being more active-physically. In Houston, the city offers plenty of Parks that are free and can accomadate families and pets and encourage a fun and active lifestyle. No need in worrying about how long it will take to lose the weight or how long it’s been since you’ve run, time to move and get started. Keep posted with my blog to learn about Houston Parks and Recreation and follow me on twitter @collierfitess.
Enjoy life!
Resistance Bands
When you think about strength training, you most likely think about free weights or machines. You may also think of kettle balls or push-ups or a home gym that uses cables. What is becoming more popular and being seen more now are Resistance Bands.
Resistance Bands are a great way to build strength, while giving you variety to your usual strength routine, or even better, a primary method to building strength. They allow you to keep training even when you travel and they are much easier to carry.
I do strength training using a variety of methods including free weights, kettle balls, and push-ups. But resistance bands offer a different dynamic to what I do now and I encourage you to check out how they work. I even recommend take a training session to learn more about what they offer. That answers the first question about why you may not have tried them already…
Reasons people resist Resistance Bands
1. They do not know how to use them.
Resistance Bands can come across as being confusing, but know that you can do the same exercises with bands as you can do with weights. The difference lies in how you position the band. With bands, you can actually do overhead press, triceps extensions, arm raises, knee lifts, and even do form running without having to move stations. There are a number of exercises you can find for them online as well. With the bands that I offer and use for training have a video to guide you through exercises and explanations on what those exercises are doing for your muscles.
2. It feels different.
Using the band adds a different dynamic to your strength training. When you use free weights gravity determines which part of the exercise in the toughest. When you push up, it’s harder than when you are bringing the weight down. With the band, there is constant tension on the muscle making it feel harder. You also start to get more stabilizer muscles to keep the band aligned and keep your balance through exercises. This is similar to what muscles you would use in Yoga.
3. It feels uncoordinated
Using bands can cause an awkward feeling when you first start. This is caused by a combination of it feeling different-the constant tension instead of gravity, and also not being familiar with them. Keeping your balance along with those two things just doesn’t feel right the first time. Oddly enough, you may not remember the first time you used free weights or dumbbells, but you probably didn’t feel too comfortable with those until several workouts with them. The same follows with the bands. Give yourself a couple weeks to adjust and build the muscle needed to commit to the workout.
4. It is not as challenging as free weights
Perfectly normal to feel that way. You cannot see the weight when using bands and you know exactly what you are doing on dumbbells and other free weights. This being said keep in mind whether you are using free weights or bands, the most important thing is the form you are keeping and tension you are using. If the reps you did for two weeks are too easy now, add more reps or sets. Both exercise methods give you a great workout. Look to be able to do the same exercise, but in different directions with the resistance bands
Why you should not resist Resistance Bands
1. They travel well
How easy and light will it be to pack your band in your suitcase or keep in your car on the way to the park?
2. They actually help your coordination
You may think you feel uncoordinated at first, but they actually improve your coordination as you have to stabilize your body. This forces you to use more muscle groups.
3. They add flexibility to your exercises (more exercises)
They allow for you to turn in more directions and adjust your positioning. This helps if you get bored easily with the same exercises.
4. Anyone can use them
Whether you are a beginner or a more advanced, you can use the bands and get exceptional benefit from them
5. Avoid fear of getting bulky
Many people hate the idea of getting bulky with strength training. Keep in mind that you can use free weights and not get bulky. If you are using moderate weight and good technique, you will define your muscles and strengthen them, but it won’t get much bigger. Even if you are doing heavy lifting, you have to have the food and calories in combination with that to get bigger. And of course with bands, it’s not an issue; look to turning your butt into nice round shape and trimming it down. Or maybe you do not have a butt at all- Look to getting results that start shaping a round butt for you too!
Along with a healthy diet that includes fat burning foods, healthy fats, and superfoods amongst other things, Resistance Bands can change your attitidue and shape. This is a safe, more flexible, and and exciting way to meet your fitness and strength goals. Get F.I.T!
