Building a sustainable lifestyle

I believe in creating a life which you don’t need to escape from in order feel your best. A sustainable life allows you to make daily, habitual choices in your nutrition and activity creating a level of health which not only gives you confidence but keeps your body functioning at its peak. Such a level that consistent happiness and energy is achieved week after week without stressful extra effort. This is a life of peace and order which we all desire.

True healthy lifestyle is a passionate topic for me, some might even call it my soapbox. I want to take time to break down my beliefs and methods in order to give full explanation to what a sustainable lifestyle truly looks like. It is much more than having a salad every other meal or spending hours at the gym, and it most definitely does NOT include a laundry list of daily supplements or products to make your world go round. Making results a reality is about knowing how to properly fuel your body, move & challenge your body regularly and surround yourself with positive influences daily.

This outlines and explains what I not only believe but KNOW to be the components of a sustainable lifestyle. I have followed and constantly improved and educated myself on these theories all my adult life. Moreover, I have numerous clients I have advised through my

20 plus years in the health and fitness industry which are living breathing testaments of continued success with this mindset and lifestyle.

Now to be totally clear this sustainable lifestyle does not come without sacrifice or hard work, especially in the beginning. Creating new habits is difficult at best, but once achieved becomes second nature. Research shows that it takes roughly 20 to 25 days to form new habits and, in my opinion, at least another 30 to 40 to create true lasting change.

First things first! Lasting change in the health habits of your life means that you are willing to put the crash diets completely in the trash where they belong, I’m talking forever! You have to shift your mindset to longevity not just looking good on your beach vacation at the end of the month or fitting into that favorite dress for a party next week. The quick 10 and 15 pounds of loss on the scale achieved by whatever Pinterest craze you found or the latest and most popular drink or supplement you find scrolling Facebook will do you no good ultimately. This approach will only do you the favor of returning as 20 to 30 pounds in just a few weeks as you get back to real life.

When you constantly participate in this yo-yo diet world your body is not technically losing much if any fat, you are actually losing muscle and maybe some water weight. The body has to have certain nutrients to function at a basic level daily and because you are depriving your body of the nutrients it needs it will seek it out. In order to keep you moving while you are crash dieting it will go to the muscles to get what it needs to survive giving you the minimal amount of energy it takes to get through your day. This is why you feel so weak and worn out while fad dieting. The rapid decline in your muscle and loss of “weight” also contributes to undesirable loose skin. When weight loss is done correctly this is far less likely to happen or be as dramatic.

The kicker is these choices not only affect your body they have mental and emotional repercussions as well such as depression and extreme irritability during and/or after the diet. This crazy roller coaster of wacky eating is ultimately not only destroying your body but also your mental state. Cutting out whole food groups or replacing them with a pill or shake will NEVER give the body what it needs and will eventually come to very a disappointing end. By “filling” the body with a shake – even one with “good” ingredients – or altering/fooling the receptors in the body with a pill you are still not providing the nutrients in the form NEEDED by the body to sustain high level functioning, aka a healthy life has to focus on REAL ingredients and REAL change. Therefore, as soon as you stop these things the body will go into a “recovery mode” – same as after the crash diet. This means it will hold onto every single thing

you give it in fear of being deprived again which ultimately causes extreme weight gain and

subsequently depression as well.

The mental and physical are always connected. YES, it will take discipline to eat appropriate amounts of REAL all-natural whole food spaced correctly through your day along with cutting out the sugar, alcohol and drive thru food. It will take time to get your winning combination and balance, and it may change periodically depending on what stage of life you are in or what goals you have, but I can promise one thing, IF you take the time to correctly manage your food intake and make it a habit you will feel better and live a more fulfilled life.

The misconception with food and weight loss and/or maintenance across the board is that it takes less calorie intake and more energy expenditure – WRONG! If you are not eating enough of the correct calories each day the negative weight gain or loss effects WILL catch you eventually.

The premise of my approach to nutrition is based on RMR (resting metabolic rate). The body has to have nutrients providing fuel to draw from in order to burn what you don’t want and/or grow muscle. Therefore, to achieve a sustainable healthy weight and energy level desired you have to eat MORE than it will take your body simply to function at a resting state each day… YES you read that right!

Most don’t want to hear this or are unwilling to believe the opposite of what society has always told them and therefore will inevitably fail – once again mindset is everything. You MUST change your thoughts on food intake versus weight. Old habits die hard, this is a LIFESTYLE change not a diet! It will be tough to eat 5 times a day, it will be hard to eat the right foods, it will be hard to do this consistently on time each day. But just as I said before, sticking to the plan laid out for you will allow you to form new, LASTING habits in a 40 to 60-day time span.

Each of us are made uniquely and have different overall goals therefore a “one size fits all” nutritional approach will NOT provide you success. I believe strongly that body circumference and body fat measurements best aide my nutritional methods when it comes to individual meal plan design. Yes, I take weight but this is by far NOT the primary focus at any point during this lifestyle change. As a matter of fact, just throw the scale out! When these numbers are compiled and I have found your RMR a personalized meal plan design can take place.

My sustainable approach to nutrition is focused on all-natural whole food. Based on the measurements and calculations I take and personal goals you share with me I develop a plan which will consist mainly of a balanced and timed daily intake of lean proteins, specific greens, healthy fats, complex carbs, and tons of water.

The activity side of fitness is not everyone’s favorite topic, mainly because you don’t want to hear the actual reality of what it takes to be effective. There are multiple components to fitness which have to be met for your daily activity to be truly beneficial. There are also other factors which vary based on the individual as well. Of course, age and physical ability and/or injury is a consideration, but more than that are your goals. Things such as weight loss or gain, or even maintenance call for different approach; along with muscle growth. Finally, what makes this all sustainable is not just success in achieving your goals, but the enjoyment of the activities getting you there. Simply put you will never stick with something you hate. A weekly and monthly plan has to be made with sound training knowledge of exercise which challenges you and provides a total body approach giving you balance, strength and

more depending on your goals.

For most people walking/jogging on a treadmill or spending 30 minutes in the gym doing a basic split routine a few days a week is not going to develop change either way, at least not past a certain point, not to mention how bored you will become which will ultimately lead to quitting. This is where the “sound training knowledge” comes in to play. Having an educated trainer who truly understands the body and how to create challenging personalized workout plans which progress continually as you reach new levels so there are always new achievements to be excited about is key.

Working out should provide a release, it should be a tough but stress relieving portion of your day. Yes, trainers cost money BUT they provide you so many benefits. First, a trainer is going to give you their expertise making sure to keep you from injury and/or exhaustion with the process in general. Next it doesn’t matter what time of day you work out there is just something about showing up dressed and ready and not having to think at all, just do what your told to achieve a good burn and sweat. Finally, by having someone to keep routines fresh and new you stay engaged physically and mentally achieving goals. Having someone to encourage you and keep you focused and pushing forward is priceless. The accountability factor you gain by paying and scheduling workouts regularly with a motivating, educated

trainer will exponentially increase your sustainability in living a healthy life mentally, nutritionally and physically.

This approach is one that may sound simple on the surface but ultimately the correct use of these things combined will provide you the ability to maintain this new lifestyle which can be sustained throughout any phase of life successfully!