Month: July 2016

HEALTHY LIFESTYLE MINDSET

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How many times have you decided to overhaul your lifestyle in order to lose weight and get fit, only to abandon your efforts in a few weeks or after only a few days? How many times have you lost weight on a quick fad diet, only to find that once you started eating normally you put the weight and probably more back on?

There are many reasons this may have happened.  Talking to friends, family and TEAM SWEAT members what I have identified as being a major contributing factor is not developing a “HEALTHY LIFESTYLE MINDSET”.

A healthy lifestyle mindset will keep you moving forward and making progress in your efforts to lose weight and get fit even when you hit hurdles in your journey.

So what does a healthy lifestyle mindset look like?

  1. Accept Yourself for Who You Are

One of the unfortunate parts of society these days is the ease in which social media allows you to compare yourself to other.  How they look, what they have, etc. Everybody is unique and you need to focus on yourself and who you are that makes you unique and not to compare yourself to others. Appreciate your life and let others worry about their own.

  1. Eating Healthy = Feeling Healthy

To achieve a healthier mindset and outlook on life as well as generally feeling great you need to eat healthy nutritious food.  Food is fuel.  It helps with general health and wellbeing, concentrate better, sleep better and get the most out of your training. Respect yourself by eating what your body deserves – FRESH NUTRITIOUS FOOD.

  1. MOVE. MOVE

This is so important!  As much as I dislike the Pokemon GO phase (please let it be a phase) It has got people moving.  You don’t need to run 10kms a day or smash out huge sessions in the gym.  Just aim for 30mins of movement 5 days a week.  Walk in your lunch break, take your dog for a walk, ride your bike or skateboard.  JUST MOVE!

  1. Rest

Just as much as eating nutritious healthy food and moving is important don’t forget to rest.  Having a regular bedtime and sleeping for the required amount of time for you to rise the next morning feeling well rested and ready to go is essential. (Ok side note here – I have a toddler who doesn’t sleep well so all the mums out there try your best, compensate with coffee and dreaming of a day where regular sleep will be part of your life again).

  1. Surround Yourself with Positive People

This is one of the most important elements.  Ever worked in a job where there was that one person who always complained and was negative.  Ever noticed how it spread and for every negative comment that person made it took five to rectify it.  Negativity can have a harmful impact on your life.  It can drain you of energy quickly.  Steer clear of the drama and socialise with friends, family and work mates who are up-beat, positive and supportive of you.  You will find quickly this will have a positive impact on your outlook on life and reinforce the healthy decisions you are making.

  1. SELF TALK

As much as surrounding yourself with positive people will have a healthy impact on your life remember the most important positive person in your life is YOU! We are conditioned not to compliment ourselves.  As aussies we are always taking the piss and laughing at our faults.  Well from now on complement yourself.  If you beat a personal best on the treadmill or eat only healthy nutritious food for the entire day pat yourself on the back.  Be proud of those achievements and tell your friends. As all the people surrounding you are positive they will celebrate your achievements with you (probably take the piss a bit but mostly celebrate).

  1. Appreciate the Small Things

Always appreciate the small things.  Acknowledge your good days, accept and appreciate compliments you receive, enjoy the sunshine coming through the clouds.  Be thankful for your health and your loved ones. We take the small things for granted when they are really the most important.  Life is not about the destination it’s about the journey. Had to at least have one annoying saying in here, but its true.

Having a HEALTHY LIFESTYLE MINDSET is all about creating a life you love. So don’t compare yourself to others, respect your body and eat nutritious food, move more in your day, listen to your body and rest when you need to, be positive and surround yourself with positive peeps, and most importantly take the time to appreciate the small things x

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Fitness in Nature

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Have you ever noticed a sense of being happier and more calm after an outdoors training session?  Well research suggests that training outdoors amongst nature has great psychological benefits as it lifts your mood and lowers stress.

Lately I have been making a conscious effort to ensure a regular part of my training is done outdoors and organised a monthly hike with a friend.  We chose a different location every month to keep things interesting!

