SMART goals

I haven't talked much about setting goals.  It's SO important to do just that whether you are at the "GET fit," "BE fit," or "STAY fit" part of your health/fitness journey.  The key is to set appropriate goals that will lead to success and not failure.  We've all tried and failed at things in our lives and although we learn from those experiences, it's so rewarding to actually meet a goal.  

The key things here are deciding (a)What you want and (b)How to get there successfully.  I think you already know what you want, but you need to break it down into smaller steps before you move forward.  I want you to read this and memorize it.....maybe even make it a mantra on a tough day: 
CHANGE ONE THING AT A TIME.

What happens if you try to go "all out" and change everything from workouts to cooking to eating?  You fail and you fail BIG.  It's too much at once.  Here are some suggestions for you-- go back and read over my "PS-Don't Say DIET" post and pick one thing from that list that you feel confident that you could do for 2 weeks.  It could be drinking more water or taking a fish oil supplement each day.  Pick an easy one to start with.  When you've mastered it, pick another from the list and so on.  For exercise, work up to 5 hours per week of activity combining cardio with strength training.  Not 5 hours immediately if you are a beginner, but maybe 1 hour, then 1.5, then 2, and so on.  If you are at 5 hours already, just put more volume into it.  Just get started!   When you meet a goal, SET A NEW ONE!!

Below is a form that I use to set goals with clients.  Take a look....

PART 1:  

Questions that I want you to consider when setting goals. (Both long and short term)

- What do I want to accomplish in 6 months?

- What do I want to accomplish in the next year?

- What do I want to accomplish in the next 5 years?

- What is my dream accomplishment?

Goals should be:

S= Specific (What, when, and how)

M= Measurable (How will we measure the success?)

A=Attainable (Challenging, but not extreme)

R=Realistic (You are both willing AND able to work toward it, and you believe it can be accomplished)

T=Timely (How long to reach this particular goal? Choose a specific date.)

Example:  "I want to reduce body fat by 5% in 12 weeks," not just "I want to look better."

SHORT TERM GOAL (in next 6 months):

LONG TERM GOAL (in the next year and beyond):

PART 2:

Action Plan-  

1) What resources are needed to accomplish my goals? (money, time, equipment, people, etc)

2) What do I need to do each day to reach my goals?

3) What are some obstacles or difficulties I may have to overcome to reach my objective?

Rules for Fat Loss

I'm following an online mini-course by Precision Nutrition this week about "5 Rules for Fat Loss for Women/Men."  Everyone perks up for ANY information on the SECRETS of fat loss, right?  Me included!  Most people struggle with various amounts of extra fat on their body that they desperately want to get rid of.  

Tell me, Tell me!!  Well, don't be disappointed, but there really aren't secrets to successfully losing fat.  It's just a different way of eating.  More of this, less of that....stuff we've heard before.  Here's what Precision Nutrition suggests to all of their fat loss clients:

1) EAT LESS CALORIES. This doesn't mean starve yourself, it means to eat a little less at meals.  Stop when you are 80% full, not busting at the seams.  Nobody needs to eat 5000 calories per day and I think a lot of people are close to that!  Start aiming for 2000 and tweak it from there.

2) EAT MORE PROTEIN. Protein comes in many forms, namely lean meats, seafood, dairy, nuts, and protein shakes to name a few.  Protein allows you to build muscle or at least maintain the muscle you have when you are trying to lose fat.  It's also satiating.  ** You want to keep your muscle at all costs!!  Muscle helps burn fat, it burns more calories, it hikes your metabolism! **

3) EAT MORE VEGETABLES. Vegetables have good fiber in them, along with vitamins.  They are low in calories and filling.  Why not eat more fruit??  Because fruit is loaded with sugar, albeit natural sugar.  

4) EAT LESS GRAINS/STARCHES. Try replacing your corn, potatoes, flour, with greens and veggies.  Starches raise insulin and blood sugar in your body and may result in storing fat instead of burning it.

