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Stay on Target – Fit Tips

By Sheila Cluff

     Here’s a challenge:  Turn off from the media buzz that says you can have it all and still be trim, fit and beautiful.  Sure you can try, but the stress of buying into that, including eating super sized, high-fat meals while wearing skinny jeans could leave you depressed and plumper.

     Not everyone is meant to resemble a Boishoi ballet dancer or line backer from the Rams or Redskins.  However, unwanted body fat has been proven to lead to dismal diseases that age us beyond on years such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes.  Now is the time to trim down and get a new lease on life.  Now is the perfect day.

     But what if it’s too hard or you fail?  There’s help with commercial weight loss programs, perhaps with your health insurance organization or by talking with a counselor or a listening friend.  You are not alone and if you fail, then simply dust off your backside and start again.  This is not a race, but a lifestyle.  Here are tips to change for the better, especially with the New Year fast approaching.

     *Become informed.  Buy books and magazines on health and use the web for nutritional information, from reputable sites please, such as the Mayo Clinic and universities.  Web MD, www.webmd.com, also had solid information.

     *Eat less.  Okay, that’s a “given” when it comes to weight loss, but so many times those who want to lose unwanted body fat try to come up with detailed plans and intricate diets.  If you want to reduce the amount of calories you’re eating, reduce your portions slightly.  Slightly is the key word, because if you eat just a small amount less each day, than normal, and increase your activity, you’ll lose weight.

     *Eat on smaller plates.  As an alternative to serving food on dinner-sized plates, use those for sandwiches.  You’ll feel like you’re getting as much food because your eyes will tell you that the plate is full.  And again, say “no thanks” to seconds.

     *Munch a bunch of fibrous, crunchy, chewy foods.  Whole grains, fruits and vegetables are rich in natural fiber. There’s been a lot of research that indicates diets that are rich in fiber may reduce various cancers, including colon cancer.  Fiber helps keep the body to stay regular, proven to promote better health. When we eat foods, such as whole apples, we feel much more satisfied than having a smaller portion of a sugary, fatty treat such as a donut.

     *Drink lots of H20.  With zero calories, it quenches the thirst and helps fill you up.  Next time you’re thinking of munching a snack have a glass of water first, wait five minutes and then consider the snack.  You may find you’re not really hungry at all and with the increased fiber in your diet, this makes smart health sense.  I believe that drinking water promotes beautiful skin; it definitely keeps skin well hydrated.  This could be the best, quickest and fastest beauty aid around.

     *Switch to soup.  Soup is nourishing.  It satisfies our craving for savory foods.  Many people say that having soup for two or three meals each week helps them to stay trimmer.

     *Sip some tea. Studies have reported that tea provides more flavonoids to the average American diet than any food or beverage in the U.S. food supply.   Flavonoids are a nutritional powerhouse that might just keep your heart healthy and body free of debilitating diseases.   You can read more about this on:  www.celestialseasonings.com/research/abouttea/benefitsbt.php.

     *Sneak in fitness.  If you’re already participating in a fitness program, such as playing golf, cycling, dancing or going to the gym, add something new to your day.  Try running in place for ten minutes.  Do a few pushups or lift some weights, using barbells, books or unopened cans of condensed soup.  Squeeze in some tummy crunches.  Don’t make this a “real” workout.  Not only will you use unwanted calories, which will trim you down, but you’ll become stronger too.

     *Walk it off.  By eating just a bit less and walking a bit more, you will find your clothes are roomier and more comfortable.  Make your goal to walk every day, once you’ve gained back some endurance, for a total of 30-40 minutes each day.  How long will it take to lose weight?  You could feel a difference in less than two weeks, but please don’t consider this a diet plan that you’ll go off of when you lose body fat.  Your trimming ways must stick with you.

     Keep your body on target with these tips and you will be the bell of any New Years ball or spring fling as you stay fit for life.

Sheila Cluff, fitness expert, television celebrity and owner of The Oaks at Ojai, is the author of Take 5: How You Can Benefit from Just Five Minutes of Daily Exercise and The Ultimate Recipe for Fitness by Sheila and Eleanor Brown.  Sign up for our e.newsletter at oaksspa.com, Fan us on Facebook or Follow our Tweets!

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