Importance of Breakfast
We’ve seen it in Olympic swimming, gymnastics, rowing, and it will be most evident in track and field. How you start makes a dynamic impact on how the entire routine or race goes. It is possible to start poorly, and still recover towards the end, but how much easier to have a great start? It just flows better, and alleviates unnecessary stress and pressure. As does breakfast. And the benefits g longer when you start your day with breakfast a healthier way.
- This start to your morning can change your attitude about how you feel.
- No one really is in a good mood when they are hungry.
- Skipping this meal actually is not beneficial to you losing weight or having a desirable metabolism. Even some fruit, yogurt, or smoothie is better than nothing. Wake up and don’t eat until an 11:00 lunch? That will usually lead you into a big first meal, and anything you can get your hands on before then.
- A good, healthy breakfast would be greatly supplemented by a good exercise sometime during the day.
WBB MD says:
Benefits of a Healthy Morning Meal
Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day — it gives you energy to start the day and is linked to many health benefits. Studies show that eating a healthy breakfast can help give you a nutritionally complete diet, higher in nutrients, vitamins, and minerals; better weight control; improved concentration and performance in the classroom or the boardroom; more strength and energy to engage in physical activity; and lower cholesterol levels.
Bottom Line on Breakfast
If you find yourself at a fast-food chain in the morning, always opt for the healthiest breakfast options, or eat a smaller portion and save the other half. You can eat out healthfully, but nothing compares to the numerous breakfast options at home, from an egg and whole-wheat toast to a whole-grain breakfast parfait with fruit and yogurt. Short on time? Pack it the night before and take it along with you.
Some healthier breakfast options:
1. English muffin with Canadian bacon (vs bacon or sausage)
2. Oatmeal with blueberries (go easy on the sugar, try other toppings like fruit that have sugar already)
3. Eggs are healthy; an average of one egg a day is good. So if you like a 3 egg omelet, try to limit that to twice a week. Or switch to egg whites.
4. Whole milk is great for kids and developing bones. For a 31-year-old male; almond milk or 1% milk is better concerning fat content and calories. Make the choice based on your needs.
5. Consult a doctor before making any big changes to your diet. And while you are talking to your doctor, ask what they recommend as healthy for exercise for you.
enjoy life.
Who’s Your Motivation?
You will find it very commonplace now to see employers having health fairs, offering health coaching, very supportive EAP plans, and on site physicals. Not only does this help with cutting some of their cost for paying out on your medical bills, but it keeps a healthy you in the office. Aside from that, I do think that people generally pay more attention to their fitness and health today and want to do the right things to be around longer.
I signed up for a Health Coaching program with my employer several months ago to see what information I could learn to focus more on my health. Just 6 years ago I was still in great shape from competing on the collegiate level for track and field. My body was in great shape. I ate good, but if I didn’t, it didn’t matter much because I worked out so much. I didn’t need a Health Coach. Well I’m into my 30′s now, and many things are not the same. My body is different, eating habits are different. My free time is different. Most importantly I have a family (beautiful wife and 3 kids) and I want to be around long enough for them. I need to be around them for a long time; so I need coaching.
After talking briefly about my present habits, the coach asked me how my wife feels about and supports me wanting to establish a regular exercise routine being that sometimes it would mean I am not watching kids. Interesting question I did not expect, but important. Even more important in the sense that I flipped it around later and thought about how I think my wife feels about supporting her fitness goals. And a question you should ask yourself when you have someone close to you shooting for certain goals.
How considerate for the coach to wonder if I am being supported. Why would anyone need support? How would my goals change if I did not have that support? I have talked about attitude before, but having someone to support, encourage, and/or motivate you can change the outcome of your goals. It can help get there faster, it can help you surpass your goals, and it can do the exact opposite. If it is your spouse, pay attention to what their goals are and ask what you can do to help them. And also, if it is you trying to reach the goal, let someone encourage you, support and motivate you. Take compliments, say thank you, and assume that support is genuine and from the heart.
