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Get Back on the Wagon!

posted by edferrell on 11:29 am

So you splurged. Now it's time to move on.
There you were, face to face with temptation. And it was much harder than you imagined. The icing was creamy, the filling rich, the flavors incredibly...flavorful. You caved. With each bite, you thanked the stars for your newfound ability to splurge and swore off your newly made resolution to eat well.

Then the morning came and you regretted your decision. How do you get back on the wagon to good health? By following these steps.

Don't Mourn
Okay, so you made a mistake. Who hasn't? Ask anyone who has lived on planet Earth for long and you'll realize that everyone goofs up. More than likely, the people you idolize and think are picture-perfect have already made a few mistakes today. So stop feeling sorry for yourself and get ready to move on. After all, if you don't have the right mindset, you'll never get past this temporary lapse of judgment.

See It Clearly
Look around. Are buildings falling down around you? Did the stock market take a sudden downturn when you bit into that second cookie? No? Well, guess what? Your diet mistake is not going to be the end of the world. It's a new opportunity to strengthen your resolve and get started on the road to better health once again!

Use It to Grow
Just because your mistake didn't cause the world to fall apart doesn't mean you should ignore your mistake and make mistakes a daily habit. Do this and you'll be on the fast and furious road to unfit and unhealthy. Take a good look at your goof up and try to figure out why you gave in. Forget to munch on a healthy snack before heading to a friend's house? Just get tired of eating healthy all the time? Figure out why you fell and avoid those pitfalls in the future.

Get Back to Life
When your diet takes a hit, you may think that avoiding food for a day or so will help you overcome your splurge. Think again. Instead of starving your body, fill it with healthy foods when you become hungry. This way you'll be returning your body and mind to your healthy way of life as soon as possible, which makes it easier to put your past eating mistakes behind you.

Remember the Perks
If you've having a hard time returning to the healthy you, it may help to write down your reasons for seeking good health. Doing this can be therapeutic and help you refocus for the future. The purposes for living a healthy lifestyle and eating healthily are many. To get your list started, try these perks: you feel better, have more energy, and are more prepared to take care of your daily to-do list. Keep this list on hand and you'll be better armed the next time you're staring temptation in the face.

Prepare for the Next Potential Fall
No matter how hard you may try, you cannot always avoid temptation. So instead of tricking yourself into thinking you can, take time to prepare for the next temptation. What will you do beforehand to avoid tempting foods? What about when the food is right in front of your nose? Knowing how you'll handle a situation before the situation arises increases your likelihood of success, so start planning today and you'll avoid falls in the future.

Tell Somebody
Living a healthy lifestyle can often be a lonely business filled with calorie counting and fat avoidance. But you don't have to do it on your own. Talk with a family member or friend about your goals, how you plan to reach them, and any setbacks you have along the way. Doing this regularly helps you stay the course and reminds you why you decided to get healthy in the first place.
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Your Health by the Numbers

posted by edferrell on 11:20 pm

 
The most important numbers you should know regarding your health.
Want to be in the best health of your life? You'll have to keep an eye on some key numbers. But with so many numbers to keep track of, you may be wondering which ones to really pay attention to. If you're in fairly good health, you should know and monitor the following few easy-to-track numbers.

Weight and Height
Your body-mass index (BMI) may not be the most accurate determination of your overall health, but it does provide a good indication of whether or not you're overweight. To figure out your BMI using pounds and inches, divide your weight in pounds by your height in inches squared. Multiply this answer by 703. Healthy adults should have BMIs between 18.5 and 24.9. A higher BMI indicates you may be overweight or obese, and a lower BMI means you may be underweight.

Cholesterol
Despite having a perfect BMI, your body may not be the well-oiled health machine it could be. If your cholesterol is out of control, your body—even if it's thin—may be quietly putting you in harm's way. Unfortunately, you can't figure out your cholesterol levels with a mathematical formula. It requires a trip to your physician. Ideally, your total cholesterol is no higher than 199 mg/dL, your low-density lipoprotein (bad) cholesterol shouldn't exceed 130 mg/dL (70 mg/dL if you're at high risk for heart disease), and your high-density lipoprotein (good) cholesterol should stay at 45 mg/dL or higher.

