HOW TO: sustainably diet

last week i wrote about WHY you should sustainably diet... this week i'm gonna give you the HOW. 

what exactly is a sustainable diet? 

under my definition, it is a diet that you are able to do for a long duration without burning out and without feeling restricted. 

and it will look different for everyone. for some people that will be a paleo diet, for some people a lower carb diet, and for others its just general portion control.

 so here's how you figure out what a sustainable diet looks like for you: 

1. figure out how you're currently eating and what needs to change. the easiest way to do that is to totally track your food for a few days (being sure to track at least one weekend day). maybe (most likely) you need to reduce your intake or maybe you snack more than you realized or drink high calorie juices or coffees and things you wouldn't usually think of. so knowing what you currently eat can help you to see the issues that may be causing the weight gain. 

2. figure out what is most important for you to keep in your diet for you to stick with it. is that getting to eat hella pasta or other carbs? or do you need your chocolate fix every night? know what is important to you so you can plan how you eat around those requirements to not feel restricted. 

3. which brings me to part 3... plan, plan, plan. at least at first make sure you are planning as much as you can so you don't go off track due to laziness. make yourself a menu, have your snacks portioned out, meal prep if that's something you need to do. make sure you have your plan in place so you can enjoy the foods you want to while also staying within whatever goals you've set for yourself successfully

4. have goals. clear cut, written, achievable goals. that could be staying within a calorie range or no sodas or no eating out during the week or no chips with lunch or eat a veggie at dinner or try a new fruit/veggie every couple of weeks. have set goals for each month that you can achieve and stick with them. 

5. and finally...if you slip up (and you will) don't let that run you off the rails. change takes time and you will make mistakes. and that is OKAY! but do not let that mistake turn into a whole day or week or whatever of going off track. 

so that's how you do it! make your plan and stick with it. eat your healthy foods and protein and enjoy your treats in moderation. 

you can do it! 

but if you need help/have questions/want some ideas follow me on facebook and instagram! send me a message or leave a comment with any questions! 

the importance of sustainable dieting

starting a diet is intimidating and overwhelming. you feel like you have to make an entire re-vamp of your life just to lose weight. 

i have great news... you don't! weight loss and maintaining that loss is not a sprint...it's a lifelong marathon. so any program or tea or pill that's promising your whole life to change or to lose 30 lbs quick...it's probably full of shit. 

cause you may lose that weight in that moment or for that week or month that you are able to follow whatever strict diet or afford whatever crazy program you need to... but what about after that? what about the weeks, months, and years that follow the intense diet you followed to a T?

you go back to your old diet habits. probably not all at once, but after a couple of months you're most likely eating like you were before you had your strict diet wondering why you're gaining weight again. 

this can start a diet cycle that many people suffer through for their entire life. a cycle of yo-yo dieting, of restriction and binge eating, and of losing and gaining the same weight over and over again. 

but there is a different way to diet! and it's a WAY better option than eating no carbs or cutting out every food that you enjoy for forever. 

and the difficult part is... it looks different for everyone. which no one wants to hear. people want to be told what to do and that it's worked for all these people and it will definitely work for you too. if you want someone to tell you what to eat... go find yourself an actual dietitian or nutritionist. they are literally trained in figuring out diet plans for people and are the only people who should be giving you rock solid recommendations for food. 

beyond finding a nutritionist... YOU have to figure out what works for YOU. and it takes time and effort and consistency but it's so worth it. 

this isn't a "how to" blog so i will write on this more later... but the basic start is really figuring out how much you are actually eating...and then how much you actually should be eating and then working your way to that until you hit your goals. 

but the important part is to not eliminate all your foods that you enjoy and to try to incorporate more nutrient dense ("whole") foods. 

what does that look like???