5) EAT MORE HEALTHY FAT. Healthy fats help even out the insulin and blood sugar.  It's satiating (keeps you full) and has recently been found to raise metabolism and calorie burning ability!  Healthy fats help your immunity, brain function, heart health, and cell repair/regeneration.  

Ok, so these are not new sounding things.  You are probably groaning right now and thinking that you have to now live on chicken breasts with a side of carrots and celery.  No you don't.  What you DO need to do is make the effort to find and cook some yummy recipes.  (Try this link: mariahealth.blogspot.com) Rid your kitchen of the crappy snacks that actually make you addicted to sugar, salt, and fat.  Find out what real food tastes like again.  Ask yourself how badly you want that fat off your body.

Why does it sound so easy, but it isn't?  Because it takes work to shop and prepare healthy food.  It takes effort to find out what a healthy fat is.  You dread the thought of giving up your donuts and crackers.  Give it a shot--  there was a time in my life not so long ago where I never thought I could give up pretzels and Wheat Thins.  Guess what- you CAN!  Forever?  Have it every once in awhile, but don't keep it in your house.  When you do have it again, you'll realize you don't miss it that much after all.

The #1 Excuse

We are so funny as human beings, we have excuses for everything.  Excuses to do things or not do things, excuses for why we did something the way we did, or not.  There is always something.  It's no different in the realm of fitness-- there are a million excuses for why people don't reach any of their fitness goals.  

Today, I'm going to talk about the # 1 excuse there is for not having fitness in your life.  See if you can fill in the blank:  " I don't have __________ to exercise/meal plan/cook healthy food."  That's right, it's TIME.  Not having time really isn't a real excuse.  There is always time, we just choose how to spend it.  I'll say it again....WE CHOOSE how to spend our time each day.

How many minutes a day are you on the computer checking Facebook, blogs that you follow (like this one :) ), Pinterest, email, and on and on?? How much are you on your phone while waiting during your child's activities?  How much TV are you watching each evening?  These are all addictive time-wasters and we are all experts at wasting time.  It would be interesting to do a "time journal" like you would do a food journal to track what/how often you eat but it would be how you truly spend your time each day.  It may be an eye opener and just what you need to realize that you DO indeed have time, but you just need to utilize it better.

I did a paper on "time scarcity" in my college master's program.  This was back in 2000 and it was already a problem.  Time scarcity is the perception that we don't have enough time to do everything in our day, so we multitask as much as possible and go at the the speed of light all day, every day.  What I found is that we actually have much more leisure time than people did one hundred years ago.  Of course we do- we have all of this technology that allows us to do things so much easier and faster than our ancestors.  We have convenience items where they didn't.  We fill our time with the wrong things---we over-schedule ourselves with things that aren't really our priorities.  What happens is that our society works more to have more and then you have more, but don't have time to enjoy it because you have to work more to pay for it.  We over-schedule our kids and they don't get to just be kids anymore.  How exhausting!

Here's an example of time scarcity that you might see at the gym:

There's a woman on the elliptical and she is watching TV, reading a magazine, listening to her iPod, checking the email on her phone, and even answering a phone call (although the gym doesn't allow talking on the phone in the fitness center).  It's good to have distraction during a workout, but that is multi-tasking out of control!  

Where am I going with all of this?  I want you to analyze how you use your time and find a way to fit in exercise, meal planning, and cleaner nutrition. Plug it into the areas where you would normally be surfing the net or checking your phone.  Multitask and plan your meals while you sit at your child's sports practice.  Prepare healthy snacks in the evening for the next day.  Pack your gym bag before you go to bed.  Realize that you can get a great workout in just 20 minutes.  No excuses not to do that.

One more thing- we may move through our days so fast that our heads spin, but we sit through most of that.  Sit to drive to this activity or that school drop off, sit through work or meetings, sit to drive home, sit to eat meals, sit to watch tv/computer, sit and visit, etc.  Get up and move around!

There IS time.  Slow down and enjoy your life or you'll miss it. 

