fitnessrevolution

Get what you really want From A St Johns Wood Personal Trainer

Published by on September 6, 2021 | Leave a response

Have you ever acted against your better judgement? Ummmm, of course you have. We all have. Sometimes you do things that you later regret. And this keeps you from achieving that lean, sexy body that you want.

  • You hit snooze rather than waking up early to exercise before work.
  • You blow off your healthy eating plan to indulge in a hamburger and fries.
  • You start an exercise programme only to drop out two weeks into it.

These regrettable actions prevent you from achieving your goals and keep you stuck.

Most of us are all too familiar with this frustrating paradox. It’s almost as if there are two sides inside of you, raging war on each other. Your sensible side versus your emotional side. What you want versus what you do.

A psychologist named Jonathan Haidt came up with a mental model that explains exactly why you do things that you wish you hadn’t – and how to take control to finally do the actions necessary to get what you really want.

“The image I came up with for myself, as I marvelled at my weakness [of willpower], was that I was a rider on the back of an elephant. I’m holding the reins in my hands, and by pulling one way or the other I can tell the elephant to turn, to stop, or to go. I can direct things, but only when the elephant doesn’t have desires of his own. When the elephant really wants to do something, I’m no match for him,” explained Haidt in his book, The Happiness Hypothesis.

Human decision making is like a tiny rider on a massive elephant. The rider may think he’s in charge, but the elephant’s will always wins. The Elephant, The Rider, and The Path are a great framework for understanding yourself and what drives you. All human change depends on it.

Here’s Haidt’s mental model for creating lasting change in greater detail…

The Rider: is your rational and analytical side. The Rider is a visionary that has the ability to think long-term, to plan, and that is willing to make short-term sacrifices for long-term payoffs. The Rider loves to contemplate and analyse, has limited reserves of strength, suffers from paralysis by analysis, and relentlessly focuses on problems rather than solutions. Most crucially, the Rider is so small compared to the six-ton Elephant that anytime they disagree about which direction to go, the Rider will lose.

The Elephant: is made up of your emotions and instincts. The Elephant prefers the comfort and security of a well-trodden path, even if a new path leads to a better outcome – this is why it’s so difficult to change your habits. The Elephant has enormous strengths: love and compassion and sympathy and loyalty. The Elephant is the one who gets things done.

The Path: is your surrounding environment, the context in which the Rider and the Elephant operate. A rocky Path makes change hard, if not impossible, even when the Rider and the Elephant work together.

There are three steps to lasting change:

  • Direct the Rider
  • Motivate the Elephant
  • Shape the Path

1) Direct the Rider:

Change begins with a plan, and it’s the Rider who comes up with plans. Direct your Rider to analyse what’s right, on what works. When you’voe lost weight and made progress towards your fitness goals in the past what worked for you? Focus on these bright spots rather than on potential problems related to your desired change. Once you’voe come up with a plan, move on. It’s important to move quickly and to avoid getting bogged down with paralysis by analysis.

2) Motivate the Elephant:

In order for the plans of your Rider to succeed, your Elephant must feel emotionally invested in the outcome. Find an emotional connection that you feel deep down in relation to the goal. Don’t just think about why you want to achieve your goal – feel why you need to achieve your goal.

3) Shape the Path:

Make change easy. Reduce obstacles in your life, so that the new desired behaviour is frictionless. Move the barriers between you and the actions that you want to take. Lay out your workout clothes the night before. Spend time in the morning to prep all of your healthy daily meals. Get a trainer to hold you accountable to showing up to your workouts.

The key to effective change is getting the Elephant and the Rider moving together on a smooth path to success. Do this and you’ll stop doing things that you later regret.

If getting into the best shape of your life is a current goal that you wish you could achieve then call or email me today. I’m here to help you direct your Rider, motivate your Elephant and shape your Path…and I won’t rest until your goal has become a reality!

