Are you someone who thinks that you have to eat less of what you love and spend hours in the gym to get in shape or lose weight? Well stop right there...all this is going to do is stress you, tire you and push you in the opposite direction you are looking to go.
There is one way that is guaranteed to get you the results you are looking for...consistency of eating clean and exercise. BE PATIENT. The world today is all about quick results but the truth is, changes with your body are going to take time. One day of healthy eating is a good start but you have to allow your body to react to the changes.
So what is this Clean Eating lifestyle all about anyways???
-Eat 5-6 meals a day, spacing them out for every few hours
-Balance each meal with lean protein, a complex carbohydrate and
veggies.
-Stick to unprocessed whole foods (Fresh fruits & veggies, lean meat, whole grains)
-Drink plenty of water (at LEAST 8 cups) keeping other types of beverages to a minimum.
-Eat healthy fats (oils, nuts, fish, avocados)
It is going to take a little effort to be able to follow a schedule where you eat every 3 hours. Go through your normal routine and take note of when you are eating now. When do you have your first meal? Your last? How often do you snack? Where are you for all of these meals? Most people will be at work for the majority of their meals. So you are going to have to prepare meals and snacks to take with you. If your job has a refrigerator, perfect. If not, purchase a small cooler that you can bring with you.
It is really easy to lose track of how much you are eating when you are snacking throughout the day. This is where the schedule of your meals and snacks will help. Once your body gets into the groove of scheduled meals you will have less cravings because you are not just eating enough but you are eating the correct things to keep you full until your next meal or snack.
Now this is one of the best tips I have seen...Shop the perimeter of the grocery store. This is where the freshest items are going to be. This doesn't mean that everything else in the store is bad for you...brown rice, oils, and natural nut butters are all in the center of the store. If you are going to grab something off the shelf, check the ingredient list first, the fewer listed the better. Really test yourself and pay attention to how and from where you get your grocery items!!
Parking further away from your office building or the store you are going to shop at and taking the stairs instead of the elevator may seem like such a minor changes. If you add up all of those extra steps and movements that your body is making it really will make a difference. Not only that, it makes you feel better knowing that you are doing something good for your body. Not to mention that exercise is a natural mood booster :)
You don't have to go overboard and go to the gym every single day to get results. If you don't go at all, start small with 1-3 days a week then increase until you find a routine of 3-5 days a week.
FALSE. You need to make sure you are incorporating cardio AND strength training. A lot of people out there don't like to lift weights but it really is beneficial to reaching your goals. The look most people are going for is a slender, lean muscle look and you won't get that with cardio alone.
There is so much information out there on the internet these days. All you have to do is search 'clean eating recipes'. I have been experimenting with clean desserts. My favorite out of everything I have tried so far is Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Avocado Mousse. YUMM!
It's been a while since I've made it...and it will probably be one of the first things I make after my competition! I never really measure anything...I just mix and taste and then add what I think it needs!
1 Avacado
~2 Tbsp Cocoa Powder
~1 tsp Vanilla
Agave Nectar or honey to taste
Splash of Almond Milk
Add peanut butter, cinnamon, nuts, or fruit to your liking.
ENJOY!
I am no expert and I did not create any of the theories or tips above. No one can really take credit for it...You are eating natural unprocessed foods and getting regular exercise. These are things that I have learned by doing some research and living a healthy lifestyle myself. Try them out and figure out what works best for you to get the results that you want!!!
