Eating Healthy on the Go

                I used to be one of the millions of people who ate out at least once a day.  I ate at various fast food chains and restaurants. It was convenient for my busy life but far from healthy. Now that I am a personal trainer, I know better. Now you do not have to stop eating out altogether, you just have to be more intentional about eating the right things while you are out. Here are some tips I learned that helped me make better decisions while eating out on the go:

1. CHOICES -If you must eat fast food always try to choose from the healthier options menu. Your body will thank you later.

For example: Instead of  French Fries, try this side salad/fruit bowl

2. VEGETABLES– When eating at a restaurant, always eat vegetables with your main course. Stay away from starchy foods (potatoes, rice, pasta, breads), instead substitute with an extra helping of yummy veggies.

3. BEVERAGES– Soda, those fruit drinks, wine and alcohol are empty calories drinks. That equates to your body adding fat in places you don’t like. Water is your friend drinks lots of it.

4. SNACKS– When I go grocery shopping I make sure to buy healthy snacks for on the go. I keep them my car, just in case I get hungry and to prevent me from spending money on something I will regret later.

Healthy snacks for on the go: Rice cakes, protein/energy bars, mixed nuts, and fruit.

*Remember you can save money and lose calories faster if you prepare your own meals.

If your anything like me then having balance in your life can become challenging at times. Everyone needs to have balance when it comes to eating and exercise.  Balance is extremely important because it aids in helping people develop consistent eating habits and routines. Learning to balance your diet and exercise is not an overnight process. It takes months maybe years for people to truly grasp the concept and understanding of how the two complement each other. A person cannot expect to see their best results when their diet and exercise are not in sync. For example, people mistake how athletes, actors, and other celebrities look as the normal way to look. These people have sacrificed many things and have unlimited resources to assist them.It is unrealistic for the average person that exercises to believe they can resemble how those people look. Make no mistake those people have an enormous amount of willpower which is needed on their health and fitness journey. Here’s what your average person needs to know about balancing a healthy diet and exercise:

1. CONSISTENCY -It takes months or years to accomplish a consistent diet and exercise routine.

2. SYNCHRONIZATION – Your body can not function at its highest level when these two are not in sync.

3. SACRIFICE– You must be willing to give up certain foods to achieve the type of lifestyle you want to live.

4. WILLPOWER– A person must have the will to want to eat and exercise a certain way. Even when your body wants to give up.

5. MENTOR/TEACHER– I had someone who assisted in showing me these things. I highly recommend that you seek the counsel of a professional whose lifestyle and appearance resembles this. In my opinion you want someone who has lived this way for ten or more years. This person would be a great resource for you.

If your anything like myself, you despise getting out of the bed. It takes your body a while to come out of that deep peaceful sleep you were in. Some people have an idea of why this occurs but most people have no clue. The primary reasons people have trouble jump starting their day involves lack of proper planning, being sleep deprived, and lack of exercise. Now that we know what gives people trouble getting their day started here are some ways to assist you in jump starting your day.

1. PLAN

I always plan out my meals and exercise routine for the next day or the entire week. Planning the night before will help you knowing that part of your day is already planned.

2. SLEEP

People can escape with only receiving six hours of sleep but that’s always a risk. Some of the simplest tasks become difficult when you are functioning on limited sleep. I recommend seven to nine hours of SLEEP. I have found that the body responds well to this amount of sleep. Your body is most alert when it is fully rested.

3. EXERCISE

Incorporate exercise into your morning routine.  Exercise assists the body in alerting yourself that it’s time to start your day. Exercise also positively affects the way a person’s day could be. A workout as long as fifteen minutes can have long term effects for the entire day. Check out the video “15-minute Jump start”.

One way to reach your goals, is to practice patience and self-control.  Don’t look for a quick fix.  Take the time.  There are not tricks.