PPP Tips of the Week - Part II

Pinky Promise Project

Share The Health

Hey cute peoples! I have to say, I am so impressed by the response I’ve received for the Pinky Promise Project. I’m proud of you for taking it on and working hard to enjoy Life more fully. Way to be, guys & gals. Doesn’t it feel awesome? Thanks for keeping me going.

Here are a few awesome tips from our Pinky Promise Partners aka my tubular readers:

· Adorably Distracted says

o “…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!”

· Leon says

o “…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.”

· Audrey says

o "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."

o "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."

o "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."

o "And…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. :)"

· Haley says

o “I feel so much better when I work out…”

· Brandon says

o “I've tried to just snack on grapes or celery during the day… That and drinking a lot of water helps, like you said...”

Thanks again! Those are fabulous. I’ll keep updating the latest tips each week, so keep ‘em coming my way and Share The Health!

. . .

The Pinky Promise Tips of the Day are brought to you by my favorite method of exercise: running! However, these tips can be applied to many other forms of exercise:

· Store Energy

o Be sure to have a meal, about an hour before you start, that contains protein (fish, eggs, peanut butter, yogurt, etc.) to provide you with the energy you need to get going.

· Get comfortable

o Wear breathable fabrics and good cushioned shoes with arch support

o Blow your nose. Brush your teeth. Get a drink. Use the restroom. Make sure that you won’t need a reason to stop prematurely.

o Stretch thoroughly to avoid the aftermath stiffness

· Distract Yourself

o Listen to your favorite tunes. Choose songs with a strong beat, this will get your mind off being tired and keep your pace going.

§ For instance, my running playlist consists of a the following songs:

· “Clair de Lune” by Rachmoninoff

o Warm up song to get me breathing deeply into my diaphragm

· “Jai Ho!” by A.R. Rahman & The Pussycat Dolls

· “My Life Would Suck Without You” by Kelly Clarkson

· “Party In The U.S.A.” by Miley Cyrus

· “Down” by Jay Sean & Lil Wayne

· “Here We Go Again” by Demi Lovato

· “Fly With Me” by The Jonas Brothers

· “So Much Love” by The Rocket Summer

o If you’re on a treadmill, try reading a good book or watching your favorite T.V. show/movie

· Push Yourself

o Set goal markers for yourself along the way: “I can make it to that sign… I can make it to that corner…” In no time you’ll find yourself at the end.

§ You have a lot more energy than you think.

o If you’re competitive at all, try running on a treadmill at the gym or on a racetrack with other people. Run faster than the person next to you, they don’t have to know, but it will keep you going.

§ I do this all of the time. When the person next to me slows down, I keep running. When they speed up I go faster. It’s funny how much more they push me than I can even push myself… and they don’t even realize it.

· Breathe

o Endurance stems from good breathing patterns. Breathe deeply into your diaphragm through your nose and out slowly through your mouth.

§ This also prevents getting side aches while running.

· Stay Hydrated

o Obviously, you lose a lot of water when you sweat, water that you need to keep your systems functioning at their best. So keep drinking.

· Reward Yourself

o Give yourself a non-food incentive to keep working hard

§ i.e. Those jeans you’ve been dying to fit into, an iPod to workout with, an allotted time to curl up with a good book, etc.

· Avoid Over-Weighing

o We’ve all been guilty of checking the scale way too often. Have you noticed that doing that is disappointing more often than it is satisfying?

§ I usually weigh myself every other week in the morning, that way I can manage my weight loss without over-obsessing that it’s not happening fast enough.

· It’s most likely that you’ll lose more in two weeks than you will in two days. Just be patient and don’t get discouraged.

. . .

That is all for this week. Keep sharing your wonderfully helpful tips, exercises, recipes, and inspiring stories, friends. They’re great! You’re great! Thanks so much. Keep up the good work!

Good Luck & keep moving! x o x o