Blood Pressure
Equally as important to your health is the force with which blood presses against your blood vessels, which is measured as blood pressure. To find out your blood pressure, drop by a pharmacy. Most of them now offer free blood pressure screenings, and many allow you to perform the quick test yourself. For your blood pressure to be considered healthy, your blood pressure should be 120/80 mmHg or less. The top number, called your systolic blood pressure, indicates the pressure on your arteries during each heartbeat. The lower number, your diastolic blood pressure, is the pressure on your arteries as your heart rests. If either the top or bottom number gets any higher than 120/80, you're at risk for high blood pressure, one of the leading risk factors for heart disease and stroke.

Target Heart Rate
To lower your blood pressure and cholesterol and get other great benefits from exercise, you'll need to know how hard to work your heart. In order to do this, subtract your age in years from 220. This number is your maximum heart rate, the highest number of beats you can likely achieve in one minute of strenuous exercise. Take this number and multiply it by .75 and you'll have your target heart rate. Once you have this number, get to the gym and start exercising. Take your pulse in the middle of your routine. If your heart is going slower than your target heart rate, push it a little harder. Heart going faster than your target? You may need to slow down a bit. If you have other health issues, consult an personal trainer or physician to determine your target heart rate.

Blood Sugar
When it comes to blood sugar (glucose), you've got to hit the target. Have blood pressure that's too high and it could spell trouble. Have blood pressure that's too low and you're on the same dangerous path. A normal range for your blood sugar if you've not eaten recently is between 70 and 100 mg/dL. If you recently ate, expect it to spike as high as 140 mg/dL, but no higher. In the event your blood sugar is out of these boundaries, you may have diabetes. If your blood sugar is on either edge of the scale, take steps to improve your blood glucose levels and your health.
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Post-Pregnancy Workouts

posted by edferrell on 7:03 pm

 
Why, when, and how to get moving after giving birth.
You just made it through all 40 weeks of pregnancy. During the past nine months, you've felt nauseated at times, emotional at others, and dog tired at yet others. Sometimes, you felt all three at once. But when you welcomed your new bundle of joy into the world, all of the sacrifice and suffering was worth it.

Now, it's time to get back to life as lady who is not pregnant. That means it's time to return to your exercise routine! If you have questions about your triumphant return to the gym, read on for answers.

Why
The reasons to exercise after being pregnant are deep and wide. First and foremost on many new mothers' minds is getting back in pre-pregnancy shape. In order to do this, you'll have to begin exercising in some shape or fashion. But the perks of post-pregnancy exercising don't stop with regaining your previous slim physique.

It'll also help bring your mind and body to a better place. Being a new parent can be exceptionally stressful. With a little exercise, you can work out your stress and be better able to handle your newfound responsibilities. You'll also get a big boost of energy and be better able to sleep. Since your new routine involves being awake any time baby is awake, making the most of your sleep time and having the energy you need to care for your baby are essential.

When
Unless your physician says otherwise, you can begin your exercise routine as soon as you feel ready. In the event you go through an uncomplicated pregnancy with no issues during vaginal birth, this may mean you're able to exercise again a few days after your child is born. On the other hand, if you had complications anywhere along the way or had your child via Caesarean section, you'll need to wait until your doctor gives you the okay.

When you start, be careful not to overwork your body. Even with the smoothest pregnancies and deliveries, you ought to remember that your body has just been through a bit of trauma. If you feel yourself getting worn down, take a break. You ought to also be particularly careful to avoid dehydration and to seek immediate medical attention if you experience any strange effects after exercising.

How
After pregnancy, you're free to do just about any exercise you so desire—as long as it's not too strenuous. However, some exercises are better tolerated than others. One of the easiest ways to ease back into the exercise after birthing a child is walking. Place your baby in the stroller and head off down the street. The first time you go out, plan on going a short distance and turn around. Otherwise, you may find yourself far from home without the energy necessary to make it back.

Other good exercises to try out after having a child include the following:

Kegels: Tighten the muscles needed to stop the flow of your urine. Hold for 5 to 10 seconds and release. Repeat 10 times a few times a day. This may not seem too strenuous, but it helps maintain the integrity of specific muscles which is particularly important after childbirth.