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5 Lifestyle Changes for Healthy Weight Loss From A St Johns Wood Personal Trainer

Published by on August 22, 2021 | Leave a response

Have you ever wondered…
Why do so many diets end in failure?
Why is it so easy to gain lost weight back?
And why can’t you maintain your ideal weight at all times?

If you’ve tried every quick-fix fad diet under the sun, you realize they can help you lose weight instantly. Unfortunately, keeping the pounds off usually doesn’t happen with these diets.

Real weight loss comes with lasting, healthy lifestyle changes.

So stop starving yourself, counting calories, or eliminating your favorite food group.

Simply make the following lifestyle changes.

1. TV Time: Many people are in the habit of sitting in front of the TV for hours on end after a stressful day at work. Yes, you may be worn out and need a break, but sitting on the couch, zoned out, watching TV is not the way to lose weight.

If you must watch the evening news or see your favorite show, use the time to burn a few calories. Keep some hand weights next to the couch and work your biceps and triceps. Stand up and do some squats or lunges to work your legs and buttocks. Get on the floor and do some sit-ups to tone your abs or push-ups to tone your arms. Make a change!

2. Sleep: Most adults need an average of eight hours of sleep each night. Is that a lot more than what you’re currently getting? Then you may be interested to know that if you’re not getting adequate amounts of rest, you’re more likely to be hungry, overeat, and gain weight.

How does this work? Something like this.

If you’re tired, you won’t feel like cooking a healthy meal, and you’ll opt for fast (fattening) food instead. This very same lack of energy will also likely cause you to skip the gym. On top of that, sleep deprivation causes your metabolism to slow down, and if you’ve not heard, that is not something you want when trying to shed a few pounds.

3. Drink Choices: Lasting weight loss is about changes. Unfortunately, some of the changes one must make are difficult. If you’re one of the millions hooked on soda, alcohol, or other sweetened beverages, your weight goals may remain out of reach until you replace these drinks with water. You should also know that your brain often confuses thirst with hunger.

So at the first sign of hunger, don’t grab a snack or calorie-filled drinks. Instead, grab a glass of water.

4. Breakfast: Want to know a secret to successful weight loss? Eat breakfast! Try cutting calories by skipping breakfast, and you’ll be excessively hungry by mid-morning. As a result, the healthy calories you would have eaten at breakfast are replaced with calorie-filled snacks and an over-sized lunch.

Once again, fitting breakfast into your busy schedule may mean dramatic lifestyle changes. But research shows that the habit of eating a healthy breakfast is key to losing weight and keeping pounds off. Get to bed 30 minutes earlier than usual and set your alarm 10 minutes earlier to give yourself time to eat breakfast

5. Physical Activity: Weight loss is about burning more calories than you consume. Therefore, it should make sense to you that dieting and exercise must go hand in hand. If you want to speed up weight loss and keep the weight away, add or increase the amount and intensity of physical activity in your daily life.

For many people, this is the most difficult lifestyle change of all, but the benefits are well work it. Aim for 30  minutes of intense exercise on most days of the week. When exercise is a normal part of your everyday routine, it’s more likely to stick, and your body will become slimmer and more toned.

The quickest and most permanent weight loss comes as a result of a combination of healthy eating and consistent, challenging workouts.

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Don’t confuse “Active” with Fit From A St Johns Wood Personal Trainer

Published by on August 15, 2021 | Leave a response

When it comes to excuses for not exercising, I’ve heard them all.

Sometimes the excuse is self-inflicted: I don’t have the time.

Other times the excuse is pure procrastination: I’m going to start as soon as tax season ends.

And then there are excuses that are downright funny: I don’t like to sweat.

As delicately as possible, I point out to these well meaning excuse-makers that, even though they don’t want to do it, exercise is an important part of cultivating a strong, healthy and attractive body.

I tell them that if they would just exercise 2 to 4 times each week they would feel a dramatic improvement in their daily life, starting with renewed energy and strength.

