Eating right really is simple, just a few basic rules.

So I was sitting in the doctor's office recently to take care of my abnormally large tonsils when I found myself skimming through a magazine published by a very popular chain of gyms which I will not name here in this post but we all know the name. Well, I think we all do. ANYWAY, so I was skimming through when an article about healthy eating caught my eye. In this article I concluded that they really didn't know what they were talking about and I finished the article more confused than when I had started. So that got me wondering how many other people out there are either A) reading that article and feel like healthy eating is too hard so they said 'forget it' before even trying or B) really are clueless from the get go about what it is they should be putting in their mouths. Well here are some easy rules to follow when choosing right eating habits.

1. Do. Not. Starve. Yourself. EVER.
This one should be a no brainer, however, it is not. Women fall prey to this every single day. They have the weight they want to lose so they can fit into that perfect pair of jeans or dress for this perfect day so what do they do to get ready? They don't eat. This is stupid. Really stupid. Not only are you going to gain that weight back plus some but you have just officially made it harder for your body to lose any more weight for your future endeavors of getting a slimmer body. Starving yourself seriously screws up your metabolism. Not to mention a lot of other things. You leave yourself susceptible to all kinds of airborne viruses and germs. That's disgusting. You have to eat in order to lose weight. Yes, I will repeat it with full confidence. YOU HAVE TO EAT IN ORDER TO LOSE WEIGHT. Several small meals a day work great for training your metabolism.

2. Don't be scared of carbohydrates. Seriously.
Carbs are our friends in terms of our body's ability to effectively function throughout the day. Carbs are a ready source of fuel for our body to use in doing anything and everything that we do in a day. Especially working out. You need carbohydrates before and after your workout to get your body ready AND also to adequately recover from your workout. Recovery takes just as much effort from your body as the actual workout itself.

3. Don't skimp on your protein, regardless of your gender or goals for your body.
Proteins are the building blocks of EVERYTHING in your body. Every little cell in your body is built up of protein. All your DNA is protein. Bones are built of proteins. Muscles are built of proteins. On and on and on. As far as a carb to protein ratio it should be pretty close to this, 4:1. That's 4 carbs, 1 protein.

4. Fear not all fats.
Fats are actually needed by your body. Skipping out on all fats isn't necessarily a healthy choice in choosing your new way of eating. Every muscle you have and every organ you have is actually surrounded by a protective stretchy sac called fascia. That fascia is made up of fat. Look for omega-3s as healthy fats to add to your diet. You'll find these in fatty fish like tuna.

5. Stay hydrated.
Just because you aren't thirsty doesn't mean you don't need water. That thirst sensation is telling you that you REALLY need water because something is about to stop working effectively inside your body unless you get more. Drinking water regularly throughout your day is a really good way to keep you hydrated and everything inside of you working at its most efficient especially the organs that need fluid in order to filter out those toxins that are floating around inside of you like your liver. In terms of exercise you should be drinking well before your workout, all throughout your workout, and well after your workout. We are like plants in this sense, without water we can't live.

Going on a diet, quick weight loss doesn't mean results.

Clients love to argue with me about diets. First of all, if you are my client you have obviously reached out to me for advice and motivation concerning weight loss and fitness so don't argue with me about the advice I give you. Second of all, I would never give you advice to sabotage your well being. That goes against everything I stand for as a Fitness Coach. Almost every client I have ever had has told me a story about how they went on this diet and lost all this weight a year ago and have since then gained it all back and then some. Well, let's back up a second. If you went on the diet to lose weight but have actually gained weight, I would call that diet a failure. So whatever diet that was throw it in the trash. This is where people love to argue with me. They say but I did lose weight in the beginning.
Stop.
Getting healthy and fit is all about long term life changes. Diets that make you fluctuate in weight (by fluctuate I mean lose a couple of pounds, gain them back, lose it, gain one pound, plateau, start all over) is not a healthy diet. You have to find that balance of exercise and proportionate eating that works for your body. It isn't a one size fits all kind of thing. What works for your friend or neighbor or that guy on TV that lost 100 pounds on the blah-blah-blah diet may not work for you and that's fine.
Getting healthy isn't ever going to be quick and easy. If it was everyone would be an ideal weight and eating the right foods everyday. I do promise you this though, the effort that you put into it will definitely be worth the outcome. Finding the right balance now will save you hundreds or maybe thousands on preventable hospital bills later on in life.
A couple of diets I do recommend has been put out by Fitness Quest and Rachel Cosgrove. Definitely check those out they may give you a good place to start.

Holidays are for enjoying, not for feeling guilty.

Alright guys here is my opinion on how the holidays are supposed to go for the regular exercisers and the serious dieters, take it or leave it. I'm just one of MANY opinions. I'm going to share with you the advice I give to my clients.
Thanksgiving on into New Years is a REALLY difficult time to maintain a healthy lifestyle. People start baking all the yummy foods we crave and love to eat. Food in general is in abundance through Thanksgiving feasts and Christmas parties and celebrations and New Years get-togethers.
Just because you happen to eat that piece of pumpkin pie (or two) doesn't mean your diet is ruined. I don't even see it as a setback to my clients' goals or programming. We get food like this once a year it isn't fair to ourselves not to indulge in it a little. Make sure to drink plenty of water to help flush all of the bad stuff and cleanse your insides and don't let that bad meal be the reason you stop exercising. KEEP EXERCISING! Weight gain happens during the holidays because we feel like we have eaten badly and that guilt keeps us from going to the gym or even taking a walk/jog.
Enjoying the holidays is part of life, a part of life I'd rather not miss out on and especially would not want to see my clients miss out on. Indulging doesn't mean you have to feel guilty. Just follow the two simple rules and you will come out on top in 2011!

1. Drink PLENTY of fluids (H20)
2. Don't stop exercising!