Men generally have a tendency to find solutions. We hear of a problem, complaint, issue, and we try to fix it. Women do not always react that way, at least not as much as men. And women many times voice an issue or concern, and they actually do not want your solutions or being informed of what we think the problem is. I have a sister, a wife, and plenty friends that have let me know this-I am assuming this is commonplace in society. I wish I had the answer to what the magic solution is and the perfect thing to say; if I did, I would bottle it up and sell it. But in the mean time, I try a different approach. Encourage and motivate, and ask what you can do to help.
Try to increase the chances of a positive outcome rather than bring another hurdle to the equation.
Now on the opposite side, I need to be challenged on my workout, my eating habits, and commitment to exercise. Matter of fact, I wish someone told me I could not do something. I would turn 21 (in my mind) and try to reach a 3 month goal in 3 days. It is just a matter of who you are there for and what they like.
I have talked to my health coach for 4 months now, and she ask me every time the same question about if I am still being supported. I take that and will make sure I do the same for someone else. Motivation, support, and encouragement is constant, or at least it is should be…enjoy life
In Kobe’s Dreams
I. Love. Sports. I love to play them, watch them, talk and write about them. The Olympics will be the ultimate high for me; Track and Field, Swimming, and Gymnastics on their largest scale is amazing to me. These are sports that are not normally televised or talked about very often in the USA, at least nowhere near as much as Football, Baseball, and Basketball. So every 4 years there is a build up of excitement to watch.
Basketball. One of the best activities you can participate in for a total body exercise. and my favorite sport. I love this sport more than any other, and even more I love debating friends and family over and over about basketball players, teams, generations, and on and on. So why would I stop now? I won’t. The Basketball Olympic debate.
If you haven’t heard Kobe Bryant mentioned that this USA Basketball team could probably beat the 1992 Dream Team. Hogwash. Didn’t bother me so much, why wouldn’t he say that? You have to feel confident about your team. Then of course people started to debate on why or why not, which no one really offered anything worth debating. Until this guy @CNNopinion (http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/17/opinion/lee-kobe-bryant-dream-team/index.html)crafted an article that was pretty smart actually, and suggested Kobe was right. However, I say In Kobe’s Dream.
I will touch on a couple of points the author of this article made, state mine and then go. He mentions that over time athletes get better, records get broken, and that will always be. He is absolutely correct for what happens most of the time. With the exception of Flo Jo sprints, Michael Johnson’s 400, actual home run records without asterisks, the undefeated Miami Dolphin’s, and The 1992 Dream team.
1. Author states Larry Bird can’t guard Carmelo Anthony. True, Larry Bird couldn’t guard anybody. Ever. And nobody can guard Carmelo Anthony. Larry Bird was fan bait on the Dream Team, he hardly even played. And on the flip side, Carmelo couldn’t guard Bird, nor could anyone else on this new team.
2. Author states Magic cannot keep up with Westbrook. True. No one can keep up with Westbrook. Other side though, Magic is 6’9 to Westbrook’s 6’3; what exactly would Westbrook to with Magic? And if this was a one on one game, then that absolutely matters more, but it isn’t. Magic won 5 championships playing team defense. He would destroy a matchup with Westbrook.
3. Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley were on this team. I said Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley. You know, from Space Jam. Do you realize who Michael Jordan is? Not Washington Wizards Mike, but Chicago Mike. This is MJ after winning 2 of his 6 championships. Not even at his best yet. Charles Barkley lead this team in scoring and please remember that no one ever could stop or handle Barkley. Do not let his career on TNT let you forget who this man was as a player. Karl Malone and Stockton came off the bench. That is all.
4. Have you paid attention to the power forward and center positions on this years team. Doesn’t look so hot. And just off common sense, imagine what strategy would Team USA use vs Dream Team 92′ to stop The Admiral, Pat Ewing, Barkley, and Malone down low? And on the defensive end, not to sure there would be an easier time either.
