Thursday, February 4, 2010

PPP Tips of the Week - Part I


IN-TRO-DUCING:

Thank you for your patience this past week. Due to the ultra healthiness of this post and the not-so healthiness of myself lately, I thought it would be hypocritical to post this any sooner.

One of my wisdom tooth extraction sights has become infected (thumbs down, Charlie Brown), so, in leu of this event, I've found it hard to stop eating popsicles and start exercising.

However, I am now on an antibiotic and I am starting this PINKY PROMISE PROJECT officially today . . . in fact, right now.

. . .

What is the PINKY PROMISE PROJECT?

A unity of bloggers devoted to eating right, exercising, sharing tips, stories, recipes, exercises and living a more happy and healthy lifestyle.

. . .

If you're like me, you need some motivation when it comes to nutrition and fitness. Here are some tips to help you and I on our way to physically fit bliss. Let the journey begin:


· Love Yourself – Fitness and nutrition are not the end-all to personal insecurities. Get fit because you love yourself, not because you want to look like a movie star.


· Partner The easiest way to motivate yourself to exercise and eat right is to have a partner in crime. Find someone that shares your goals and lean on each other for support when needed. Go to the gym together, make healthy meals together, and encourage one another along the way.


· Portions You don't have to stop eating the food that you love, just eat less of it.


o Try using a smaller dinner plate. This will enable you to fill your plate and not over-fill yourself.


· Savor – When eating, don't forget to taste your food


o If it helps, put down your fork after each bite and allow yourself to enjoy it.


o Try eating with a baby spoon/fork to encourage smaller bites and less “shoveling”.


§ I use this tip for cake, ice cream and yogurt regularly. It works.


· Avoid Snackage Allow yourself one small snack between lunch and dinner.

o I’m going to sound like your dentist, but try brushing your teeth or rinsing with mouthwash after every meal. With the minty aftertaste in your mouth, you’ll be less likely to snack.


o Chew sugar-free gum while cooking to avoid picking at your ingredients.


o Choose healthy and filling snacks


§ Dairy (calcium & protein) – string cheese or yogurt, not ice cream.

§ Fruit/vegetables (vitamins & fiber)


· Drink Water – 2 liters or 8 cups per day


o It is important to replace the output of fluids your body relies so heavily on.


· Every system in your body depends on water. To make sure they are all working in tip-top shape to help you get into tip-top shape, you should constantly hydrate your body, especially while exercising.


o Drink a tall glass of water an hour before each meal to reduce overeating.


o Avoid drinking soft drinks and juices. These contain empty calories. Save your calorie intake for food that will fill you up.


· Use Your Feet – It is important to exercise 3 times a week for 30 minutes or 6 times a week for 15 minutes (or more).


o Aerobic/Cardio Exercise


§ Get your heart rate up and sweat to burn maximum calories.


· Jump rope

· Play Dance Dance Revolution

· Run

· Bike

· Swim

· Dance

· Attend a fitness class (aerobics, kick boxing, Zumba, etc.)

· Play a sport


§ The options are limitless, find something you enjoy or do a mix.


o Strength Training


§ Building muscle replaces fat


o Flexibility Exercises


§ Stretch your muscles before and after you exercise is important to avoid injury and/or post-exercise stiffness (yoga, Pilates, etc.)


· Keep Moving – You don’t have to wait till you get to the gym to burn calories.


o Use the stairs instead of the elevator. Park a little bit farther away and walk. Chase your kids around.


o A pedometer is a great way to evaluate how much you really exercise each day.


§ My personal goal is 10,000 steps per day. If I’m only at 8,546 at the end of the day, I have a dance party in my room before I go to bed to get in the rest of my steps.

. . .

I hope these tips help you as much as they are helping me. If you're feeling overwhelmed, pick one and start from there, but don't just give up on yourself if it seems "too hard". It will be hard, but so worth it!


PINKY PROMISE yourself that you'll do it

and I PINKY PROMISE you won't regret it!


Get your PINKY PROMISE button here


Good Luck.

Let's Start Moving!

x o x o


P.S. Please share your ideas, successes, motivations, healthy recipes and sweet exercises.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

I LOVE this!!! I've found that if I don't buy the crappy stuff then I won't eat the crappy stuff. And that your diet/workout routine may not be the same exact thing as the person next to you. Find what fits best in your schedule and work with it. If you can prepackage snacks into their proper servings!

I'm always looking for new ideas!

Leon said...

I think it's fate that you wrote this today, or at least an interesting coincidence. I lost a lot of weight last year just watching my calorie intake, introducing a high fiber diet, and cutting out ALL trans fats. When I added exercise to the mix, I felt like a brand new me. Sadly, I've slipped into some unhealthy patterns since being here. I told myself today (before reading your post) that I needed to get back into those healthy patterns. I'll take your pinky promise, The Hess.

audrey said...

I'll take the pinky promise! I recently got a gym pass with my hubby and the only time we can go is at 5 a.m. Ahh! But we've made it a goal to get 8 hours of sleep so we can get up at 5 and honestly, I get so much more done in the morning by waking up early than I do by staying up late. My mind is clearer, I'm refreshed from working out, and I just feel better.

I've also made it a goal to never go to the grocery store hungry. Usually we go on Saturday mornings after we've worked out (we smell gross, but we feel like being healthy) and we buy food for the whole week so we don't stock up on junk or huge portions.

And it definitely helps to have a friend do it with you. My husband is the best because he keeps me going when I'm not feeling motivated and vice versa.

And, (sorry I'm writing a lot) we're trying to not only watch our calories, but also our sugar, sodium and fat intake. I'm realizing there's more to the nutritional value chart on food than the calories. :)

Thanks for the awesome tips, Lindsay! Loves!

Unknown said...

K linds I have thought about this for about an hour now and I am going to do it! I feel so much better when I work out, but lately have lacked the motivation so this should be good!

Anonymous said...

Wow! Thanks so much Lindsay! You REALLY helped. This has been the greatest thing for me in a long time! Thanks so much!

Brandon said...

Good stuff Lindsay. I've tried to just snack on grapes or celery during the day — I'm allergic to the stuff they spray on baby carrots (too bad). That and drinking lot of water helps, like you said.
I still need to eat a lot of calories whenever I'm exercising a lot, but eating more small meals has worked better for me than just killing myself at two or even three, which I did all during college and suffered for it.

Amy said...

This is awesome! I really want to do this!! The only thing is, I actually really need to gain weight, and I'm struggling with it. So I may need to reverse the Portions part, and really eat more, especially if I'm going to be exercising more often. I'm gonna need more calories to reach a healthy weight I guess. I'm not really sure. We'll see.. :)

Britta said...

Great idea! I added the pinky promise to my blog today, I love this!
Especially in winter I've got a lack of motivation to work out and I eat lots of chocolate and cake. But this project will help me to live healtier! Thanks Lindsay! :)