Fit 071 Stay motivated despite limited progress, How to survive a weekend food splurge, Why & how to change your workouts

NUTRITION
How to survive a weekend food splurge!
A question from one of our listeners:
Sometimes on the weekends, I eat the wrong kinds of food when dining out or at a party. Can I make up for it by skipping breakfast the next day and workout an extra hour?

NO! You can't “make up” for a very bad meal by skipping a meal or two. All you will do is mess up your metabolism and bring fat burning to a halt!
You can't use exercise to undo a bad diet, either!
What can you do? Either plan ahead or get right back on track ASAP!

Part 1: Plan ahead
If you know you're going to go out for dinner, and are probably going to be tempted to eat things you know you shouldn't and really don't want to eat either, then make a plan!
  1. Eat a little before going. Some protein and veggies and will help stave off hunger and temptations. Both act as an appetite suppressants.
  2. Grab a green apple. Did you know that green apples have a natural compound in the skin that tend to make you less likely to binge on unhealthy foods. Apples also contain pectin, a fiber that expands in the stomach, making you feel full.
  3. Do an intense resistance training workout a few hours before going out. No, not to pump up the muscles to look good (although, never a bad idea)! An intense workout increases your metabolism for a few additional hours. The food you consume afterward will help with recovery first, using the protein and carbohydrate in foods eaten for repair of muscle and glycogen stores. The hormone surges associated with an intense workout work to your benefit too!
Part 2: Your second option is easy! get right back on track ASAP. Have a few treats, but don't binge out. Get back on your eating and workouts asap. A splurge every once in a while is ok. But when it is daily or several times a week, then it will slow your progress and you won't be happy with your results!

TRAINING
Workout Blunder# 1 Doing the Same Routine for months or years!
Workouts are only as good as the time it takes for the muscles to adapt. Changing workouts regularly, not necessarily every workout, is key to keeping your muscles stimulated and changing.

Here's some factors to think about when changing your program:
  1. Adaptability can can occur in 2-6 weeks depending on the fitness level of the exerciser.
  2. Alternating btwn machines, free weights, resistance bands and body weight exercises are simple ways to make the exercise different to the muscles.
  3. Numbers Game: Alter the number of reps, number of sets, amount of weight, length of rest between sets, and the total number of exercises per body part.

MOTIVATION
Stay motivated despite limited progress isn't a sign for you to give up and quit. It is a sign that you need to be patient, make some changes to your strategy &/or redefine your goals.

You stepped on the scale and again, no weight loss. Don't freak out! Take a deep breathe and get calm. Look at your plan (you do have one right?) and your timetable. Check your food log and exercise log. Have you been consistent with your nutrition and workouts?

If you don't have any of these items to review then smack yourself in the head and go get a notebook and start recording your efforts now! You can't tweak if you don't have any info!

If you do have records and see that you have been doing the right things for eating and workouts, then patience and confidence in your plan are the issue. We all hit plateaus and perseverance is the way past them! Confidence in your plan also requires you to stick to it! That's where trainers get the results for their clients The trainer has confidence in the program (thanks to experience!) and you have confidence in your trainer! A trainer or friend can also see the differences in your body or your strength, cardio capabilities or flexibility much better than you can!

Are you evaluating yourself too often? Do you have the right time frame for you goals? If you’re one of those people that weighs themselves everyday, STOP IT! There are too many factors that can affect weight on the scale day to day. A longer time period is always better for weight assessments. Of course, measurements are the best way to see your self changing! Either way, you need at least a week or 10 days for the effects of your workout to show on your body. That's right, your workout today (and this week) will be reflected on your body NEXT week, not tomorrow!

It isn't easy to forge new habits, but then who said getting in shape and losing weight was easy? Worth the effort, yes. Easy, no. Your biggest challenge comes from making a permanent CHANGE if your mindset and habits. If you want to change your body you have to be consistent and persevere, even in the face of limited progress! Use the strategies given to you here and on my other podcasts and websites to keep focus sharp and your eye on the goal!

Link to the show: Fit 071 Stay motivated despite limited progress, How to survive a weekend food splurge, Why & how to change your workouts

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