Sticking With Your Fitness Goals
What we eat is very important. This is not about eating perfectly but about making an effort to truly watch and know what it is that I am putting into my body. Preservatives, artificial sweeteners, refined flour and sugar are some things that I have tried to purge from our diet. Whole grains, such as Buy Canadian First member Noasap and their Manitoba grown wild rice, are a staple in the house now. We have also added beans to our diet as well as Buy Canadian First member True North Salmon' s products to our table. The basic rules we try to stand by is to buy Canadian, local foods first and to steer clear of processed products.
Eating and sleeping. Breakfast is so very, very important, as it has likely been over eight hours since you have last eaten! Your body is waking and needing fuel for the day. To keep a body's metabolism running smoothly it is said that eating food, not skipping meals, is best. So I eat three meals and two to three small snacks a day. Since school has let out for Summer session I am no longer up in the wee hours snacking as I write papers. This small change, in conjunction with a lot more sleep, has resulted in a five pound weight loss in three weeks! Eat well and often and sleep well, it works!
Add fitness into your daily routine. No, I do not mean to run a few miles every morning, unless you wish to. What I am talking about is taking fitness opportunities on top of your regular fitness schedule. Chase your children through the park, climb the monkey bars, go for a family bike ride, take the stairs or walk to the store and carry your groceries home. Take every opportunity to add activity into your days. (I would love to get these bicycle bells from Buy Canadian first member, Dringdring, one for each of my girls, for our family rides!).
For me, Summertime may be the easiest time of year to lose weight, even with the temptation of milkshakes, iced tea and other cold beverages and the end of the day s'mores treats. It's just too hot to eat as much. Here in Manitoba, as I bask in the seventy percent humidity and the thirty above weather, I know that the true test will be in the Fall, with the cool weather and my nose buried in my textbooks once again. Until then, I will happily apply my own tips and tricks and take advantage of the beautiful weather!
What helps you stick to your fitness goals?
Image credit Buy Canadian First members Noasap, True North Salmon and Dring Dring