5. There are a total of 7 championships won on this USA team. There are also two players that have played in the Finals, but lost. MJ won as many championships as that whole team has combined. The 1992 Dream Team won 22 championships combined between Robinson, Jordan, Pippen, Magic, Bird, and Drexler. Ewing, Barkley, Malone, and Stockton all played in the Finals. All but Ewing lost at the hands of MJ and Scottie Pippen’s Bulls. This is a team of 11 Hall of Fame players playing 3 of the best basketball players today (2 Hall of Famers), one being the best athlete I have ever seen in Lebron, with James Harden, Kevin Love, DWill, and no big men coming off the bench. This game is a joke and a non-issue. This article was cute at best in its construction by speaking of how athletes get stronger and faster as time passes. This game is an hour of exercise and nothing more, and the result is not even as close as 20 points. The game probably goes how it went vs Croatia in 92′ (+ a whole lot of points.) Dream Team couldn’t lose this game on a Playstation.
Theory fails this test. “You better go watch some tape” from Mr. Kobe Bryant himself.
Collier Performance Training System – Continued Evolution
The first generation of CPTS were productive, but you had to switch out products to get different resistance levels or do different exercises. Now, Generation Two is compact and the one product does every level of resistance and workout!! Making fitness on the go a reality for you…no matter where you are!
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- enough said…
Attitude (friend or foe)
One
of the greatest experiences in my life was running a basketball camp with my best friend over several summers. During this camp, our primary goal was to teach basketball fundamentals to children between 6 and 14, and work to improve their skills. In addition, each day we focused on a different life lesson that applied to both basketball and real life. These lessons applied to the 6-year-olds in the camp, and I know from experience, that they will still apply when they are adults. The lesson with the biggest impact was about attitude. Your attitude is the pilot for everything you do.Attitude can make the biggest difference in our lives. When you have a tough challenge or goal, your attitude can be what determines if you meet that challenge or goal, or do not. Unfortunately, when your physical goals start to feel too hard and too far from your grasp, ATTITUDE is the first thing to suffer.
What is your attitude towards your self-image and how you look? Can you remain positive about yourself, even if you do not love how you physically look at a given time? Everyone wants to feel and look attractive, but you also need to understand that you are much more than just an appearance. A simple recognition of the fact that you are still a friend, a parent, productive, a personality, a love, or a light to someone may help change your attitude when you are particularly dissatisfied with the progress of a nutrition or exercise plan. A perceived deficiency in one area (physical appearance) does not negate all of the other wonderful things that are YOU. It’s my hope that keeping sight of that fact will help you to relax and enjoy your fitness journey rather than treat it as a job. Diet and exercise are adding to the complex equation of who you are…they do not define you. And the results, as wonderful as they will be to realize, are merely icing on the substance of who you are. So while you chase your fitness goals, remember to invest just as much time in the other parts of you.
How is your attitude when things are going well? Your exercising and eating good, of course your happy! Seeing results, even happier! What’s the response when you are not losing as fast as you want, or not getting results or meeting goals. Maybe you just had several bad meals in a row. A bad attitude may lead you to kill the whole project. A good attitude dusts itself off, provides new life, creates strength and discipline.
A few TIPS on helping keep your spirits up and bolster a positive attitude:
1. Give yourself ample time to see results. (That means no jumping off of the treadmill and straight onto the scale after the first week of working out)
2. Try not to focus only on what the scale says. Remember this–>
http://collierfitness.org/2012/06/15/ditch-the-scale/
3. Get a workout partner some or all of the time. When you are down, they may be UP and vice versa.
4. Get a personal trainer. WINK!
5. Download a fitness or calorie app for your new phone. So you can engage in the tracking activity and look back at your progress.
6. Challenge yourself. If you weren’t able to compete a workout, rather than abandon it, face it head on a few days later! You’d be surprised what you can do the second go round that you may not have been able to accomplish th first.
7. Set small goals to build confidence and gradually go for what you really want.
One important thing to remember, your nutrition and exercise are vitally important. They work best when you approach both with equal effort.
There is no simple Solution to changing your attitude because there are so many things that affect your attitude. But if you do a little attitude check daily, over time you will be able see the signs before your attitude takes a nose dive and turn that train around.
Check in here or on Facebook and let us know how you are doing and if we are helping!
enjoy life.
DITCH THE SCALE!!
