The 8 Habits of Highly Healthful People
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Plan Ahead, Success Follows
A lot of people ask me what I do to keep my figure at age 51. Any of you that have seen me working out know I am not lifting “soup cans” or parking my car 100 feet away to keep my “girlish” figure. Some assume that I don’t have to work at my nutrition because I am either genetically lucky, work out over-zealously, or that I adhere to a painfully healthy diet. The general assumption is… “oh, it’s easy for you, Lauren.”
In some ways it is easy, because, it really doesn’t seem like work to me anymore. Rather, it is simply how I live. These are my habits. Call it work or call it easy… I really do eat 5 planned meals a day every 3 hours. Each meal always includes a lean protein. I may have some genetics on my side, but if you are using genetics as an excuse for not losing weight, stop that right now! Genetics play some role but if you know your family history, wouldn’t you want to do everything imaginable to not be unfit or overweight?
I lift heavy weights and I don’t look like a freaky body-builder. My 12-week goal to complete on New Year’s is to do 12 body weight chin-ups without stopping… I’m up to 7. My nutrition goal is to step it up a notch by not eating anything processed or out of a box. For aerobic exercise, I like to run intervals; sprint as hard as I can for one minute, jog easy for 2 minutes for a total of 30 minutes, but sometimes I just power-walk for an hour if it’s a beautiful day. I usually do weights 3 times a week and cardio a minimum of 3 times a week. I mark it down in my weekly planner so I can see that I am getting it done.
Honestly, developing and executing these habits consistently took me about 6 months of “work” before they became my life-style. I am not by any stretch perfect all of the time. My habits have evolved over time and I continue to set goals for myself (not just wellness goals by the way). I was a late bloomer to the fitness world and probably didn’t start lifting weights consistently until my late 30’s. I loathed P.E. in school, especially running… I was one of the worst! Honest!
My nutrition is constantly improving, small steps at a time. Not eating out of a box is a huge step for me. The biggest turning point for me in eating healthy was a result of the education I got when I became certified as a personal trainer.
My training came from the Cooper Institute. Cooper has achieved worldwide recognition for its scientific research on exercise physiology, obesity, hypertension, epidemiology, behavior change, children’s health issues, nutrition, aging, and other preventative medicine issues. If there was one take-away from the certification it was the proof that life-style changes can make significant health differences, and most leading causes of death can be avoided by life-style changes.
Wow.
So, with all due respect to Stephen Covey, (I hope he doesn’t mind my ripping off and changing his title), do you want to know what the 8 Habits of Highly Healthful People are?
1- Schedule time to prepare a shopping list and plan your meals for the week. Before leaving for the day notice whether or not you are low on any necessary food so you will have a good reserve.
2- Cook in bulk and then portion it off in smaller containers. You won’t have to prepare anything the rest of the week. This does not have to be time-consuming or elaborate. (examples include: Bake a 9×13 casserole size dish of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pot of soup with lots of veggies, prepare some raw veggies for snacking, steam brown rice, mix a cereal blend of oatmeal, oat bran, flax meal so all you do is measure, add water and microwave) Do it while you talk on the phone or listen to a music or audio CD. If you know you will be on the road the next day, prepare what you will need ahead of time in tupper-wares or zip-lock bags the night before. Do not succumb to vending machines or convenience fast food. Remember, if you put crap in, you feel crappy.
3- Get social support- a workout partner, nutrition partner, walking/running partner, or join an exercise class. Hang out with positive people, not the people who are likely to sabotage your best plans.
4- Plan your strength training workout before you get to the gym, do not just flop about from machine to machine without a mission. Keep a record and know when you are increasing weights or reps. Plan your cardio workouts as well. Know your exercise plan for the week and stick to it.
5- Log your food intake on www.fitday.com and review and learn what is working. Find a time of day and do it. This is a valuable tool and it is free to use. Be honest and know the portions of food you eat, fitday will figure the calories and nutrients for you.
6- Stop binge eating- brush your teeth after eating, keep tempting foods out of the house or make it difficult to get to if you must have it around for other family members. Busy yourself with another activity to keep your mind off food. Make a list the night before and review it the next morning of 5 things you need to do. Do one or more things off your list when you are feeling the urge to binge. Avoid environments or situations where binges happen. Call a support person if you need to. You do not have to be alone.
7- Have your first meal soon after waking and plan out the times for the next 4 or 5 meals spaced out every 3 hours. Use an alarm (on your phone or watch or computer) if you have to.
8- Always set goals. Write them down, tell everyone about them, be accountable. If you need a review about how to set goals, go back to your free report I gave you when you signed up. (If you haven’t signed up, click http://www.bestbodymakeover.com/ for your free copy) Acknowledge your hard work when you complete a goal. Celebrate in a way that aligns with what you are trying to achieve.
Do you need help in developing your highly healthful habits? Why not get started with your Free 30-minute Best Body Makeover Strategy Session!
Now that I have gotten both of your e-books for at home and gym workouts I feel these will be my exercise bibles for many years to come. So much to learn and not ever get bored! Yeah! Thank you. Can't wait to share and workout with my Daughter
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