A little honesty goes a long way when it comes to food & fitness
In fact, an honest approach is always the best approach. Do you really train before work most mornings, or do you actually hit snooze 5 times, then head straight to work? Do you really eat 5 serves of veges a day? 2 serves of fruit? Or do you eat whatever is easiest? Like most people who make resolutions, you’re probably hoping for a healthy, happy 2013. That is why we’ve put together these 3 reality checks.
People often get stuck in the trap of saying ‘I always….’ or ‘I never…..’, when what they’re saying simply isn’t true. Maybe they used to always run 5 times a week and never eat chocolate, but now that they have kids, a job and a million other demands on their time, they’re lucky to run twice a week. Sound familiar?
Reality check #1: How often do you train?
It’s time to start a training diary. It can be as brief or as detailed as you like. The most important things to note are:
- Which days you train
- What type of training you do
- How long you train for
You’ll need to track your training for about 3 weeks, so that you can see patterns. Are you training too little? Or too much? Do you train hard Monday-Thursday, then give up for a few days? I started keep a training diary last October. I thought I’d do it for a few weeks, but I’m hooked. I love seeing what I’ve done written down on paper, tracking how far I swim in a week now compared to last year. And if I think about swapping training for a sleep-in, I remind myself that the numbers will tell.
Reality check #2: what are you putting into your body?
Like #1, it’s up to you how much detail you put into this. If you’re aiming to lose a considerable amount of weight, it makes sense to log what you eat, at what time, and portion sizes. If you’re happy the way you are, simply keep track of…..
The good:
- How much water you drink each day
- How many serves of fruit & veges you eat
- Wether your main meal is red meat, white meat, seafood or vegetarian
And the bad:
- Serves of alcohol
- Number of treats
- Any meals that you skip
Personally, I’m not a big fan of tracking what I eat. With eating disorders in the family, I prefer to avoid the numbers game. BUT…. I always ask clients to submit a food diary when they start training, because I know that it works. Bad habits can slip through unnoticed if people don’t see them in print. Come to think of it, good habits can go unnoticed and unappreciated too.
Reality check #3: Does that really stop you?
People are pretty good at finding reasons not to exercise or eat well. So grab a piece of paper and write down every single thing that gets in your way and stops you from eating and exercising the way that you want to. My work days are too long, I get a sore back, the kids need me, good food costs too much, there’s no time, there’s no time, there’s no time…..
I think you can guess what’s coming next. Find a way around each of your excuses. Incorporate exercise into your commute, do exercises that help your back, the kids need a healthy role model, order a seasonal vege box, make time for your health. No matter what your reasons are not to exercise and eat well, there is a more compelling reason to make it work. Quality of Life. For a longer, happier, healthier, more energetic and enjoyable life, we need to take care of our bodies. And if that all sounds too hard? Read our previous blog on putting the fun back into fitness. Good luck!
