The Basics to Fitness & Healthy Living

I have been in the fitness world for about 6 years now and I remember when I first started out (before I acquired a trainer), I didn’t know where to begin and fell into many fitness traps. In this blog, I’m here to smash some of the lies, misconceptions and share a little bit of knowledge that I’ve learned along my journey.

1) Lets start with the super basics…your meals. Your day should consist of a HEALTHY BALANCE of Complex Carbohydrates, Protein, Veggies/Fruit and Healthy Fat. A list of a few “high-quality” superfoods are:

Complex Carbohydrates: Oatmeal, Sweet Potatoes, Brown Rice, 100% Whole Wheat Bread, Lentils, Black Beans, Pinto Beans 
(lentils and beans also contain a high level of protein)

Protein: LEAN Chicken Breast, LEAN Turkey Cuts, Salmon (also contains healthy fat), Tilapia, Orange Roughy, Egg Whites, Edamame

(Do not overdo the protein shakes and bars. Get most of your protein intake from FOOD sources)

Vegetables: Spinach, Broccoli, Asparagus, Kale, Collards (GO GREEN!):-)

Healthy Fat: Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Almonds, Avocado, Flax Seeds

2) Don’t OD on the fruit, fruit juices and smoothies. Although important to your diet and having many health benefits, fruit is still a simple sugar. For example, one medium sized apple carries 19 grams sugar. If you eat 3 apples a day, you have consumed 57 grams of sugar just from fruit intake. There are 4.2 grams to a teaspoon of sugar. So lets do the math: 57 grams of sugar (from the 3 apples consumed) is the equivalent to 13 ½ teaspoons of sugar. This does not include if you also choose to drink a glass of orange juice for breakfast.

Also, do not be fooled with these so-called “healthy” fruit smoothies. They are LOADED with sugar. For example, lets talk about SMOOTHIE KING. On the low end, a small 20oz size “Blueberry Heaven” has 64 grams of sugar. A small 20oz “Orange Ka-BAM” or “Pomegranate Punch” carries a whopping 108 grams of sugar. On the high end, Smoothie King’s 20 oz “Hulk Strawberry” carries an overwhelming amount of 125 grams of sugar! Get their large 40oz size, and you have just consumed 250 grams which is equivalent to 59 ½ teaspoons…or over 1 cup of sugar!

Bottom line: Eat fruit in moderation and be aware of false advertising of “healthy” items. Do your research.
Reference: http://www.smoothieking.com/smoothies/nutritional-chart.php

3) On a different note, EAT PLENTY OF VEGGIES! Veggies are naturally low in fat and calories, full of nutrients, folate and dietary fiber. These all aid to reduce risk for stroke and other cardiovascular disease, help regulate blood pressure, cholesterol levels and assist in forming red blood cells. So eat up! 

4) Watch your portion control. Do we REALLY need to go back for that second plate? Hmmmmm my guess is NO. Take your time when you eat. Savor all of the flavors in your food. Give your body time to digest the food and your mind a moment to register that you are no longer hungry. By the time you are done with your first plate, you should be satisfied. Recognize the difference between what your body needs from what it just wants.

5) I am speaking specifically to the ladies now: Do not be afraid of the weight room. I repeat, DO NOT BE AFRAID OF THE WEIGHT ROOM! Though it can be intimidating or guys may give you the side eye and not take you seriously in the weight area, give them the side eye back! Women need to hit the weights just as much as the men do. Active muscle burns fat. Women need to weight train to build muscle. The more muscle you build, the more you increase your metabolic rate and the more calories are burned. Also, do not fear that hitting the weights will bulk you up like a bodybuilder (a common misconception among women). There is NO way women have enough testosterone in their bodies (unless you are taking steroids) to bulk up and look like a man. Weight training will give you a lean, toned and healthy look.

6) Calling all Men: Do not just limit yourself to the weight room. I repeat, DO NOT JUST LIMIT YOURSELF TO THE WEIGHT ROOM! I see it all of the time. I am involved with a boot camp of predominantly women. There are a few men that join thinking since they can bench press a car (lol), that they can come to boot camp and do hill sprints, burpees, jump tucks, hold the squat/pushup position for extended periods of time or core work…but can’t because they have no cardiovascular nor muscle endurance. In addition, are not able to do some of the exercises with the correct form because of lack of flexibility. Being able to bench press a lot of weight does not equate to a healthy body. Men also need cardio to keep the heart healthy, body agile and flexible, create balance and develop cardiovascular/muscle endurance. Us women want to keep our men around (and healthy) for many years to come.

7) The Ab Machine...*sigh*… If there is one way NOT to lose abdominal fat, it is the ab machine. I see people in the gym that spend way too much time on the ab machine thinking it is going to get rid of their abdominal fat. Here’s the thing, EVERYONE has abdominal muscles. What the ab machine does is build those muscles. BUT if there are layers of fat covering those muscles, you will never see a six-pack no matter how hard you hit the ab machines. So, the key to all of this is to remove the layers of fat so we are now able to see the abdominal muscles we’ve worked hard to develop from the machines. This includes running (one of the best exercises to lose abdominal fat), PROPER NUTRITION, core exercises, PROPER NUTRITION, cardio and PROPER NUTRITION…and did I mention PROPER NUTRITION? Your nutritional diet accounts for 80% of the way your body looks, so nutrition is absolutely crucial to the way your abdomen looks.

Bottom line: Hit the ab machines, but in addition do cardio and make sure you have a proper healthy diet.

8) If you fall off track...by eating something bad or missing a workout, do not say, “Oh well, I’ll start back again the beginning of next week.” NO! Start back now! If you fell off a horse or bike would you say, “Ok, I fell off. I’ll come back and try again next week.” NO! You would dust yourself off and get right back on! The same rule applies to fitness. Nobody is perfect and everyone will make mistakes, but don’t fool yourself into thinking you have to wait until a new week to get back on track. You will be doing waaaaay more harm than good and there is no rule that says when you mess up, you have to wait to start again fresh on Sunday. 

NOTE: Please understand I used to be a member of this club. I was not only a member, but I was the "Start Again On Sunday" President.

9) Find a support system! Find a boot camp, local gym, running group, Twitter following or any assembly of like minded people who are on the same wavelength as you. Many of your peers will not be supportive of your journey or happy for your milestones. Stay motivated with those who are encouraging and strive to lead a fit and healthy life!

10) Take it one day at a time. Fitness and healthy living is an evolving process! It took years of learned behavior to develop those old patterns, so it will take time to “unlearn” those bad behaviors and learn your new and improved habits. There is absolutely NO quick fix when it comes to your body. My rule of thumb is if you see a plan that contains the words “diet” (South Beach Diet, Atkins Diet, Diet Pills, etc), STEER CLEAR! Those “Lose 10 pounds in 3 days” “low carb” or other ridiculous quick fix diet schemes will cause you to quicky gain the weight back as soon as you are done with the diet. If you eat a healthy balance of wholesome carbohydrates, lean protein, fresh fruits and veggies (with a little bit of healthy fat), while adding 3 to 5 days a week of a workout regimen...you will be just fine :-)

Here’s to Healthy Living! Be Well!

I would like to give a quick shout of appreciation to my trainer and fitness mentor, D Wizard of Abs, for not only training me for 5+ years, but also providing me a foundation of fitness knowledge while urging me to seek my OWN knowledge towards my personal healthy living journey.

(Twitter- @DWizardofabs; Facebook- www.facebook.com/DWizardofabs)