Childhood Obesity

I wrote a brief blog post last fall entitled "Our kids, Their futures" (http://fit-notes.blogspot.com/2012/10/our-kids-their-futures.html) that talked about the subject of overweight children in our society.  We hear about this on the news from time to time, but see it in everyday life, all around us.  This is a serious problem that will take a lot of effort (and some time) to correct... or at least get moving in the opposite direction.  

According to the American Heart Association, about one in three American kids and teens is overweight or obese today, nearly triple the rate in 1963. With good reason, childhood obesity is now the #1 health concern among parents in the United States, topping drug abuse and smoking.

Among children today, obesity is causing a broad range of health problems that previously weren’t seen until adulthood, including high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and elevated blood cholesterol levels. Obese children are also more prone to low self-esteem, negative body image and depression.  Bullying is rampant among kids of all ages and a child dealing with weight problems is unfortunately more of a target.  Excess weight at young ages has been linked to higher and earlier death rates in adulthood.  Crisis?  Yes!

From the American Heart Association website:  "Among American children ages 2–19, the following are overweight or obese, using the 95th percentile or higher of body mass index (BMI) values on the CDC growth chart:

For non-Hispanic whites, 31.9% of males and 29.5% of females.

For non-Hispanic blacks, 30.8% of males and 39.2% of females. 

For Mexican Americans, 40.8% of males and 35.0% of females. 

The prevalence of overweight (BMI-for-age values at or above the 95th percentile of the 2000 CDC growth charts) in children ages 6–11 increased from 4.0 percent  in 1971–74 to 17.0 percent in 2003–06. The prevalence of overweight in adolescents ages 12–19 increased from 6.1 percent to 17.6 percent."

This is not the same America as it was when I grew up in the 70s and 80s.  There was no such thing as Super Sized anything.  There were a few convenience foods, but not nearly like today.  We weren't on our butts all day with our noses to the screen and we didn't know what a "transfat" was.   I think in this situation, it is helpful to look to the past to see what the differences were back then for kids regarding food and activity.  Then, look at today and figure out what IS working to help these children and what is NOT?  Don't keep repeating the things that aren't working.  Of equal importance, we can't just sit by and think, "Oh well, this is just the way it is....we are too busy to worry about this.  It's too much work."  Childhood obesity is not something to adapt to.  This is something that has to be changed.

If you are a parent of an overweight or obese child, maybe you are feeling like you've tried everything already.  Your hands are thrown up in the air because you don't know what to do!  Work with your pediatrician or a nutritionist for ideas.  Find a support group of people in the same situation and exchange ideas.  **Be a good model yourself of what healthy eating and activity looks like.**  My guess is that you'll have to make some hard choices for your kids.....cutting way back on pop and juice.  More whole natural foods, less fried, less white flour, white pasta, etc.  YOU are the one that shops and cooks.  Enlist your children to help cook and get more active as a family.  Do SOMETHING more and just keep trying.  This is so important.

I'm a mom, and I don't know what it's like to have an obese/overweight child.  But I'm also a personal trainer and a concerned citizen that wants to help with this.  I'm here to be supportive and give ideas.  I'm willing to work with kids to inject exercise into their lives.  It's always easier said than done.....this is a long road, but in the end, there will be healthy children with healthy futures.

Social Support

Social support can be defined as having a network of people in your life that support your endeavors, contribute positively to your decision-making processes, and are there for you when you need help.  In short, it's the people that support you in what you do to better your life.  People with strong social support in their lives can conquer even the most difficult environments and accomplish great things.  Unfortunately, people without a supportive network or environment have a harder time accomplishing even modest goals.  (See my post about "Crabs in a Barrel" )  

** Who you are today and who you want to become someday has a lot to do with WHOM you spend your time with.**

I found a great social support questionnaire put out by Precision Nutrition and I wanted to share some of it (I paraphrase the questions to shorten it).  Answer the questions honestly to assess the level of social support in your life.   This is important because who you spend your time with strongly influences how well you follow any nutrition or exercise program.  Figure out whether or not this area of your life can present a challenge to your progress on your fitness journey.