Below are the top 5 benefits THE FIT FOODIE (ww.the-fit-foodie.com) has identified from training outdoors.

TOP 5 BENEFITS TO OUTDOOR EXERCISE:

  1. Sunshine

Vitamin D provided by exposure to the sun has some great benefits. It strengthens your immune system, makes bones stronger and also actually improved your mood. Exposure to sunlight is a common treatment for depression and other mood disorders. Endorphins, which can raise your mood and keep it stable, are released when you spend time in the sun.

  1. Mental Stimulation

Outdoor exercise provides mental stimulation that indoor workouts simply cannot match. It doesn’t matter if you’re working out at home or at your local gym, you’ll always be surrounded by the same four walls. Training outside means you have constantly changing scenery that excites and stimulates your brain. Give your mind a workout as well as your body!

  1. Psychological Benefits

An increasing amount of research shows us that outdoor activity is psychologically beneficial as well as physiologically. Exercising amongst nature amongst trees and wildlife can give you a healthy mood boost and combat anxiety, lowering tension and alleviating stress that many of us suffer from.

  1. New Exercises

Despite some claims that exercise simulations are just as good as the real thing, you’ll find outdoor training uses muscles you never thought you had. Running outdoors is physically more demanding than a treadmill, even on an incline.

  1. More varied workout

Outside you’ll encounter varied terrain and conditions that cannot be simulated in the gym. You hit hills and different surfaces, such as concrete, grass, sand and – of course – earth and mud! All these surfaces and gradients exercise your body in different ways. You’ll need to flex your limbs differently in order to adapt to the contour of the terrain.  http://the-fit-foodie.com/5-benefits-of-training-outdoors/

So if you are looking to spice up your training routine think about heading outdoors!

Bad Habits

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We all have bad habits we want to break. Habits we’ve had most our lives. One of mine is emotional eating.

It use to be a tough day at work or a bad night sleep with Josh was a good excuse to eating something unhealthy. I have acknowledged this bad habit and I am conscious of it.

I’m pretty good these days but after a sad stressful day yesterday I fell off the wagon and went all out. Hot chocolate, custard tart, maccas. You name it.

Well today I have a huge food hangover with massive food regret! But its a new day and junk food won’t solve anything so the best way to feel better is to get moving. Quick carport workout this morning while Josh played with the dogs helped me feel reenergised.

Any health and fitness habit you’ve had for most your life takes time to break. Recognising it and being conscious of the triggers and excuses as well as having an alternative at hand will help turn the unhealthy habit into a healthy one.

And remember we all fall down, its how you get back up that counts x

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Small Steps. Big Impact.

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The days are shorter and the morning and evenings are unbearably cold.  Staying on track this time of year is difficult.  I’ve had many discussions with TEAM SWEAT members over the last few weeks about how hard it is to stay in routine and keep motivated.  I have to say I understand.  This time of year is brutal and I have also fallen into bad habits with nutrition and fitness. Shout out to Cadbury’s your Oreo chocolate bars are amazing. . . hang on where was I . . . yes healthy habits.

Everyone is different and you need to find what works for you.  Set goals, tell people about them, surround yourself with positive supportive friends and family then smash them out the park.  

Last week I set 3 goals – one nutrition, one fitness and one family.  I told my hubby who got on board and then we told some friends who also got on board.  To make it interesting we turned it into a challenge with the loser buying dinner . . . healthy of course.  But let’s be honest there are no losers we are all improving ourselves.

Four people working towards bettering themselves with nutrition and fitness. Supporting each other and creating healthy habits in a fun and friendly environment.  That’s what SWEAT and INSPIRE is all about. 

These small steps of deciding to make a change, setting goals and creating a supportive community will have a big impact on your health today, tomorrow and in the future. 

Challenges are not everyone’s cup of tea, so find what works for you whether it’s getting a personal trainer, committing to walking in your lunch break or cutting out sugar. 

The smallest step can have the biggest impact. So why not make July the month you set your goals to eat right, get moving and have fun.  x

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