Seven Simple Steps to Getting Slim!

Forget the fad diets because none of them offer you realistic life long behavioral changes. They are short lived help-me-lose-20LB by next month diets that offer little in the way of proper nutritional habits. You can sacrifice one macronutrient only for so long before you become deficient in some essential vitamin/mineral/fatty acid etc. Instead, focus on very realistic lifestyle behavior changes that don't put you under tremendous amounts of stress. A simple rule of thumb is to use the 90/10 Rule. This rule simply states that for 90% of your required meals you eat clean. 10% of the time you eat what you enjoy without reservation and guilt. So, if you have 40 meals per week then 4 of those meals should be what you truly desire with no apprehension and completely guilt free. Enjoy and savor these meals for things you crave regularly. Snacking is acceptable, encouraged and will constitute a meal throughout the day. A snack can be fruits, vegetables or nuts and seeds. Eat every 2 to 3 hours even if you are not hungry. Every meal should consist of a serving of vegetables and a lean protein with the exception of your post workout meal including a starchy carbohydrate within one to two hours after exercising. This is assuming all of you are working out. If you are not exercising regularly then let this be motivation to commence a fitness plan today. You don't need to spend hours per day at a gym or sports club. You don't necessarily need a personal trainer. You don't need formal work out attire. Go for a brisk walk around your neighborhood. Climb stairs at work or at the mall. Park as far away as you can from wherever you shop. All of these things add up over time. It is a cumulative effect that helps your body make the physical changes you desire. Let's recap to simplify what we discussed:

1. Begin with the 90/10 Rule


2. 90% of the time you eat clean!


3. 10% of the time you eat whatever you desire, no restrictions, no guilt!


4. Snacking is encouraged to help you keep satiated and maintain stable blood sugar levels throughout the day.


5. Eat a starchy meal only after you workout - within a 1 to 2 hour window .


6. Eat every 2 to 3 hours even if you are not hungry.


7. If you don't exercise then begin now! No excuses. We are all busy but if you desire physical changes then proper nutrition, regular exercise, and positive thinking are the 3 crucial components to experiencing true health.


 

Make 2010 the year about YOU! Change your lifestyle behavior to become a healthier YOU!