I have fitness articles published monthly in L Magazine

For the past couple of years I’ve had the privilege of being a columnist for L Magazine.  I love writing that article every month and I’m very pleased that the good folks down at the Journal Star continue letting me do it.

In case you missed it, here’s my article from the March, 2010 issue…

Everybody Needs Rules!

One bad meal, one bad snack, one bad weekend – even one bad week – doesn’t ruin anything…so never give up.

I want you to keep that last sentence fresh in your mind the next time you find yourself mentally beating yourself up for eating poorly or skipping a workout…one minor set-back doesn’t matter.

Making those mistakes still stings a bit and I’m sure you’d like to stop making those mistakes.

Lucky for you, I’ve got a list of “sneaky tricks” that I fall back on whenever I find myself in a situation where I know I’ll mess up – parties, date night, family gatherings, etc.

If I know there’s a very good chance of my screwing up, I’ll dip into my bag of sneaky tricks and they help me from having the worthless feelings of guilt.

Remember last month we talked about sabotage, well these are more ways to keep you from sabotaging yourself.

1.    Eat a fiber-rich snack before a meal or going to a social event, along with a glass of water.

This trick is all about getting something filling in your stomach before your eyes and stomach do the thinking and you gorge on spinach dip.

If you eat something high in fiber before leaving the house, the fiber will fill you up a bit and mute your hunger alarm.

2.    Always have a “go to” food when you crave something bad, or for those times when you will turn to food for comfort.

Think he has some diet tips for you?

This has to be a food(s) that is very simple, and healthy, and you will always have in your house.

For me, it’s pineapple and almonds – although not necessarily at the same time.

Those two foods are my crutch whenever I’m stressed and feel like eating something nasty.

More often than not, the craving is gone within a few short minutes of eating those foods.

3.    Learn to say NO!  Not so much a “trick” as it is a mentality, but it fits.

For some reason we have this mentality that if someone offers us dessert, we have to have it.

You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to, so don’t let someone guilt you into eating their junk.

Saying “no” doesn’t mean you’re a jerk, so don’t allow yourself to feel that way.  Learn to politely decline and your body will be much happier.

4.    Have a couple rules you always stick to.

This one might sound a bit weird, but it does help.

For example, I don’t eat past a certain time.  Not because it’s magical, it’s because I understand my behavior and the type of food I normally eat at night.  But this is a rule I have and don’t break it.  I also have to start my day off with a homemade smoothie.  That’s a rule and I stick to it.

What rules can you come up with?  It doesn’t have to be something big, just a couple little things you know won’t be a problem, no matter the situation.

If you have anything special you’d like to share with everyone leave a comment below.

Have an awesome day!

Ed

I have fitness articles published monthly in L Magazine

I don’t know whether you receive “L Magazine” with your paper, or open it up to see my pretty face (with short hair) and read my articles but if you don’t, here’s my article from February.

The Saboteurs…

I love a good spy novel.   They shoot my heart rate through the roof, which usually means I stay up way past my bedtime.

The great books from that genre involve more or less the same thing – good guy must stop bad guy(s) before something very bad happens, BUT…

…There’s always a twist and it usually involves sabotage.

We’re not so different from those storylines, especially when it comes to sabotage when trying to accomplish something great.

Don’t believe me?

I love the Bourne novels

Think about the last time you’ve tried to make better choices with your diet and exercise and then think about some of the reasons you’ve failed.

More often than not you have either sabotaged yourself or let someone else sabotage you and the worst part is you may not even realize it.

Where’s Jason Bourne when you need him?!

The sabotage stops here and now and I’m going to help you by giving you a few of the most common saboteurs.

The most obvious saboteur is the social event.  When you’re at a party, the host usually does everything in their power to help you enjoy yourself and all too often that means drinks and lots of food.

If you are trying to avoid the fatness, you won’t have a plate in one hand and a drink in the other and the problem is the host and/or other party-goers will take that to mean you’re not having a good time and will pressure you into eating and drinking.

They think they’re helping you, when in actuality they’re sabotaging all your hard work.

The best action is to have a response already prepared and I’ll even let you lie if necessary.

Tell them the food was wonderful and you just put your plate down or that you have plans after the party and you don’t want to ruin your appetite.

Or if you really want to make some enemies, tell them you’re trying to lose weight and not be so fat…like them!  I don’t recommend that course of action if you fear the person or value your nose, lest they punch you.

One of my favorite saboteurs is the attempt to be perfect.  Being perfect with your workouts and diet won’t happen.  Never has and never will, so stop trying.

Plus everyone around you will hate you and that’s no fun.

My all-time favorite saboteur is the spouse who either knowingly or unknowingly sabotages all your hard work.

Sometimes when you set out to better yourself, your spouse isn’t on board or may think your route is silly.  Hopefully this only leads to a lack of support (which is pretty crappy in itself) but it can lead to that person making it nearly impossible for you to succeed.

I’ve known husbands who make it extremely difficult for their wives to come to boot camp.

I’ve known wives who stock the cupboards and refrigerator with their husband’s favorite junk foods – the foods he’s trying to avoid.

It’s pretty sad, but all you need to do to fix it is sit down and have a conversation about why your goals are important and ask for their support.  If they love you, they’ll give it.

Don’t let yourself become the prey of those common saboteurs.  Prepare yourself and you will succeed and maybe take out some bad guys along the way.

Have an awesome day!

Ed