1) Do the people at work or home (specifically your spouse) follow healthy lifestyle habits like exercising regularly, watching what they eat, or taking nutritional supplements?

2) When you want to exercise (i.e.- go for a workout or take a hike), is it easy for you to find a partner to go with you?

3) At your workplace, do your coworkers regularly bring in treats like cookies, donuts, and other snacks?

4)  If you go out to eat more than once a week, do the people you dine with order healthy selections?

5) Do you belong to groups that meet at least twice per week and do some physical exercise?

6) Do you belong to a health club and attend an average to at least three times per week?

7) When discussing your nutrition and exercise goals with friends, do they seem interested in getting on board, or do they think you are crazy?

8) Do the people you live with bring home foods that aren't considered healthy or good for you?  How about foods that ARE considered healthy or good for you?

9) Do the people you live with or work with schedule activities for you that interfere with your scheduled exercise time?

10) Do those around you bring nutrition, exercise, or supplement information to your attention so that you can stay informed about these topics?

There is a scoring system to this questionnaire, which I didn't include.  The bottom line is this:  look at your answers to these questions and decide whether your family, friends, and coworkers are making it easier or harder for you to succeed in your health/fitness goals.  Are they sabotaging you without knowing it?  Maybe.  Talk to the people in your life and openly communicate what you need to be successful.  If your husband is bringing home boxes of Little Debbies snack cakes because they are his favorite, but that is a weakness of yours, ask him not to bring them in the house anymore.  If your boss has arranged "Chocolate Friday" in the break room, ask if there can be a healthier theme.  Be an inspiration to your coworkers and bring yummy, healthy snacks to the break room.  Form a walking group that is active over lunch/after work or take a class with a friend.

I'm lucky-- I have a very supportive group of people in my life.  I've come across a few situations of people trying to get me to eat something that I didn't want to, but I set the record straight and haven't heard it since.  I don't try to make the people around me change if they aren't ready, and I don't pressure anyone to eat unhealthy foods.  

Outside factors can affect you and your progress toward your goals-- if you let them.  YOU are in control and you have the power to put yourself in the right environment.  Surround yourself with positive, supportive people as much as you can and keep going forward in your fitness journey.  Tell the people in your life that you are trying to Get FIT. Be FIT. Stay FIT.

Heavy Burdens

We carry many burdens in life, face many challenges daily.  Two life altering burdens that often go hand in hand are weight problems and depression.  While some people lose weight when they are depressed, most people tend to gain weight.  I'm going to focus on the weight gain and depression link in this post.

So, which comes first, depression or weight gain? And how can you untangle the link between them?  A March 2010 review of 15 studies, published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, linked obesity to a greater risk of developing depression - and vice versa.  No one really knows definitively whether people gain weight because they are depressed or if they become depressed because of the extra weight they are carrying.  It's almost like "Which comes first, the chicken or the egg?"

Whichever comes first - depression or overweight/obesity - it is a very unhealthy combination. Often, it is a self-reinforcing combo as well.  Depression has symptoms that can worsen obesity - appetite disturbances, lack of energy, lack of motivation to do things.

There was a study done in 2009 that reported that depressed people tend to gain weight faster than people who aren't depressed.  The bulk of those extra pounds was concentrated around their waists. That’s not good because belly fat is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure.  Depression, of course, comes with its own set of risk factors, including suicide, social isolation, drug and alcohol addiction, and anxiety.

Some foods, especially foods with high sugar and/or fat content, make you feel better, if only briefly.  These kinds of foods have been found to temporarily release "feel good" chemicals from the brain.  (See my post on food addiction, which talks about that a bit more)  It's a vicious cycle-- that good feeling makes you want to eat more, which in turn makes you feel bad about yourself.  That leads to deeper depression, and more eating, and greater amounts of weight gain. 