Then I bring up the health benefits and explain how many of their health problems would improve or even disappear. I talk about how great they will feel, and look, dropping those extra pounds and rediscovering a slender figure.

Even with all this experience in excuse squashing, there used to be an excuse that would leave me stumped.

The sneaky excuse of ‘I’m active’: Oh, I don’t need to exercise with a personal trainer—I’m very active. I play golf and tennis and Wii.

Well, that is a good excuse, right? Golf, tennis and Wii are all active sports that burn calories. Maybe you can be fit without doing any other exercise…

And then I started noticing a trend.

The ‘golf’ people couldn’t touch their toes in a simple flexibility test. The ‘tennis players’ couldn’t jump rope for 60 seconds. The ‘Wii players’ needed a week to recover from a one mile jog. The so-called ‘active’ people encountered injury after injury.

And then it hit me.

You can’t become fit simply by being active.

Only by being fit can you become more active.

To be lean and to maintain a level of fitness there is no substitute for a consistent, challenging exercise program. It’s the only way, folks.

To truly be fit is when your body is able to do whatever you ask of it. This comes from a combination of flexibility, strength and endurance.

So, do you exercise?

Or are you fooling yourself with the idea of ‘being active’?

How do you feel about your current level of fitness? Are you able to do each and everything you want? Or do you end up opting out of activities that you know would be too challenging?

If you’ve used the excuse of ‘being active’ in the past, take a minute to reconsider your position. Don’t bank on your ‘active’ lifestyle with the hope of true results.

Call or email me today to get started on an exercise program that will make you truly fit.

And if you’re furthest from active but simply want to lose those extra inches and pounds, make the decision to contact me today.

As they say…there’s no trial run in the game of life.

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6 REALLY GOOD Reasons to Exercise From A ST JOHNS WOOD PERSONAL TRAINER

Published by on August 9, 2021 | Leave a response

Reason #1: To Melt Fat Away

The most coveted side effect of exercise is, of course, fat burn. The combination of a challenging exercise routine and a balanced meal plan is the best-known way to lose fat. Here’s what losing fat feels like:

  • Your pants become loose
  • People around you begin to say that you look great
  • A glance at yourself in the mirror makes you smile
  • Your energy levels soar
  • You feel amazing

Reason #2: To Alleviate Pain

Regular exercise is a great way to alleviate chronic muscle and joint pain. Persistent back pain can be lessened by strengthening your core, and you’ll protect yourself against injury. It amazes people when the chronic pain that they’voe lived with for years begins to fade after starting a regular exercise programme.

Reason #3: To Increase Lean Tissue

More muscle is good for many reasons. You see, muscle burns five times more calories each day than fatty tissue. When you exercise your body composition will change to contain more lean tissue, thus resulting in extra calories burned while you sleep. What could be better than that?

Reason #4: To Stay Young

Tim D. Spector, a professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College in London, led a study on the effects of exercise on ageing. The results were astounding. They found that exercise appears to slow the shrivelling of the protective tips on bundles of genes inside cells (called telomeres), which means a slowing of the ageing process.

Here’s the study in a nutshell:

  • Telomeres cap the ends of chromosomes and every time a cell divides, the telomeres get shorter.
  • Once a telomere gets too short, that cell can no longer divide.
  • Ageing occurs as more and more cells reach the end of their telomeres and die. This results in weakened muscles, skin wrinkles, loss of eyesight and hearing, organ failure and slowed metal functioning.
  • The study analysed the telomeres from the white bloods cells of twins over a 10-year period. Telomere length was used as a marker for the rate of biological ageing.
  • It was found that the length of telomeres was directly related to that twin’s activity level. “There was a gradient,” Spector said. “As the amount of exercise increased, the telomere length increased.”
  • People who did 100 minutes of weekly exercise had telomeres that looked like those from someone about 5-6 years younger than those who did 16 minutes of exercise each week.
  • People who did 3 hours of vigorous exercise each week had telomeres that looked like those from someone about 9 years younger.

