Grocery Shopping...Yay.

Hi everyone, it's Trisha Lee! I'm invading "Chad's Blog Space" today to share a few tips on shopping for food.

First of all, this may sound totally obvious, but I'm just going to say it. If you buy healthy foods, you will eat healthy foods. I know...newsflash, right?! Seriously though, too few people plan their shopping accordingly and end up with a bunch of junk they will find themselves eating later. Having "problem foods" available in the house, office, car, backpack, purse,or pocket can be asking for trouble, even if you vow to "only eat a little." If something threatens your restraint, say fatigue or boredom, you can pay a dear price for the decision you made hours or days earlier to buy the food. On the other hand, if your refrigerator resembles a salad bar because of wise shopping, weakened restraint can inflict only minor damage.

Here we go (in no particular order):

-Shop on a full stomach
-Plan your meals and snacks and shop from a list
-Buy ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables
-Park your shopping cart at the ends of the aisles*
-Before you check-out, double check your list and your cart. Sometimes things have a way of magically appearing in our cart.

*Do not do this if you have valuables in the cart; including, but not limited to children, purse, Ipod, etc. Any could go quickly missing. :o)

I can't say enough about planning ahead. Having breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks planned out will not only save you MONEY, but will definitely save you CALORIES!

I hope to be a guest writer next week on Chad's Blog too! Several YUMMY Healthy Recipes to come including a "Crock Pot" Favorite! Stay Tuned

Mastering the Scale.

Shoes off. Clothes off. Exhale completely. Step on Scale. Open Eyes. Peek Down. You jump off with excitement-Down 2 pounds....or sigh with horrible disappointment. Program is over.

Using the scale wisely can be a great help, but it also can be troublesome. Weighing too often is generally the problem, yet avoiding the scale when one slips is also common.

The primary disadvantage is that ups and downs unrelated to your behavior can generate strong feelings, and these feelings can derail a program.

REMEMBER: The scale can be a powerful influence in your weight loss efforts - both positive and negative; so think seriously about how often you and the scale should communicate. This is where your judgement must prevail. Weigh yourself as often as you see fit.

I recommend no less than once a week and no more than once a day. One problem with paying too much attention to the scale is that it can lead to undeserved euphoria...or disappointment. The scale should be a general guide about progress, not a day-to-day index of how well your program is working.

As for me, I choose to weigh once a week. With my shoes off.

Motivation...I'm BACK!

http://www.premierfitnessonline.com/

Is your motivation wavering? C'mon it's only the 3rd week of January! You can do better than that. Let me help you rev up your motivation by providing 7 Tips. Why 7? I don't know, it's lucky I guess. Who needs luck though, right? Right! Here we go.

1. Analyze the cost. Many people wistfully dream about the body they desire without considering the obstacles involved. So, if they make an attempt, they quickly give up after the first few hurdles. Considering the costs involved gives you power. It prepares you and offers the opportunity to look for solutions before problems arrive.

2. Analyze the rewards. List everything you can think of because there will be many that you will overlook or maybe haven't even come to your mind yet.

3. If the benefits outweigh the costs, make a commitment to start working toward your goal.

4. Begin by ANTICIPATING the rewards. Add power to your anticipation by visualizing the advantages of acting in clear, specific terms.

5. Take small DAILY steps. They accumulate. They accelerate. They motivate.

6. Repetition strengthens outcomes. For example, you feel good after losing one pound, feel better after losing 5 pounds, and feel great after losing 10 pounds! However, motivation won't continue unless you notice the improvements. Keep records and monitor your progress.

7. Don't deviate from your plan. As long as you keep up the pace, motivation will remain strong. But if you let things slide, there will be fewer rewards, and therefore, less motivation.

I have a 37 year old client who started training with me in September. Each month we've done an assessment checking his blood pressure, weight, percent body fat, measurements, etc. This has helped him keep his motivation high because of the continual improvements. So far he has lost 7 inches in his waist and 25 pounds! He went from 30.7% body fat to 17.7%. (His goal is to be under 10% in the next few months.) Check back to see his before and after pictures this spring!

Achieving a fit and healthy body takes continuous effort - or more correctly, good planning and consistency - but the rewards are clear: a lean, fit body, increased self-esteem, improved health and more enjoyment from life. It's natural to encounter mental roadblocks and resistance when you undertake a major lifestyle change.

"People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily" - Zig Ziglar

God Bless-Chad Lee

Let's make a PLAN!

OK- My lovely wife is wonderful. I mean seriously. Love that lady. She is always there...pushing and prodding me along. Like with the Blog...I know I need to write it. I know I'm hilariously entertaining and I've got extremely important information to share. You'd think it would come easy for me. Well...Did you look at the date since my last post? Let's just say, it's been a while.

But, here is one of my resolutions. Write this blog. Try to do more than one post a year! (I don't set my goals too high now, do I?) Seriously though. Listen up folks!

Blog numero uno for 2012:

Plans are important.

Thank you very much. See you next year.

Just kidding. But, not about planning. Everyone is busy. We all have the exact 24 hours in the day. How is it that some of us take time to exercise and some of us don't? Well, I believe it breaks down to having a solid plan in place.

Everything from planning your week's menu to planning your exercise to planning ahead for a vacation! If you know you are tired after work, you should plan on exercising before work. Not a morning person? Schedule a lunch workout. You have to make the decision. If you are prone to excuses-make a list of those "typical" excuses and write out ways to combat them. It works. For example: Excuse- I'm Tired. COMBAT- Exercising will give me more energy for the day. It will give me strength and help me to sleep better tonight.

Take Drew for example. He was in good shape when he started training with me. But he wanted to make it to the next level. We made a plan. He worked the plan. He got outstanding results.





















If you want to get results-get a plan.

Does your plan involve a personal trainer? Some nutritional counseling? I want to help you develop your plan and make it work for you!

I'm planning on having a great 2012! How about you?

-The difference between try and triumph is just a little umph!-