-it looks like making conscious food choices and eating mindfully (not hand in a bag of snacks while watching tv)

-it looks like still having food and drinks that you enjoy (yes you can still have beer and wine... just not multiple glasses every single night) 

- it looks like a long term lifestyle change instead of a crash diet that you can only do for a few weeks before you fizzle out

avoid diets that force you to: 

-only eat a few set meals/proteins/veggies/etc and that's it

-cut out an entire macronutirent (carbs, fats, or protein) 

- cut out a whole food group (diary, meat, sweets, etc) for forever (i'm not including whole30 in this, because this is specifically only a short term diet)

what's the harm of crash dieting? 

you will not hit your goals... and if you do you won't maintain it.

it creates a terrible cycle of restricting foods and then binge eating on those foods. (not great for weight loss)

it will hurt your metabolism in the long term. if you are constantly yo-yo dieting your body and your metabolism will adapt to that and it is not beneficial for weight loss. 

you are more at risk for a myriad of different diseases (heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, etc) 

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eat foods that you enjoy mindfully, drink hella water, and eat some veggies and you'll be on your way. do not think of dieting as a quick fix, think of it as a long term health journey. 

in the next week or two i am going to have a blog out on HOW to figure out what a sustainable diet is for yourself!

until then... do you have any questions about sustainable dieting and crash dieting? let me know in the comments or send me a message on instagram or facebook! 

THE best kind of cardio

if you don't feel like reading the whole post, i'm gonna just spoil it for you at the top. and it's not an answer that you're gonna like tbh. ready for it? IT ALL DEPENDS! depends on what you like, depends on injuries you may have, what your goals are, and depends on what you have available to you. 

so i'm going to let you know what the benefits of each kind of cardio is and let you figure out what's best for you. 

1. walking: the easiest kind of cardio that you're probably already doing. it's low impact and just about anyone can do it. it's simple & effective. walking 30 minutes of day has numerous health benefits including lowering blood pressure and improving circulation. and you can do it just about anywhere and anytime!

2. jogging/running: now i know that everyone has some sort of vendetta against running but it is a great cardio workout and it takes almost no special equipment. it has all the benefits of walking with disease reduction and lowering bp, it's just a little faster. the drawbacks are that it is higher impact and can be tough on your knees and feet so it's not for everyone. BUT after running you get that ever spoken of runner's high. which is real and it feels great and honestly is why i keep going back to it.

3. jumping rope: have you jumped rope since you were on the playground in school? if not, you should! personally, i am TERRIBLE at jumping rope but damn is it a great cardio workout. not only does it get your heart rate up, it also builds your agility and quickness and coordination. plus a jump rope is cheap, takes almost no space to store, and only a little space to workout in. once again, it can be a little tough on the body because you're jumping but there are modifications that can be lower impact until you're able to go full out.

4. rowing: definitely a full body cardio workout. not only is this a cardio workout but you'll definitely feel it in your upper and lower body for some strength building, as well. it's low impact too. so if running is off the table because it hurts your knees, then definitely get yourself on a rowing machine. helluva calorie burn too! 

5. swimming: the lowest impact cardio activity. if you've got injuries then swimming is probably the best option for you. there's a very low risk of injury. it also strengthens your muscles! basically all of them because swimming is a full body workout. and swimming builds up bone mass, which is a definite benefit if you have osteoporosis or arthritis. and swimming is a good option if you have asthma, because it helps with your lung strength and endurance.

6. cycling: another great low impact cardio exercise. along with all the health benefits of regular cardiovascular exercise, since it's lower impact... you're less likely to get injuries. and it is a great exercise for when you're coming off of an injury. 

7. sports: general, i know. but definitely a solid cardio option. there's SO MANY different sports that you can play that will get your heart rate up and you moving. plus most sports include dynamic movements which is great for you. AND you're usually working with a team which creates accountability. and on top of that, the competitive aspect of sports will help push you farther than you typically would in a normal cardio workout.

plus you can adjust intensity by doing long interval steady state (LISS) or high intensity interval training (HIIT) throughout most of these options. 

there are lots of other kinds of cardio you can incorporate too, but these are the basics that most people will have access to. but if you have 'em... battle ropes, kettlebells, sled push/pulls, bodyweight training, boxing, stairs, dancing, or hiking and so much more. 

 there's something out there for you to do to get a great cardio workout in!

but if you don't know where to start leave a comment or message me here or on facebook or instagram.

and if you're really lost, and you live around here, we can set up a fitness consultation at my new job at 24 Hour Fitness! drop me a message if you're interested!