Bridges: Lie on your back with your knees bent and your back in a neutral, relaxed position. As you tighten your abdominal muscles, raise your hips from the floor until your hips are in a straight line with your knees and shoulders. Hold for 5 to 10 seconds, return to the starting position, and repeat.

Lying Slides: Start flat on your back with your knees bent slightly. Slowly inhale, allowing your right leg to slide flat on the floor in the process. As you exhale, bring your leg back to the starting position, and repeat with your left leg.

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You Can Burn More Calories

posted by edferrell on 8:15 pm

With these tips, you'll burn more calories than ever!
To obtain or maintain a healthy weight, you've got to burn calories. Sometimes, though, it seems that you just can't burn enough in the time you have to spend exercising. Wish you could make better use of the time you have working out to burn all the calories you can? No problem. With these tips, you'll burn more calories than ever!

Go to the Beach
As with water running, taking a jog or run on the beach forces your body to work harder than if you were on a treadmill or sidewalk. The shifting ground under your feet also helps strengthen your core. So you burn more calories and build more muscle, all while enjoying the beautiful beach.

Enter the Racquetball Court
How many exercises do you know of that can burn as many as 400 calories in half an hour? Yes, an intense game of racquetball can indeed get rid of that many calories. Full of sprints, direction changing, and an occasional volley that seems to last forever, racquetball is your best bet for small-court calorie burning.

Hop on the Bike
Want to burn as many calories as racquetball without having to stand up? Then it's time to climb on a bicycle. Whether you go for a ride in the great outdoors or go with a stationary bike, a hard ride can reap the same calorie-burning benefits as racquetball. If you really push it, you can even burn more calories than your racquetball-loving friends.

Get Started Early
Wish there was a way to burn calories all day long? There is. All you have to do is squeeze your exercise routine in before heading off to work. Sound impossible? Do a quick evaluation of your routine. What keeps you from early exercise? If it's too hard to wake up early, turn off the television an hour earlier and go to bed so you can wake up earlier. Don't have someone to watch the kids in the morning? Do a light workout in your living room in the morning and get to the gym in the afternoon. Even a small workout will get your heart pumping and help you burn calories throughout your day.

Always Start Warm
No matter what you plan to do in the gym, you'll work harder and longer after a brief warm up. So instead of starting out with dumbbells in your hands, hop on a treadmill or stationary bike to get the sweat flowing. After a brief jog or bike ride, your heart will be working well, and your muscles will be warm and full of blood, ready to take on whatever you throw its way.

Do the Little Things
Big burning doesn't always come in big packages. During your daily routine, you can take little steps that add up to burned calories. Don't take the closest parking place, take the stairs, walk to your coworker's office instead of calling him or her, and play air drums or air guitar to your favorite songs. Along with the other exercise-centric steps, these will give you even more calorie-burning power on a daily basis.
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Cut the Calories in Your Drinks

posted by edferrell on 12:44 pm

 
And watch your waistline become the shape you always wanted.
For most people, calories are thought of in solid forms, via meat and potatoes, fruits and vegetables, and cake and ice cream. But if you're not careful, the liquids you drink each day can add hundreds of extra calories to your daily diet without you ever knowing it.

Which drinks should you be wary of during your daily grind?

Soda
One of the easiest ways to pile unwanted calories on is through soda of any sort. And while you may think that a diet soda is better for you (it does have fewer calories), many diet soda drinkers wind up drinking more soda as a result. Do yourself a favor by skipping soda and opting for water instead.

Fancy Coffees
Yes, they taste delicious and give your energy an instant boost, but that large café latte made with whole milk is also sending 265 calories directly to your belly. Chop the calories in half by downsizing your drink and making it a skinny, which is made with fat-free milk.

Sports Drinks
You work out pretty hard and are convinced that you need a sports drink to replenish everything your body loses as you exercise. Unfortunately, your conviction is nothing more than a response to good advertising. Unless you're exercising hard and heavy for 90 minutes or more, your sports drink is leaving you with many more calories than you burned during your exercise routine. Keep your body hydrated the old-fashioned way: with water.