Reason #5: To Prevent or Control Type 2 Diabetes

Regular exercise helps to stabilise blood sugar levels. This is something that people with type 2 diabetes, or at risk for type 2 diabetes, gain substantial benefits from.

Exercise improves the body’s use of insulin, and the related weight loss improves insulin sensitivity. Of course patients with type 2 diabetes need to follow guidelines from their doctor before starting an exercise programme.

Reason #6: To Lower Blood Pressure and Cholesterol Levels

Exercise has shown to lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels for these two reasons:

  1. Weak Heart Muscles pump little blood with lots of effort. By exercising you strengthen your heart muscles and train them to pump more blood with less effort. The stronger your heart is the less pressure will be exerted on your arteries.
  2. Exercise Increases HDL levels in some people—this means a decrease in your risk for heart disease. Other heart disease risk factors such as weight, diabetes and high blood pressure all show improvement with regular exercise.
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3 Bonus Gifts (of Fat Loss) From A St Johns Wood Personal Trainer

Published by on July 12, 2021 | Leave a response

When you put in the focused effort to lose weight there are certain benefits that you expect to get. You expect to look better in your clothes. You expect to have more energy. And you expect to feel pretty happy about your accomplishment.

Knowing that these benefits are waiting for you, just on the other side of weight loss, is often a strong enough motivator for you to put in the work required. However, I’voe found that sometimes you need even more compelling reasons to dig in and get it done. My experience with helping my clients achieve their fat loss goals has really opened my eyes to exactly what bonus gifts they gain when they lose the extra weight.

My hope is that by reading the 3 Bonus Gifts of Fat Loss below, you’ll feel the driving motivation that you need to jump into fitness with both feet, and that you’ll find out just how amazing and capable you’voe been to achieve your goal all along.

Fat Loss Bonus Gift #1: Confidence

You may not consider it a concrete benefit, but that doesn’t stop confidence from being one of the most important perks of dropping fat. When you have increased confidence, you change how you view yourself and go about your daily routine. The world is at your fingertips and you are able to take on whatever it throws your way.

Additionally, when your confidence increases after losing a few pounds, you’re poised to keep losing. So the confidence you gain gives you what you need to lose more weight and feel even more confident.

Fat Loss Bonus Gift #2: Better Health Today And Later

Go to the doctor with some sort of health condition, and unless it’s the common cold or flu, losing a few pounds can almost always help you manage the condition better. From diabetes to heart disease to joint pain, trimming the fat from your body gives you a heads up right now. Cutting fat makes it easier to get around on your joints, reduces your blood pressure, and helps you sleep better.

As additional perks, less fat today means better sleep and better sex tonight. Since both of these improve your quality of life, taking the time necessary to shave off fat will give you the best life you could experience!

Today isn’t the only time your health will improve if you lose some fat. Shed some pounds and you’ll reap the rewards for years down the road. Instead of having to manage a variety of health conditions, you will be able to keep those conditions at bay.

A few health issues you can cut your risk for by cutting fat are diabetes, heart disease, joint pain, a variety of cancers, high blood pressure, and dementia. In other words, get rid of the fat today and you can avoid all the health issues in the future that requires fat loss for maximum management.

Fat Loss Bonus Gift #3: Everything Tastes Better

As you settle into your new fat-burning lifestyle that includes eating healthily and working out regularly, you’ll notice something. Because you no longer overeat at the buffet or go for a second or third helping, you will begin enjoying every bite that you take. As the bite sits in your mouth, you won’t swallow it before tasting or chewing. You will take your time and really savour the flavour.

And when you do start chewing your food and enjoying the flavours, your brain will have time to register when you’re full and cut you off before you stuff yourself with more calories than you can burn. Do this regularly and you’ll lose even more fat!