Mrs. Fitness Here… and I’d like to discuss that small square thing in my bathroom that is always trying to find a way to ruin a perfectly good day. The scale. What happened was I bought a spin bike. Well first I did a little research, THEN I purchased (this) reasonably priced home spin bike to help me ramp up my fitness routine. Anyone who has ever been a spin fan knows that spinning is addictive. Nothing else makes you feel as euphoric as 45 minutes on a spin bike. When you hop down and see the pool of sweat on the floor you KNOW you’ve put in work.
Well I’ve been spinning for a week. A week is not enough time to change your life, but I hopped on the scale with excitement this morning anyway to see how much weight I’d managed to sweat out with my new spin routine. And do you know how much weight I loss…drum roll please BRBRBRBRBRbrbrbrbrbrbrbrb
None. :-/
I wound up taking off everything including my wedding ring. But still zilch zip nada. If I didn’t know better I’d be despondent. But I’ve learned over the years that the scale is NOT the final word on fitness. My clothes fit better, my body feels better, my energy is up. So that scale can go play in traffic. And here’s why.
Slimming down doesn’t always mean losing weight. It is quite possible to get thinner without actually seeing a change in your weight. This happens when you lose body fat while gaining muscle. Your weight may stay the same, even as you lose inches. This, my friends, is cause to rejoice. So don’t tether your emotions to the scale. If you do, you may quit a great workout plan prematurely because you are not aware that you’re getting real results. Knowing the difference between losing weight and losing body fat can change how you get results and may even change how you look at your own body.
What do those numbers on the scale mean anyway?? If you think about it, that number doesn’t tell you much at all. The scale shows your weight, but it doesn’t explain how much of your weight is muscle and how much is fat? Or how much of that weight is water, bones or organs? If you’ve ever had someone tell you how much they weigh and thought NO way!! I would have never guessed that. It’s because weight is the measurement of many things we CANNOT superficially see. A size 6 athlete may weight quite a bit more than a six 6 person who does not work out, because muscle is dense. But on sight they will look much more trim and light. Weight just doesn’t tell the whole story.
Another reason to avoid the constant weight checks that our weight changes constantly. All of us experience weight changes throughout the day, sometimes by as much as 10 pounds depending on what and how often we eat and drink. You could gain weight right now by chugging a liter of water, but does that mean you’ve gained fat? No. And once that water is voided, your weight will change again.
The bottom line is, if that scale is having a negative impact on your mental fortitude and it doesn’t help you stay on track and reach your goals, kick it to the curb. There are much better ways to keep up with your progress.
Try these:
- A trusty measuring tape can keep track of inches lost from problem areas
- Pay attention to how your clothes fit and when you suddenly find yourself needing a belt to hold up things that were once too snug
- Check your posture. The stronger your core becomes, the easier it is to maintain good posture throughout the day.
- Try the “pencil test” if you are working on glutes (stand straight up and place a pencil at the point where your butt meets your thigh. If your bottom can hold that pencil against your leg set out to add glute exercises to your routine (lunges, squats, etc). Check back every 3 weeks or so. As your gluteus maximus and gluteus minimus muscles tone up and lift, you will no longer be able to hold the pencil in pace. Now that result rocks much harder than a few lower numbers on a scale!!
For now…forget the scale 
Stay F.I.T. my friends!!
The thigh bone’s connected to the….knee bone (joint health)
Every one knows on a subconscious level that they are supported by their bones. And everyone knows thanks to the prolific Milk campaigning of the 80s 90′s and today that it’s important to have strong healthy bones. What people DO NOT realize is that failure to focus on maintaining the health and density of their skeletal system has a domino effect that can negatively impact their weight, heart health, physical ability and endurance…etcetera. Building muscle is not enough to achieve optimal physical fitness. We have to think about out bones and joints.
I count myself among the athletes who have pushed their joints beyond the normal measure of a man. A life time of running hurdles competitively has taken its toll on my knees back and ankles. Now I am in my thirties and know that in order to be able to continue to ask my body to perform for me…I have to fuel it in a manner that protects and repairs my bones and joints. Here are some foods tips and vitamin groups that promote joint health.