Sweet Tea
Though you may consider it the healthy alterative to soda, sweet tea packs nearly 200 calories in a meager 16-ounce bottle. Unless you're a professional body builder and have an extra thousand calories to use up every day, drinking sweet tea chops out a big portion of your daily calorie allotment without giving you much benefit.

Smoothies
Quite possibly the healthiest drink known to man, smoothies are both delicious and nutritious. However, if you work at a desk all day and don't take time to get to the gym, a smoothie a day may actually bring extra pounds your way. That's because while they are very healthy, they have hundreds of calories. Eat a daily smoothie each morning in addition to breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and you can easily suffer from calorie overload.
Alcohol
Whether you prefer lager or pina coladas, all things alcohol come with a calorie count that can easily be overlooked. To keep these calories to a minimum, watch the amount of alcohol you consume. Also, choose light beer, a small margarita, and the proper amount of wine instead of the excessive amount provided at many restaurants.

Beyond the Drink
In addition to what you drink, how you drink and what you combine with your drink can all add up to extra unwanted calories. With a few easy steps, you can sidestep hundreds of calories.

Prepare Properly. Certain drinks work well with certain foods. Unfortunately, soda and alcohol often taste best with greasy, unhealthy foods. Instead of falling prey to such figure-killing choices, have healthy alternatives readily available and train yourself to choose healthy foods in those situations.
Go Slow. If you're prone to drink three or four glasses of soda at a restaurant or don't shy away from multiple drinks at the bar, you can slow down your caloric intake by breaking between each fill. When your glass is nearly empty, ask for a glass of water and don't drink anything else until your water is gone.
Drive the Car. Have friends who enjoy getting a little rowdy at the local bar? Save yourself from joining in their calorie-rich alcoholic fun by being the designated driver. You keep your friends safe and get to hang out without worrying about adding to your calorie count.
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Weight Loss in the Teen Years

posted by edferrell on 7:03 pm

Understanding how to go about weight loss properly during the teenage years.
The teen years are some of the hardest and most confusing years of a person's life. The sudden surge of emotional, hormonal, and body changes make it easy for teens to feel self-conscious. As a result, many feel they are inadequate and overweight and take drastic measures to correct these perceived problems.

If your teen would like to lose weight, you'll need to direct his or her efforts to ensure success.

Understand What's Going On
There are many reasons a teen may want to lose weight. Many feel fat because of the changes their bodies are going through during the teen years. These teens are often not overweight. Rather, they're self-conscious. Other teens, however, have a history of overeating and are truly overweight or obese.

Regardless of why your teen wants or needs to lose weight, you should help him or her get a healthy view of weight and what is going on in his or her body. While your teen may not like the changes that occur during the teen years, there's nothing that can stop these changes from occurring. What your teen can modify is his or her behavior. And that's how weight loss and improved self-image show up.

Start Early
Have a teenager who doesn't feel like getting out of bed in the morning? Does your teen come home and veg out in front of the television set after school? Don't wait until these habits result in extra weight or feelings of being overweight. Instead, encourage your teen to get out and get active right now. Have him or her go outside for a game of basketball. Or go on a hike together. This way, your child can build confidence before he or she even needs it.

On top of these pre-emptive strikes, make sure your teen eats breakfast each day. While your teen may prefer to wake up just in time to walk in school as the bell rings, an additional five or six minutes to eat a bowl of oatmeal or a piece of toast can make all the difference. In addition to giving your teen energy to get through the day, breakfast prevents your teen from feeling hungry throughout the day, which keeps him or her from overeating.

Focus on Now and Later
Most teenagers feel invincible. Hence why they eat whatever they want and are willing to go cliff diving without a second thought. However, if you want your teen to obtain a healthy weight today, you'll need to do it with an eye to the future. Therefore, don't put your child on a diet. You want to instill good habits in your child that will last a lifetime.

To do this, model healthy habits. Eat homemade meals as often as possible; keep healthy snacks on hand; and only eat cake, ice cream, and other treats at special events. You'll also want to teach your teen what a serving size is supposed to look like. Many teens have eyes bigger than their stomachs, and if your child wants to obtain and maintain a healthy weight throughout life, he or she will have to understand that most serving sizes are much smaller than what is served at restaurants.

