My Health & Fitness Tricks

So, we are all almost 1 WHOLE ass month into the new year!!! Time is just ticking away and I have made very little progress on my new year resolutions. I haven't completely dropped them but I can't say I've been doing my best. Last year I did lose 12 pounds in 3 weeks and managed to keep it off until now. Although that's not some spectacular number or anything, I do feel like in general I have learned to make better health and fitness choices and would like to share them with you all. 

These are all tips and tricks I used to shed some pounds and plan to continue using so that I can reach my goal weight by the end of this year. You are more than welcome to take and tailor any of these tips to help you reach your goals. 

Where To Start?

Before I truly started my health and fitness transformation I was eating junk food every single day and eating fast food about 3 times a week. I was INSANEEEEE and my body was definitely showing that I wasn't eating how I should. One day I was like, "enough is enough, let me write down everything I ate today." OMG I almost had an heart attack. Because I was so use to eating unhealthily I didn't realize how bad I had actually gotten. 

Tip #1: Write it down!!

• Write down everything you have eaten in the last 2-3 days and see what your true habits are. If you are eating nothing but junk this will be a wake up call for you. If you eat mostly healthy food then you can ignore this tip. 
• Once you have written down your pre-dieting eating habits.. for about a month keep a food diary. You will be less likely to eat that extra slice of pizza if you know you will have to write it down in cold ink at the end of the day. 

Tip #2: Set Your Rules

• Think of 3-5 daily rules that you truly think you can follow 
• Some of my rules include:
• Must eat 2 servings of fruit and 2 servings of vegetables a day
• Must exercise for 30 minutes everyday 
• No fast food or sodas
• Must drink 8 glasses of water a day
• Must eat 3 balances meals a day and 2 snacks

Tip #3: Create a Reward System

• Choose some sort of reward or incentive that is personal to you 
• Now create your system that lets you track how close you are to getting your reward
• I use the point system. Every month I set a goal number usually between 65-80. Everyday I rate myself 1-3 based on if I followed my daily rules I listed above. If I didn't break any of my rules then I get a 3. If I broke only 1 rule I get a 2. If I broke more than 1 rule then I get a 1. At the end of the month I add up all my points. If I reached my goal then I reward myself. If not then I can see where I messed up and try harder the next month. 

Tip #4: Create a Fitness Plan

• Do your research and learn about different exercises that target the areas you'd like to improve
• Make sure you are working out 30-60 mins a day
• Do 70% cardio and 30% resistance training if you want fat loss
• Do 70% resistance training and 30% cardio if you just want to tone
• Make it fun!! Every week experiment with different workouts such as dancing, bike riding, etc until you find what you like best. 

Tip #5: Use Social Media to Your Advantage

• There are sooooo many social networks that provide FREE health and fitness tips to keep you motivated and inspired... USE THEM!!
• Find 3 healthy lifestyle accounts to follow on every social network you use

Tip #6: Track Your Progress

• Write down your starting weigh and body measurements
• Take pictures of the healthy recipes and dishes you try that you love
• Take pictures of yourself throughout your heath journey

Bonus!!

• Always carry around a water bottle and baggie of healthy snacks to keep munching on junk food at bay
• Start a support group with your friends & family, place bets, and do daily or weekly check-ins to motivate everyone to stay on track
• Check out these charts for food prep, portion size, and everything else healthy that are cute and easy to follow. 24 Diagrams to Help You Eat Healthier

I hope this helps everyone trying to make 2015 count. Love you all!!

XOXO

Dianna