Aim for a diet high in Vitamin A, C, E, and selenium
A =yellow-orange fruits and vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, apricots, cantaloupe, peaches, and dark leafy greens
C =grapefruit, oranges, papaya, mangoes, raspberries, pineapples, asparagus, and red peppers,
E= avocados, whole-grain breads and cereals, sunflower seeds, almonds, pine nuts and peanut butter; and
Selenium =salmon, brazil nuts, oatmeal, shellfish, liver, bran and brown rice, .
Certain fatty acids, for example, omega-3s, are anti-inflammatory by nature and can reduce swelling and discomfort in joints. Omega 3′s can be found in salmon, sardines and herring, green vegetables, nuts, seeds and whole grains.
Drink plenty of water. (notice water is in every post we have ever made…want to guess why??)
If taken consistently, A dietary supplement containing at least at least 1,500 mg of glucosamine can also promote joint health.
Avoid soda (even diet drinks) and refined sugar.
And stay active. Just like the engine on a car, if you don’t start your body up and take it for a spin each day…it will begin to break down on you.
Most health experts recommend you limit your intake of saturated fats: (fatty beef or pork, poultry skin, ice cream, butter, whole or 2 percent milk, regular cheese, bacon, bologna, salami, pepperoni, beef sausage) and trans fats: (Sugary foods, white flour baked goods, white rice, bread) as they cause increases in cytokines and other pro-inflammatory compounds. Limit these foods if you want the best chance of reducing joint pain.
Procrastination
I received a great message Sunday at church. The lesson was in reference to when Jesus asked a disciple to follow him and this is what happened:
21 Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
22 But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”
He said this meaning If I ask you to follow me, come and let’s go. Everything will be taken care of if you trust me, even the burial of your father. Keep in mind that this this is Jesus you are talking to! I could raise your father from the dead!
Our lives are similar to this story. We need or want to do something, but always find something else that needs to be done first. Almost every morning I wake up and say I will read a couple chapters from the bible, or maybe a devotional, or even just a Proverbs for that day of the month. The morning passes and that goal becomes the goal for my lunch break. But when it is time for lunch, I may say “I need to go visit my twins at the daycare for a little while.” Sounds like a good reason. It is actually a great experience for me to go see them during lunch, even for just a few minutes. But what happens is for the second time that day, I put off what I was planning to do as far as my bible reading. And no matter the reason, good or bad, I can find a way to delay the plan. I can find justification, reasons, and excuses to not do certain things right away, but what benefit does it ever have?
Your health is important, whether you consider it to be or not. There is no good reason to delay when you will start to change your diet or start exercising. Time will always be an issue in our lives; if you have children, or a second job, or your going to school and working, you are probably even more limited. But just because you cannot do what the complete recommendation is for exercise or eating, does not mean you cannot start somewhere.
Be practical with the goals you set for yourself; are they too big, too soon? Are you setting yourself up to meet these goals? Start easy whether it is your diet or exercise, or both. Do not procrastinate. If you llan on being around for a long time, start investing in yourself now. I find that it is much easier to start adding more positive things in your diet first, and eventually ween the bad out as you get used to your changes. Eating almonds and fruits in between meals, replacing your white rice with brown rice, and drinking more water in place of sodas and juices. It is hard to change habits in just weeks, it’s a process. But it is better if you start now, rather than later. You will be surprised on how much time you can carve out for your self wiby making some small changes. I can leave out Sportscenter in the morning. You can ditch Real Housewives or American Idol. Actually some of you absolutely cannot be without those, but the point is that you can find 30 minutes several days a week to exercise. You do not have to wait until the weekend is over to get all bad eating out-of-the-way, so you can start fresh on Monday. And you should enjoy life and pleasures like dessert, so don’t be down when they find their way into your diet. Your goal should be consistency in a diet and exercise routine that is beneficial to you. If you are reading this then TODAY is THE DAY for you to make changes in your diet and activity.
@CollierFitness, we are here to help you in your journey to meet nutrition and physical fitness goals. Continue to watch for updates, recipes, stories, 10 minute workout plans, and personal training and camps that will be offered. Find out about how our resistance bands can make changes in your body and provide an alternate way to get strength training.
Enjoy life, and Get Fit!
