Changing your daily habits is the best way to reach your summer (year-round) body goals. You can workout 6 days a week but if you’re not changing your other habits…aka…grabbing fast food on your way to work…then you’re not going to see results.
Here are some healthy habits that you can start working on each and every day (365!) to build a solid foundation:
- Eat on a consistent schedule. Whether you want to eat 5-6 small meals a day or 3 main meals, stick to a consistent schedule. This prevents you from over eating because you ended up going to long without food. If you’re like me and you get hungry every 2-3 hours then the 5-6 meals a day option is best. Just make sure you have healthy snacks prepared: carrots and hummus, celery and guacamole, apple and nut butter, blueberries and almonds or a whey protein shake. Just be sure to mix a protein source with a fruit, vegetable, or fat.
- Drink water. Lots and lots of water. Women should be drinking an average of 96 ounces of water EVERY SINGLE DAY. If you workout and/or sweat you should drink more to replace what you lost.
- Eat at least 0.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight. Protein is the one macronutrient I recommend counting, especially if you’re strength training. Too many people (especially women) aren’t getting enough protein which will limit your body composition results. Sources of protein (depending on your diet) are: eggs, yogurt, cottage cheese, chicken, turkey, skirt steak, ground beef, bison, tuna, salmon and whey protein. So, if you weight 150 pounds you should be getting in a minimum of 75 grams of protein each day.
- Eat enough calories. You want to make sure you aren’t starving yourself, but also not overeating. A good recommendation is to eat no less than 10-11 calories per pound of body weight each day. Prioritize protein for those calories too. If you weigh 150 pounds you should be eating between 1500-1650 calories each day.
- Earn your carbs! Don’t be afraid to eat carbs (unless you are strictly following a low-carb or no-carb diet). If you’re active and training regularly, carbs are your friend! Carbs fuel your body so eat the majority of your carbs around your workout.
- Allow yourself a treat. Depending on your ability to control yourself, I would say to allow yourself a treat every day. Maybe it’s a piece of dark chocolate after dinner (not a whole chocolate bar), or 1 serving of ice cream or a glass of wine. The more you deprive yourself the harder it is to stick to healthy habits because you will just want to binge on your favorite treats. Be reasonable about it and if you can’t control yourself then limit it to 1 or 2 days a week where you enjoy a dessert or a drink.
What are your goals for summer and what healthy habits are you working on?
Stay Healthy my Friends!
XO,
Carrie A Groff
CG Fitness: Personal Training, Nutrition & Yoga 