Nutritional Baby Steps.

Well, January is more than halfway over.  New routines should be starting to fall into place and some lifestyle changes you've always wanted to make should be in the process of being accomplished.  With that said, I know that there have more than likely been both good days and bad.  Your ducks might not always feel like they are in a row but positive baby steps through all of this is what matters the most.

The ducks I'm talking about are all the aspects of your journey that need to be in place and on point (most of the time) in order for you to see the results you want to see.  When I talk to new clients, I always touch on the three components that I think are the most important: nutrition, cardio respiratory exercise and resistance training.  Over the next couple of posts I will break these down for you and give you some nutrition advice, effective cardio workout suggestions and resistance training programs.  I know I have touched on all of these before but I have a lot of ideas in my think tank to keep you motivated and keep your workouts fresh and fun. 

Hands down the most important part of your journey is your nutrition.  I have learned first hand that I can workout five to six days a week and still gain weight because of what I'm consuming. This is by far the hardest part of the whole process.  I think most people can learn to tolerate the physical exercise, it's the eating part that is tied so closely to your highs and lows in life.  Some people eat to live, most people live to eat. 

So let's just go back to the baby step concept.  Let's break it all down and then build it back up into happy healthy changes that you can stick to long term.  So here's a few questions to ask yourself and the most important thing is to accept your current eating for what it is and be honest with yourself.  

1. Do you track your food? It's important to have a starting point.  I don't think calorie counting is necessary forever but I do think it gives you an idea of what you're consuming.  It's amazing how many people have tracked their food for a week and realized they were eating way too much.  Calories aren't always the most important because there are good foods that are high in calories but are actually quite good for you.  So give yourself a week to track EVERYTHING you're eating.  Like I said, be honest with it all and know that the bad habits you may currently have are going to be changing for good.

2. Where are your calories coming from?  Are you a carb junkie or is sugar your kryptonite?  Do you avoid all green foods or do you hate the sweet taste of fruit?  There are a lot of people that probably stay under their caloric daily goal but they still can't seem to lose weight...chances are it's the foods you're consuming or not consuming depending on what it is.  Remember veggies are pretty much free foods...if you're hungry, they are great foods to turn to...not crackers or cheese.

3. When do you find yourself eating?  There are so many emotions that people tie to food.  When we are sad, we eat, when we're stressed we eat and when we are happy, we eat. Become aware of your triggers and what your biggest temptations are.  I am not asking you to change all of these at once but simply be aware of them.  Awareness and acceptance, like any addiction, are the first 

part of the whole healing process.  If you drink four sodas a day, try to cut it back to one.  If you tend to be a late night snacker, try to make a good choice and eat a healthy snack.  Little change in habits is better than no change at all. 

4. How often do you eat?  Do you eat three larger meals a day or are you more of a grazer?  You kind of have to figure out what works best for you.  The latest is five smaller meals throughout the day so you don't ever feel too hungry which typically leads to binge eating.  Portion control is typically one of the harder things to get control of.  How much are you eating? Do you feel satisfied or absolutely stuffed when you're done with a meal?  Just some thought provoking questions to asks yourself.  Whatever answers you come up with, try to come up with some possible solutions.  

So start with those questions and start making a list of all the things you'd like to change.  I've said it a million times and I'll say it again, it is a process, it will all take time.  Crash diets will only temporarily fix the problem.  Fix the problem for good by doing it the right way.  

Next up: how to get the most out of your cardio sessions.  Until then, happy eating!