Liquid Weight
While your teen may be mindful of the calories that enter his or her body via foods, drinks can quietly add hundreds of unwanted calories each day. If your teen drinks soda, fancy coffee drinks, or fruit juice on a regular basis, he or she may want to cut these drinks out of his or her routine. Do it now and your child will learn to love the taste of water and other low-fat, healthy drinks with or without meals.

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Kicking Cramps to the Curb

posted by edferrell on 7:02 pm

Exercise-induced cramps keeping you from giving it your all in the gym or on the court? Not any more.

There you are, in the middle of an intense workout that is sure to give your abs, gluteus maximus, chest, thighs, and biceps an unforgettable toning. Then it comes. A cramp that leaves you unable to move your body, an arm, or a leg. And with that, your routine is finished before you could even get deep into it.

Is there a way to avoid these show-stopping cramps? Actually, there are a few of them.

Way 1: Keep Your Body Hydrated
As you know, drinking plenty of fluids is essential to keep your body from overheating when you're working out. But fluids do more than keep you from sweating your way to dehydration and passing out as a result. They also help you avoid muscle cramps that are brought on by a lack of fluids. Keep your muscles from cramping up by drinking fluids throughout the day. The best option is water, but other fluids can lend a hand as well. Also, if you are suffering cramps and are exercising in warm weather, take warning. It may be a sign of an impeding heat stroke.

Way 2: Stay Full of Minerals
There's a reason sports drinks are so popular. In addition to coming in a variety of great flavors, sports drinks are also chock-full of vitamins and minerals that make their way out of your body with great speed when you exercise. To replace these missing links to your good health, increase your vitamin or mineral intake. Just be careful that you don't drink too many sports drinks when you're not pushing your body, as they can result in adding extra calories to your diet. Some of the most commonly lacking minerals and vitamins that result in cramps include potassium, magnesium, and calcium.

Way 3: Stretch First, Exercise Second
Want to get muscle cramps on the quick? Toss on your tennis shoes and start working out full force without any time to warm up or stretch. Want to keep your muscles from cramping up? Then you're going to have to take some time warming up and stretching. While you may find yourself getting antsy for the hard work you're planning on putting in under the barbell, spending a few minutes stretching will help you make the most out of your workout time and keep you under the barbell longer. In addition to keeping you from cramps, stretching will allow you to work out more of your muscle to ensure a stronger and healthier you.

Way 4: Note Your Limits
Everybody wants to do the impossible. Unfortunately, if you try to do this in the gym, you're going to wind up with muscle cramps. Instead of pushing yourself to the level of cramping, get to know your body's abilities, and keep your workout within those limits. Otherwise, you better plan on having some painful cramping in whatever part of your body you decide to push too far.

Curing a Cramp
Getting a cramp during exercise is sure to happen on occasion. But you don't have to take the pain lying down. When a cramp hits any of your body parts from your feet to your neck, take the following steps to do away with your exercise-induced cramp:


stop what you're doing and rest
massage the affected area
use a heating pad on the area immediately after the cramp begins, and switch to an ice bag soon after the pain diminishes
grab a glass of water and start drinking
take an over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication
try to slowly stretch the affected muscle or ligament

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Are You Flexible Enough?

posted by edferrell on 7:01 pm

Why and how you should work harder to boost your flexibility.

If flexibility is a secondary concern for you, it's time to move it up on your priority list. Because while you may consider flexibility to be important only for gymnasts and wrestlers, flexibility offers great benefits for people of all ages, stages, and interests.

What should you know about flexibility? Good question.

Why It's Important
Before you'll spend time stretching your muscles, you need to be sold on the idea. So why is flexibility important? Because flexibility doesn't mean being able to contort your body until you look like a human pretzel. Rather, flexibility is the ability to move your muscles and joints throughout their intended range of motion. Why should this matter to you? After all, you get along pretty well without being able to touch your toes, and you've never been hindered by an inability to do the splits, so stretching can't be that big of a deal.

