3 Fitness Tips to see Results This Month

When you commit yourself to the right strategies, your path to success becomes clearer. But it’s hard to filter through all of the information out there and feel confident about what you are doing in the gym and in the kitchen. Through my own experience and personal trial and error, plus years of working with frustrated women looking for results, I can tell you that these 3 tips will help you see results this month!

There is no secret. I can’t give you a discount to a magic pill. What I can do is give you these no fuss, no doubt strategies to get your health and fitness goals back on track. If you can commit to following these 3 tips, I promise that you’ll see results!

Tip #1: Rein in Your Portions

Of all of the tips to see results this month, this is one you can start immediately – as in right now!

Most of us considerably underestimate portion sizes. Is that really 1 tablespoon of peanut butter? While underestimating how much you eat every now and then is not such a big deal, ignoring portion size can lead to a major increase in unaccounted for calories. Those calories add up over time and can halt, or even reverse, progress.

Pay attention to how much you are actually eating. That means accounting for the “handful of this” and “handful of that”. It also means that you might need to spend a couple of days weighing and measuring your food. You don’t necessarily have to haul measuring cups around with you forever, but it’s good to have a refresher every now and then.

Alternatively you can use your hands to make a reasonably accurate decision about portion sizes.

Protein – 1 serving of protein (20-30 grams), clocks in at roughly the size of your hand. Shoot for 4-5 servings per day.

Veggies – 1 serving of non-starchy vegetables is about the size of your fist. Greens, cucumbers, eggplant, peppers – eat the rainbow! Aim to eat at least 4 servings each day.

Starches and Grains – 1 serving of starches and grains (what most of us think of as carbs), will fit in the palm of your cupped hand. 3-4 servings is a good place to start, though adjust according to your goals and your activity level.

Fats – 1 serving of heart healthy fats (7-15 grams), is about the size of your thumb. Make sure to include omega-3 fatty acids (in foods like salmon, walnuts and spinach).

*Hand sizes differ between humans. But in general, smaller people tend to have smaller hands, and need fewer calories. Larger people tend to have larger hands, and tend to need more calories to sustain. It works out!

Tip #2: Practice Progressive Overload

Do you ever feel that despite the hours you spend at the gym, you’re not really getting anywhere? To build muscle you have to push past your body’s comfort zone. That means that you have to continuously challenge your muscles and your nervous system in order to see results.

The principle of progressive overload tells us that you have to constantly and consistently stress the muscles in a way that disrupts the status quo and forces your body to adapt, grow and recover. To simplify it: you have to do more. If you’ve been picking up the same 8 pound dumbbells and doing the same 3 sets of 10 reps for as long as you can remember, you’re not going to get results.

There are 4 ways to practice progressive overload:

• Increase intensity aka lift heavier weight.
  
• Increase volume. Do more reps or sets of the same exercise at the same weight.
  
• Increase frequency by increasing the frequency of your workouts, or the frequency at which you workout a specific body part that you want to develop.
  
• Increase tension. Slow the movement down so that your muscle spend more time under tension (working), than you do resting.

*Pick just one method at a time to keep your chance of injury or burn out low while still seeing progress. For example, if you always do 3 sets of 10 reps, do 3 sets of 15 next time.

Tip #3: Limit Processed Foods

If you are trying to get healthy and fit, processed foods have no place in your diet. Focus on real, whole foods as close to their natural form as possible. In other words, eat the foods that humans have eaten for thousands of years.

Your body knows exactly what to do with an apple. Your body doesn’t know what to do with Apple Jacks.

Real reasons to eat real food:

• Real foods are loaded with nutrients. Processed foods are typically loaded with sugar, sodium, trans-fats and additives. Too much sugar is linked to obesity. Too much sodium is linked to high blood pressure and heart disease. Trans fats raise bad cholesterol. And really, additives just do not belong in your body!
  
• Fiber, both soluble and insoluble, is an integral part of gut health and maintaining a healthy digestive system. You’ll find it in real food.
  
• Processed foods can spike blood sugar levels, which in turn spikes insulin, and can lead to insulin resistance, poor metabolic activity and chronic disease like diabetes.

Focus on limiting, if not eliminating processed foods in your diet. You’ll feel better, live better, and get better results!

For some more tips to see results this month:

• 5 Tips to Stop Eating the Junk
• Back to the Basics
• Reach Your Goals Without Counting Calories