How do you get yourself out of the vicious cycle? Well, it's not easy.  Nothing about depression is easy.  Depression leads to behaviors like not wanting to get out of bed or get dressed.   Not caring about what you are eating or what you look like on a day to day basis is also part of depression.

For health professionals, it’s less important to know which came first: the patient's depression or the weight problems. The question is, which one should get the most initial attention?  Doctors say that depression is the primary focus, but eating disorders like binge eating also have to be addressed up front.  Treating depression often takes a multi-faceted approach that may include talk therapy and medication, as well as exercise, a healthy diet, and other lifestyle measures.  It's important to know that weight gain is a common side effect of some of many prescribed antidepressants.

Fortunately, patients who are both overweight and depressed can help themselves with the same prescription: EXERCISE, which can help counterbalance drug-related weight gain.  The beginning step could be a walking program just getting your body ready to move more.  Getting a pedometer is a great way to measure the steps taken and monitor progress.  You can set a "step goal" and celebrate small victories.  Small victories equal positive thoughts and in turn a step to fighting depression.

One suggestion I read about was to start with low key exercise for the first 4-6 weeks and focus on maintaining your weight.  Once the depression is under control, it becomes easier to address weight problems.  Trying to do too much too soon can lead to injury, discouragement, and another round in the vicious depression/weight gain cycle.

Exercise is a key part of treating overweight and depression, in part because it allows patients to play an active role in caring for themselves. Being active is the best prescription for treating mild to moderate depression, as well as being helpful for severe depression.  People feel good about doing things for themselves- it's therapy.

Another recommendation is taking a break from fast food and other unhealthy eating habits; instead, make time to cook a meal for yourself.

Get engaged in your own care, it's crucial to dealing with weight.  Become aware of what and how you eat, through mindfulness.  If you are anxious or depressed, you are going to eat more. But if you are in a state of relaxation, you won’t be as apt to eat mindlessly.

Don’t be discouraged if therapy does not provide positive results right away.  Keep in mind that treating depression and weight problems will likely require more than just a pill and a one-size-fits-all diet plan.  Recovering from this will take time and tremendous effort.  You are worth it!

Besides mental and emotional symptoms of depression, there are also PHYSICAL symptoms too. To find out about the physical symptoms of depression, go to 

http://www.webmd.com/depression/physical-symptoms

Food Addiction: Is It Real?

I think food addiction is real.  I am not a food addict myself and never have been, but I've seen it.  I have known people that literally cannot control themselves around food.  It's almost as though they have no idea what they are doing and how much they are putting into their mouths.  The hardest place to control this?  Social situations.....restaurants that put free endless bread on the table.....eating at a friend's house when you don't control the menu.....Buffets.  

Food addiction, like any addiction is unhealthy and sad.  Nobody gets "addicted" to fresh veggies and fruit.  Well, not usually, anyway.

According to an article on WebMD, experiments in animals and humans show that, for some people, the same reward and pleasure centers of the brain that are triggered by addictive drugs like cocaine and heroin are also activated by food, especially highly palatable foods that are foods rich in:

*Sugar

*Fat

*Salt

The website noted that like addictive drugs, highly palatable foods trigger feel-good brain chemicals such as dopamine. Once people experience pleasure associated with increased dopamine transmission in the brain's reward pathway from eating certain foods, they quickly feel the need to eat again.  The reward signals from highly palatable foods may override other signals of fullness and satisfaction. As a result, people keep eating, even when they're not hungry.

People who show signs of food addiction may also develop a tolerance to food. They eat more and more, only to find that food satisfies them less and less.  Scientists believe that food addiction may play an important role in obesity. But normal-weight people may also struggle with food addiction. Their bodies may simply be genetically programmed to better handle the extra calories they take in. Or they may increase their physical activity to compensate for overeating.

People who are addicted to food will continue to eat despite negative consequences, such as weight gain or damaged relationships. And like people who are addicted to drugs or gambling, people who are addicted to food will have trouble stopping their behavior, even if they want to or have tried many times to cut back.

Signs of Food Addiction:

Researchers at Yale University's Rudd Center for Food Science & Policy have developed a questionnaire to identify people with food addictions.