But did you know that you'll never reach your maximum strength if you aren't flexible? Stretching ensures you have full use of your muscles and ligaments. In the gym, this means you can perform each repetition properly and strengthen the entire muscle and ligament. Being flexible also increases your balance and coordination and helps you perform daily duties. Grabbing a lost house shoe under your bed, grabbing a book from the top shelf, and checking your car's tire pressure are all made easier if you're flexible.
 
How to Increase Flexibility
Ready to grow your flexibility and improve your overall health and well-being in the process? Here are a few things to remember and do to help your body being its most flexible.

Stretch everything out. You may use your legs more than your arms or your calves more than your back, but you need to stretch them all out. When you stretch, make sure you focus on your back, thighs, calves, hips, and arms.

Take it easy. Yes, you want your body to become flexible so you can be stronger and be better able to grab the peanut butter on top of the refrigerator. However, it's not going to happen over night. If you're just starting a stretching routine, take it slow. Improper or excessive stretching carries as many risks as excessive exercise.

Do it daily. While you may be accustomed to doing a quick stretch before hitting the treadmill, that isn't enough to be truly flexible. To up your flexibility, you'll need to spend at least 10 minutes stretching every day—even when you're not going to the gym. An easy way to squeeze a little stretching in is by doing it during a coffee break or before the start of your day.

Find a stretchable class. Weight lifting, spin, and other exercise classes cause you to shorten your muscles. To counter this effect on your muscles and ligaments, join a yoga, tai chi, or dance class. With these classes, you'll have a good time, get in some great exercise, and leave feeling more flexible than when you first entered.
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5 Tools for a Healthier Meal

posted by edferrell on 7:00 pm

Because having the right diet depends on what you keep stored in your kitchen cabinets.

Using lean meats, fresh fruits and vegetables, and low-fat food items is essential if you're planning on having a healthy diet. But did you know the tools you're using in the kitchen may also determine whether or not you're going to eat healthy meals? Read on to learn what tools of the trade you should keep in your hands when you're cooking.

All Day Cooker
Have a hard time finding time to cook dinner at night? Slow cooker to the rescue! Simply toss in whatever delicious vittles you have planned for dinner, set the cooker on low, and go about your daily life. After a hard day of work, cheering on your kids at the soccer field, and sitting for hours in bumper-to-bumper traffic, the sweet smells of your slow-cooked, home-cooked meal will make you glad to be at home. Not only does a slow cooker save time, it saves you money and calories by encouraging you to eat at home with the family and not at the steak restaurant down the street.

Rising Freshness
Want to make your house smell like heaven and your entire family drool? You can do both by investing in a bread machine and using it regularly. By baking your own bread, you're the final word on what ingredients will be in each slice, making it possible to give your bread an added boost of fiber, wheat, bananas, or nuts. Of course, you can always bake bread in your oven, but a bread maker makes the process easy, which makes you more likely to keep fresh-baked bread around the house at all times.

Grill In
Want the flavors of the great outdoors without the open flame? It's time to purchase an indoor grill. One of the best advertised is George Foreman's Lean, Mean, Fat-Reducing Grilling Machine, but there are a number of other brands that offer many of the same benefits. On top of grilled flavor, indoor grills are easy to clean and like their outdoor counterparts, an indoor grill allows the fat from your meats to slide off the grill, making sure it never touches your mouth.

Slick, Nonstick Cookware
No matter what you're cooking, you'll have to add some oil or butter to keep it from sticking to the pan—unless you swap in your grandmother's frying pan, skillet, and saucepan for nonstick cookware. By keeping slick, nonstick cookware in your kitchen, you immediately reduce the amount of fats that find their way into your food due to the necessary slathering of oil or butter. Thanks to their incredible popularity, you can pick up a set of nonstick cookware for relatively cheap at any store that sells kitchenware.

Oil of O'Spray
Cooking often requires oil to on the bottom surface of the pot or pan being used. Sometimes, even your nonstick cookware will need a little oiling. Instead of pouring oil, spray it. Don't like the flavor of oils that come in spray cans? You can pick up an oil sprayer, fill it with your oil of choice, and spray just the right amount of oil on your cookware. This keeps you from using more oil than is necessary, saving you precious money and preventing you from getting extra oil-based fat.