I’voe dedicated my career to helping people, just like you, conquer their fear of exercise and clear up their confusion with healthy eating. I know that a healthy life is within your reach – I’voe seen hundreds of my clients before you do it, and I’ll see hundreds after you do it. Today it’s your turn.

Call or email now to get started on an exercise programme that will make fat burning second nature, and will transform your body for the best.

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Are you beach body ready?

Published by on July 5, 2021 | Leave a response

If you’re not ready to bare it on all the beach yet, I have an extremely effective 2-step method for losing belly fat faster than ever that I’d like to share with you today…

Step One: This step requires zero extra effort on your part! In fact all you have to do is NOT do something that you’re currently doing! You stop consuming refined sugar, in all its forms. This means no Fizzy drinks, no desserts, no packaged snacks, no sweets no mocha lattes, NO SUGAR AT ALL!

When you stop to evaluate your diet, it may be shocking to find out how much refined sugar has crept in. Nothing will contribute to fat gains as swiftly as consuming sugar, so it makes sense that cutting sugar out is the top must-do for shedding those unwanted pounds.

It’s not necessary, or beneficial, to starve yourself during this time of rapid fat loss – you should fill in your diet with lean meats, vegetables, nuts and seeds as you cut out the refined sugar. Keep your metabolism high by fueling up on high protein, high fiber, low carb, and zero sugar foods whenever hunger strikes.

Step Two: Here’s the step that does require some effort, but trust me when I say it’s worth it. Simply crank up the intensity of your workouts to a whole new level.

Most people take exercise on with the slow and steady mentality – moving, pushing and pulling as little as possible while still “getting the job done”. I’ve got some news for you…if you still have belly fat to lose then the job wasn’t getting done.

If you can comfortably hold a conversation, hardly break a sweat, or feel the same when it’s over as you did when it began, then you’re simply not pushing yourself hard enough while you exercise.

Increasing the intensity of your workouts requires focused intent. You must go into the session with the goal of pushing your body to the limit. Remember, it’s a contained timeframe that will be over shortly, so bear down and deal with the discomfort. With practice you will learn to embrace the burn.

The safest and most effective way to crank up the intensity and effectiveness of your exercise time is to work with a qualified fitness professional, such as myself. I would love to hear from you!

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Falling off the exercise wagon From A St Johns Wood Personal Trainer

Published by on June 21, 2021 | Leave a response

If you are looking for an excuse to fall off the exercise wagon, the universe will provide one.

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Can’t slim down? Here’s why.. From A St Johns Wood Personal Trainer.

Published by on June 14, 2021 | Leave a response

Wanting to lose fat, and failing at it, is one of the most frustrating experiences ever.

Read the following 5 Fat Loss Problems to discover what is standing in your way and how to quickly and easily begin reshaping it all.

Fat Loss Problem #1: Your Mind

Your mind is your number one ally when it comes to achieving your goals. However, until your mind has been programmed for success, it will do more to derail your efforts than to help you.

  • Take a few moments each day to visualize yourself at your ideal weight. Imagine how it feels to look the way you’ve always wanted.
  • Protect your mind from any negative self talk. If a negative thought comes to mind, immediately reject it.
  • You want to be thin and fit, and yet you think of yourself as out-of-shape and fat. Re-program your mind to think of yourself as fit and attractive, and you will be well on your way toward achieving your goal.
  • Give up the belief that you can’t achieve the body you’ve always dreamed of. See it first in your mind, and then in the mirror.

Fat Loss Problem #2: Your Fear Change makes most of us nervous – even if it is a change in the right direction. You may not be consciously aware of the fear you have of getting into shape. Until you conquer this fear, your weight loss efforts will be blocked by self sabotage.

Professional speaker and author, Anthony Robbins, has outlined three specific beliefs that you must have in order to conquer your fear and instantly create a lasting change.