Here's a sample of questions that can help determine if you have a food addiction. 

Do you:

1) End up eating more than planned when you start eating certain foods?

2) Keep eating certain foods even if you're no longer hungry?

3) Eat to the point of feeling ill?

4) Worry about not eating certain types of foods or worry about cutting down on certain types of foods?

5) When certain foods aren't available, go out of your way to obtain them?

The questionnaire also asks about the impact of your relationship with food on your personal life. Do these situations apply to you...

-You eat certain foods so often or in such large amounts that you start eating food instead of working, spending time with the family, or doing recreational activities.

-You avoid professional or social situations where certain foods are available because of fear of overeating.

-You have problems functioning effectively at your job or school because of food and eating.

The questionnaire asks about withdrawal symptoms. For example, when you cut down on certain foods (excluding caffeinated beverages), you may have symptoms such as:

*Anxiety

*Agitation

*Other physical symptoms

The questionnaire also tries to gauge the impact of food decisions on your emotions. Have you ever thought that-

-Eating food causes problems such as depression, anxiety, self-loathing, or guilt.

-You need to eat more and more food to reduce negative emotions or increase pleasure.

-Eating the same amount of food doesn't reduce negative emotions or increase pleasure the way it used to.

So, is this YOU?  Or maybe someone that you love?  What do you do about food addiction?

Some argue that recovery from food addiction may be more complicated than recovery from other kinds of addictions.  People who are addicted to food still need to eat; they can't just give up food.  Believe it or not, there are support groups out there to address this.  If there isn't one in your area, you can take the questionnaire above and answer the questions honestly.  Educate yourself on what kinds of foods you are drawn to....what you can't say no to.  Steer clear of having those foods in your house for now.  Come up with a plan for social situations.  Then, take a look at WHY you eat what you do and face any issues that you have emotionally, mentally, etc.  Set some realistic goals and work at them.  Recruit someone you love to be an accountability partner for you.  It's hard to recover from anything by yourself.

Give yourself a break if you slip into addictive eating habits and remember that change takes time.  Remember that as long as you keep working on reaching your goals instead of quitting, you will eventually get there.  Try and then try some more and try some more.  Plan for obstacles AND success.

PS- Don't Say DIET

I don't like the word "diet."  I want to audibly groan and roll my eyes when someone tells me, "I'm on a diet."  When I hear that word, it screams FAILURE to me.  In my mind, "diet" means some fad thing that you try when you want to drop some weight by taking some ridiculous measure that you can't possibly sustain for any length of time.  

Diet = quick fix = failure.

Come on, we've all tried at least one crazy "diet."  I remember a college friend of mine trying the Cabbage Soup Diet.  There's Atkins, South Beach, Grapefruit Diet....I don't even think I'm scratching the surface here.  Think about all of the pills out there that claim they can magically help you melt away? (Ha!) What have you tried and how long could you stick to it?  What happened when you stopped your "diet?"  Let me guess.....you gained some or all of your weight back and maybe even a little more.  Then, you had to start all over again.  How frustrating and discouraging!!  These "diets" don't teach you anything about making sustainable changes in your eating habits.

To make change last, you have to put in place a sensible, sustainable plan.  These changes need to be built into your life, not on top of what you already have going on.  Below is a list of general guidelines that I gave to my small group FITclub this week.  They aren't all mine-- I got most of them from a trainer/author that I follow from Results Fitness; Rachel Cosgrove.  I eat this way and it works for me.  These are common sense "rules"  to follow when you are trying to clean up your eating and give your body what it needs each day to optimally function AND lose weight.  Here's some of what Rachel says (I tweaked some, it's not verbatim)-

1. Clean out your kitchen! Eliminate the junk and stock up on healthy fuel. You cannot have a house filled with tempting foods and expect success. First you need to eliminate anything that is likely to trigger you to slip up. 