A Juicy Snack
When you're on the go and need a quick pick-me-up, you have a few options. You can grab an energy bar, a pack of peanut butter crackers, or a glass of juice.

If you prefer to get your nutrition in a glass, buying a high-quality juicer is a must. With a powerful juicer in your hands, you can blend whatever fruit or vegetable you can find for an instant, powerful jolt of energy and good health, courtesy of Mother Nature.

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Eat for Exercise's Sake

posted by edferrell on 6:58 pm

What you can do to make sure what you put in your body will give you a boost in the gym.
Every day, you eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Or maybe you've found the perks of eating more frequent meals. No matter if you're stuck on a traditional three-meal-a-day routine or have moved into the five- or six-meal plan, you need to eat the right stuff to be prepared for whatever is thrown your way in the middle of your workout.

So what should be on your mind while eating? Exercise. And here are a few eating tips that keep your upcoming workout front and center.

Consider the Amount
Yes, food gives you energy. Unfortunately, eating lots and lots of food doesn't necessarily give you lots and lots of energy. Quite the opposite. Eating too much can cause you to feel heavy, sluggish, or in need of a bathroom break. On the other side of the eating spectrum, not eating enough will cause you to feel weak and unable to complete your exercise routine.

Neither is acceptable. Instead, you should keep your body fed evenly throughout the day. Just be careful not to eat a small meal less than two hours before exercising. If a hunger pain hits you within two hours of your impending workout, take care of it with a healthy snack. And if you must indulge in a large meal, make sure you have three or four hours before you plan to hit the gym. Otherwise, you may wind up falling asleep on the stair stepper.

Keep It Quality
Just as important as the amount of food you eat is the quality of food you eat. Sure, you may be able to get away with a fast-food burger now and then, but if your diet regularly consists of fatty choices, you're going to have a hard time motivating yourself to get to the gym and work out once there.

To give your body the exercise advantage it deserves, eat well all the time. Start with a healthy breakfast witt whole grains, fruit, and low-fat milk. For your other meals, avoid high-calorie, fatty foods. And when snacking before a workout, go with a banana, a fruit smoothie (use yogurt instead of ice cream or frozen yogurt), and granola bars. If you've got an intense workout planned, you may want to go for an energy bar.

Finish Strong
Now that you've eaten to help your workout go well, you should set your eyes on preparing for your next routine. A great way to do that is through your diet. After you finish working out, eat foods with protein and carbohydrates. Don't feel hungry right away? Drink a sports drink to replenish what your body lost during the routine.

Once you feel the first hint of hunger, toss some cheese on top of a few crackers, grab a handful of nuts, whip up a peanut butter and banana sandwich, or sit down for lunch. Just make sure what you eat is healthy and will help your body recover after your workout. This way, you'll feel great after working out, which will provide increased incentive to eat right and get back in the gym tomorrow.

Don't Dehydrate!
In the midst of eating for exercise, don't neglect one of your body's most basic needs: water. Since more than half of your body is made up of water, your need for H2O cannot be overstated.

So before you walk into the gym, while you're working out, and after you've cooled down and moved on with your day, you should be drinking enough water to keep your body well hydrated. Losing more sweat than you can replace with water? A sports drink may be just what you need. Just don't drink them when you're sedentary, as they often contain extra sugar and calories that can be a detriment to your good health.

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Fitness Together Temecula Personal Training

posted by edferrell on 6:39 pm

As owner, manager and head trainer of Fitness Together Personal Training in Temecula, I have found that there is nothing more rewarding than helping my clients reach their personal fitness goals.  It goes far beyond helping them to lose weight and feel better about themselves.  I have seen lives completely changed when clients learn and apply proper nutrition and exercise to their lifestyles.
No one I know has ever regretted losing weight and getting in better shape. The improvements and enjoyment that clients experience in their daily lives as a result of their personal training is why I do this. I may work with each client less than an hour a day, but I known they are enjoying the benefits of their improved energy, health and fitness all day long -- and that's what its all about. Without your health, nothing else matters...
 

Fitness Together Temecula Personal Trainers and Personal Training