  • Believe that something MUST change. You can’t be wishy-washy about it. You can’t be considering it. You can’t even be pretty sure about it. You’ve got to be rock solid.
  • Believe that YOU must change it. You can’t pass the buck of responsibility and expect to lose weight. It’s on your shoulders. Other people will prove to be great assets in your journey, but in the end you are the one who is going to make it happen. You have to want this weight loss enough to make it your personal mission.
  • Believe you CAN change it. You may have failed in the past, but that doesn’t matter. When you put your mind to it, you’re able to do amazing things. Do you believe that you are capable of losing weight? Once you own the belief that you can, you’ll be unstoppable.

Fat Loss Problem #3: Your Excuses

Your excuses for being out-of-shape are getting old. An excuse takes less immediate effort than an action, but in the long run the action taker always has the advantage. Don’t allow excuses to ruin your life any longer.

  • Don’t skip out on your responsibilities with excuses, instead expect more from yourself.
  • Focus on the big reason why you are losing the weight. Make a list of the benefits you’ll enjoy once you achieve your goal, and read them first thing each morning.
  • Remember that you can only have two things in life: excuses or results. Which do you want?

Fat Loss Problem #4: Your Commitment

How many times have you tried to lose weight, only to give up a week or two later? We live in a commitment-phobic world, so it’s no wonder that you routinely abandon your goals. If you truly want to lose weight then your commitment to the process is a must.

  • The margin between success and failure is bridged by your commitment. Don’t give up until your goal has been achieved.
  • Treat exercise with the same importance as a work meeting, and you’ll never skip it at the last minute. Find three available 60-minute time slots in your schedule and mark them (in pen) on your calendar. Now stick to your schedule.
  • If you don’t give up, then you’ll never fail.

Fat Loss Problem #5: Your Diet

If you consistently eat the wrong food, then you’re weight loss efforts will all be in vain.

To put it bluntly, you need to stop eating junk. Processed foods, refined sugar and high fructose corn syrup do not belong in your diet if you want to be in great shape. Cut these items out of your diet and replace them with real whole foods like lean meats, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and fruits.

  • Don’t eat processed foods. Even though processed foods are accepted by our society, they contain tons of chemicals and empty calories that will make you sick and fat.
  • Fat contains twice the caloric density of protein and carbohydrates, so make sure to limit the amount that you consume. Eat lots of lean proteins and wholesome carbohydrates from plants and whole grains.
  • Vegetables, whole grains, fruits, nuts and seeds are filled with fiber and antioxidants which are vital for healthy weight loss. Snack on these instead of packaged treats.

 

Get serious about your results and begin the last weight loss program that you’ll ever do.

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6 Reasons to Hit the Gym in the AM From A Personal Trainer In NW1

Published by on May 24, 2021 | Leave a response

Wondering why you should kick your snooze button to the curb and get to the gym first thing in the morning? Here are 7 solid reasons…

Reason #1 To Hit The Gym in the AM: You’re in a Healthy Headspace

When the first thing you do with your day is exercise, it does something to your mental state. Instead of thoughtlessly taking a bite of high-carb, high-sugar, low-energy food during the day, you’re very conscious about what you put into your body. After all, you woke up early to get this body in tip-top shape. No reason to waste your early-morning routine. On top of better food choices, you’re more likely to find opportunities to take a quick walk during the day when you start your day out right.

Reason #2 To Hit The Gym in the AM: You’ll Need Less Caffeine

Feel like you spend most of your day travelling from your desk to the coffee machine? Get up earlier and work out and watch your need for liquid energy decrease. Sure, you may still enjoy a cup or two—you may even need a cup on the way to the gym, but hitting the gym early in the morning will give you an added boost of energy and mental clarity without caffeine.

Reason #3 To Hit The Gym in the AM: You’re Ready for Work

On top of being more health-minded, you’ll find yourself feeling more confident after an early-morning workout. Big client flying in for a meeting? No problem. You just conquered a pre-dawn workout, showered all your sweat off, and ate a healthy, protein-rich breakfast. That little meeting is no problem, so bring it on!