Everyone has trigger foods and the last place they should be is in your house.  Don't test your will power; it's not that strong. Then you'll need to stock your house with everything you need to be successful and get in the habit of being prepared! The key to success is to prepare ahead of time. 

Hit the grocery store and fill your cart with healthy food to fuel your body! 

2. Supplement daily with a multivitamin, six to ten grams of Omega-3 fish oil and 2000 IUs of Vitamin D3. If your body is deficient in any of the vital nutrients you will not burn fat and achieve your goals. Taking these supplements daily is your insurance policy that you are getting everything your body needs to function optimally. These daily supplements are a mandatory part of guaranteeing success. 

3. Eat breakfast within 15 minutes of waking up, followed by a meal every 3-4 hours eating four to six meals a day. You must keep fuel coming in all day to keep your blood sugar stable, starting first thing in the morning. Think about prioritizing breakfast and then de-emphasize dinner.

4. Have a protein source at every meal. Protein contains amino acids, which is what your body needs to recover and repair itself. Never eat carbohydrates alone. Carbohydrates raise your blood sugar, some faster than others, telling your body to go into storage mode. Protein blunts this increase in your blood sugar keeping you in a stable fat burning mode. At every meal have a source of protein with a carbohydrate. It is important you eat a protein with each meal to keep you in a fat burning state all day long. For your breakfast, lunch and dinner shoot for 4-6 ounces of protein, which looks like the size of the palm of your hand. You do not need to get your scale out, just eyeball it, but make sure you are getting enough. 

5. Eliminate all processed carbohydrates. Again, some carbohydrates will raise your blood sugar faster than others. You want to completely avoid the carbohydrates that will shoot your blood sugar straight into fat storing mode, which includes processed foods such as bread, cereal, crackers, pasta, pretzels and sugar. All of your carbohydrate sources should be from fruits, vegetables or whole grains. 

6. Eat healthy fats. Don't be afraid of fats! You need good fats in your diet. Plenty of avocado, fish, nuts, coconut oil or milk, and olive oil - these are essential to making you healthy! There has also been research that shows Omega-3 fatty acids, the kind found in fish, increase and help regulate your body's fat burning potential! 

7. Drink mostly water. Drink half your bodyweight in ounces of water every day. Being dehydrated takes away from your exercise performance, leading to decreased results; and causes fatigue and increases your cortisol levels, your stress hormone that breaks down muscle tissue. Your urine should be clear. If your urine is not clear you are not drinking enough water. You can have coffee and tea in moderation. Think of water as your fat burning liquid. 

8. Always drink a workout shake either during your workout or within 10 minutes of finishing your workout. Use a high quality whey protein shake (with 20-30 grams of protein) mixed with fruit or another carbohydrate. You will not get everything out of your workout if you skip this step. You must replenish your body immediately after your workout with quick releasing carbs and fats (a shake is best) to ensure optimal recovery. 

9. Keep a journal of what you are eating. Keeping a journal will keep you accountable and keep you on track. To achieve your goals, you must keep track of what you are doing, so you can look back and make changes if you need to. 

Here's what I have to add-

10. Plan, plan, and plan some more.  If you are busy, this will help your chances of successfully meeting your goals.  Make meals ahead of time that you can reheat or use your crock pot.  Bring snacks with you everywhere that you can eat in a hurry.

11. Have planned splurges-- splurges can include dessert, baked goods, candy, pop, pizza, eating out, etc.  Things that you "shouldn't" be eating on a regular basis.  Look at your upcoming week and decide when a splurge can happen.  Plan to have 3 total during the whole week.  

12.  Eat more on days that you work out versus days that you rest and recover.  How much more?  Just a few hundred calories.

Choose one and work on it.  When you've mastered it, work on another, then another until you can do them without thinking about it.  If you go off the mark sometimes, move forward and get back on track the next time you eat.  Nobody is perfect- give yourself a break!

This isn't the perfect list or the magic advice.  There is always contradictory research out there that will talk about other ways to eat.  Like I said, I follow this advice and I can talk about it because I know that it works.  I have the transformed body to prove it.