News from Trainer Sue

I read a great article this week entitled Mid-Summer Check In. This is a very good time to evaluate how your summer fitness is going. Mine is going pretty good. I am eating pretty healthy overall but I am eating too much. I feel full way too much of the time. I think I am using healthy foods as a free pass to abandon portion control. It's not ideal. That and I've allowed the daily sweet to creep back into my life. It tastes good at the time, especially around the afternoon when I need that energy boost, but overall it doesn't really contribute to me feeling my best.

As I slow down to take a look at my fitness and decide I need some changes, I go back to the basics. The first one for me is always more water. Especially in this humid hot weather, I know I don't feel my best if I am not hydrated. So I am bringing it to the front of my mind and am going to make sure I get my water in every day. Got my bottle and I'm bringing it with me.

The second for me is writing things down. Thankfully I don't have to do this all the time anymore, but every once in awhile when I need a reality check, I get out the pencil and paper and add up the calories for the day. I did it today and it was pretty high. I can definitely see where I am just eating too much.

Next comes portion control which for me means measuring. I love how my "pours" get bigger and bigger as time moves along. My one cup of cereal turns into one overflowing cup then pretty soon it's almost doubled. If it is just cereal it's not that big of a deal, but 50% more portions all day long is the difference between gaining and losing weight.

The next one is key for me. I went to the grocery store with a plan, came home, and prepped food for the week. I have a batch of chipotle bowl that I make with brown rice, black beans, corn, onions, peppers, tomatoes. It has four servings at 400 calories per serving. I also made the southern caviar recipe which is so good. I can have this with a serving of blue chips alongside my hummus wrap for lunch all for around 400 calories. I also have chopped carrots, cucumbers, etc. ready to throw in a salad with little or no effort or thought.

Then I looked up the food I have been eating at restaurants just to remind myself how many calories are in these foods. My salad today at lunch was 680 calories plus 120 for the dressing which = 800. That's too much for lunch. If I had ordered without the (candied) pecans and blue cheese it would have been ~500 calories and just as good. So that's always a good reminder. I did it with Chipotle, too. If I get the chicken bowl with rice, black beans, chicken, tomatoes, salsa, corn and cheese = 655 calories. If I get just rice, black beans, salsa, corn and cheese, which I like just as much if not better = 445 calories. (check it out at www.chipotlefan.com).

The beautiful thing about taking complete responsibility for your fitness and nutrition is the empowerment that comes with that. If I am not feeling fabulous, I am the one with the ability to change that. No one else. I don't have to wait on anyone or anything to change for me to take action. I love that. It's up to me!

If you pause for a moment and do your mid-summer check in and don't love how you feel, it's not too late. Add some healthy habits and strategies to your life. Make sure excuses aren't getting in the way or robbing you of feeling empowered. Take action today. Waiting for tomorrow, or as soon as there is more time or less heat or less humidity or less stress will only keep you stuck right where you are. Remember, we are all overcomers. All of us- no exceptions.

Now get moving!