Reason #4 To Hit The Gym in the AM: Nighttime Is Your Time

When Friday rolls around, your family and friends aren’t always understanding of your workout routines. They beg and they plead with you to skip your workout (just this once!) so you can join them for a party or a night on the town. Eventually, you’re guilted into doing as they wish. Put together enough of those non-exercise evenings and your commitment is in trouble. Hit the gym early in the morning, on the other hand, and you can have your workout and be social in the evenings, too!

Reason #5 To Hit The Gym in the AM: You’ll Stick with It

Nighttime fun isn’t the only reason you skip exercise. In fact, more often than not, a late night at the office or taking the kids to soccer practice does in your routine. So if you want to meet your goals in the gym, get started on your routine in the morning, before your day gets started.

Reason #6 To Hit The Gym in the AM: Your Body Thanks You

There are a lot of things that have to go right in your body to feel well and perform at your peak. You can help regulate a number of these processes by waking up at the same time each day and working out early. In fact, even if you’re not a morning person right now, within a few weeks of exercising in the morning, you will likely find yourself waking up earlier and feeling energised every day of the week, which enables you to do well at the gym or—on your off days, have fruitful mornings even away from the gym.

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Don’t Complicate Things From A ST Johns Wood Personal Trainer

Published by on May 17, 2021 | Leave a response

The main reason that you’re not happy with your weight is because of what you eat.

It’s hardly your fault.

Have you ever stopped to notice how many times you’re bombarded by food marketing each day?

Ads come at you from magazine pages, T.V. commercials, on websites and billboards, each boasting of cheap, convenient and tasty ways to cure your hunger.

The question “What’s for dinner?” has never been more complex than now.

Extensive menu options and large entrees have distorted your concept of a proper meal, and before you know it you’ve fallen into the trap of the chain restaurant, the drive thru, and the take-out line.

But wait – truly healthy eating is simple.

First you need to block out the blizzard of food marketing around you.

Remember that advertisers want your money, and they don’t stop to consider if the food they promote will expand your waist – that’s your job.

It’s safe to say that, with few exceptions, any food that you see marketed should be avoided. When was the last time you saw an ad for grilled white fish, steamed broccoli and a side of brown rice?

So what does truly healthy eating look like?

A healthy meal contains lean protein, fresh vegetables and a modest serving of whole grains.

Just as importantly, a healthy meal does NOT contain:

  • Refined sugar / corn syrup
  • Fried / fatty food
  • Full fat dairy food
  • Processed food with chemical additives

Healthy Breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. What you decide to eat when you first wake up will set the tone for the rest of your meals that day. Try these healthy options:

  • Scrambled egg whites, sliced tomato and whole grain toast
  • Whole grain oatmeal, sliced fruit and a protein shake
  • Homemade breakfast sandwich: Multi-grain English muffin with lean turkey slices and egg

Healthy Lunch

It is important to plan your lunch ahead of time in order to avoid turning to a fast food joint or vending machine. Pack your lunch the night before and carry it with you. Try these healthy options:

  • Dark baby greens topped with chopped chicken breast and diced tomatoes
  • Albacore tuna (packed in water), mixed with finely chopped cucumber over brown rice
  • Homemade sandwich: Sprouted grain bread with lean turkey slices, lettuce, tomato and mustard

Healthy Dinner

Dinner is the meal where most people splurge and eat far more calories than they should. Eating at home is the first step in reducing your dinnertime calories. Try these healthy options:

  • Grilled white fish, sautéed spinach and whole wheat couscous
  • Baked chicken breast, steamed broccoli and brown rice
  • Try the recipe for Chicken Quinoa Stir Fry below

While healthy eating is a huge factor in achieving your ideal weight, exercise is the other half of the equation.

Your exercise routine should be challenging and should be done on a regular basis.

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