More is Not Always Better to Achieve Your Fitness Goals

When it comes to fitness more isn't always better. Sometimes more exercise, supplementing more, and eating more protein can adversely affect our body. More is not better, better is better.

Getting fit and maintaining a healthy body is a simple process. It really doesn't require more fitness foods or grueling workouts to reach our goals. All it takes is a consistent effort of eating right and exercise. Quality over quantity.

Focused workouts utilizing differing energy systems of the body throughout the week is sufficient. What this means is mixing up cardio, weight training, core work and flexibility for a well-balanced program. Exercising at least 4-times per week is shown to maintain a healthy body according to research.

Active rest days are a great way to have fun when not performing a structured workout. Enjoy being active and healthy is the point.

Thinking about nutrition in a healthy way is also important. Eating more than is required of any macronutrient can backfire our good fitness intentions. Food is our fuel and muscle building tools. As long as we're keeping it healthy and eating lots of veggies, lean proteins and good fats we are on the right track. Eating more protein doesn't create more muscle. It is the symphony of eating healthy plus working our muscle stimulating lean mass gains.

We require a certain amount of each macronutrient and over-consumption of one can actually have adverse health effects, just as eliminating healthy foods can cause nutrient deficiencies. More is not better, better is better. Also, quality over quantity.

Spending hours in the gym thinking this is beneficial to your fitness is inaccurate. This is a perfect example of how many think more is better. Overtraining can have adverse effects on our body. No wonder a rapid state of burn-out is happening.

Over-use of joints and even muscle breakdown can occur when the body is overtrained. Overtraining syndrome is actually a thing and breaks down our immunities, prevents muscle growth, and puts unwanted stress on our body. Also, exercise addiction may occur for those feeling guilty eating off track and psychologically beating themselves up in the gym. Effective workouts are focused and effective taking no more than an hour to complete.

   

What it comes down to is being fitness smart and stop believing more is better. Embrace you are doing enough and enjoy the process of getting healthy.

Often times, basic, simple but challenging workouts provide the best results. We are able to maintain our bodies without overworking them to the point of burnout or injury.

Stay away from exercise gimmicks, fads, and nutrition myths. If it's too good to be true, it is. The only proven scientific claims to successful fitness are eating right and exercise. Fads and gimmicks are big money makers in the fitness industry. Do your homework.

The takeaway is simply to eat right, exercise consistently and enjoy a balanced life. This is true fitness and nothing more to it. More is not better, better is better.

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When Pushing Through the Pain is Necessary

Sometimes pushing through the pain is necessary. I am not talking about pain that doesn't feel right during exercise but referring to the emotional and mental pain all of us will experience in this life. Exercise definitely helps you through these times and is one of the most underutilized stress relievers.

Suffering from a crisis like family illness, a death, divorce, or financial strain can sometimes hinder your mental and physical game. Stressful situations can cause many of you to place health and fitness on the back burner. We get so wrapped up in the pain of the event, emotional banks drained, that having the energy to put one foot in front of the other feels like an impossible task.

It will be in these moments where taking care of your health is the most important. Eating right and exercise is shown to help reduce stress and boost energy levels. Often times pushing through the pain even when you don't want to is what helps keep you healthy emotionally and physically. It enables you to go through difficult situations with a clearer mindset and better decision-making skills.

It will not be easy and will take discipline to push through the pain. On those days where exercise just isn't possible, focus more on eating healthy. Get in the workouts when you can for the therapeutic and stress relieving benefits.

Studies have shown exercise is directly linked to decreased depression and stress. This is why it's important not to neglect this very important part of your life, especially as you experience an emotional upset.

All of us will go through tough stuff and unfortunately, this is part of life. How you respond to the circumstances is what will help keep you healthy. Journaling is another great way to feel comfort through painful situations. Sometimes, enlisting the help of a reliable, licensed counselor can help you navigate through difficult times. Personally, I wear my knees out praying to God to help me through painful situations. 

Life will not play fair with any of us so preparing yourself by being healthy and happy can provide an edge up when difficult situations occur. Being fit helps you cope better with emotional stress. You will be stronger physically and mentally. Good health plays one of the most important roles in providing us the strength to push through the pain.

When the painful things in this life come knocking on your door, will you be ready physically, emotionally and spiritually?  Will you have the strength to push through the pain? 

I dedicate this Blog to my wonderful father who is a fighter, and my beautiful mother who stands strongly by his side for 58 years and counting. Thank you for blessing me with life, faith, and love.

My Beautiful Parents

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Keep Going When Fitness Feels Hard

We all have hard stuff in life and days we just want to keep our heads tucked under the pillow. Of course, this isn't an option in most cases.

What remains important is being able to navigate through everything with healthy responses, attitudes, and choices. I'm not immune to feeling the tough in life and this also includes my workouts.

There are days I struggle with lack of motivation and would appreciate a hard push from a trainer to get me through. Not every day goes as planned and nutrition can get off track.

Sometimes, it's ok to take a step back and away from the gym when you're tired and burned out. These are the days sitting in an Epsom salt bath may take priority. Your feelings are absolutely normal and not a reason to quit but to grow in a positive way. You get back up the next day and carry on.

Life will have challenges and success comes from how you handle the discomfort. Building muscle is an uncomfortable process but you persevere to achieve a positive result. Right?

Goals are achieved through planning and action. Workouts will be exhausting and eating clean sometimes tiresome, but tired or not, giving up is never an option. It's important to keep going when fitness feels hard. It will never be easy but you do get stronger.

As long as you give your best no matter what that looks like, it's good enough. Today, my best came through taking an Epsom salt bath and right now my sore muscles are saying thank you. Did you achieve your best today? Something to think about on your fitness journey.

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A Healthy Lifestyle is the Only Way to True Fitness

Trying to achieve the so-called perfect body causes many of us to take drastic measures. Whether from detox cleanses, extreme caloric restriction, surgical change of normal organ function, to outward cosmetic procedures. All those methods don't mean a thing if a healthy lifestyle is left out of the equation.

No matter what you do, it's still about the lifestyle. Extreme measures without learning how to buy, cook and eat healthy foods won't do it. Without regular exercise or nutrition knowledge, it's all wasted time and money.

What happens when you reach the end of one of those popular restricted calorie shake diets? What did you learn? Are you prepared to eat right and educated with a lifelong nutrition program?

What happens after a few fat cells have been sucked out (liposuction) and you are still hitting the pizza and donuts? The same goes for surgically altering your stomach with a band and still continuing to eat fries and drink soda. What has been learned?

This is exactly the point. What is truly being learned about health, fitness, nutrition and how to achieve it?  Sadly, without the proper information to guide you toward a healthy lifestyle, most return to the weight and size (or larger) than prior to going drastic.

This blog is not to be judgemental or offensive, but to open your eyes to what it means to get healthy. Nothing inside a packaged shake mix or on an elective surgery table is going to provide health and fitness. Good health is achieved through daily food choices and exercise creating a habit that becomes a lifestyle.

The belief quick fixes can stand alone to create the hot body of your dreams is a fantasy. If product companies or surgeons are telling you some magic shake or getting something snipped will do it, they're wrong. I will go as far as to say negligent in feeding you a load of BS. Regardless of the procedure, it will take living a healthy lifestyle to maintain your body.

Have you fallen into the now trap? Quick fix solutions never provide permanent change.

Are you unwilling to invest time to learn how to eat right and enjoy awesome workouts? This is what it will take to get healthy. The desire is there, otherwise, you would not be seeking a way to get results. Why not get fit the right way and forget about how long it will take? The goal is enjoying the process, not the destination.

Are you are serious about getting fit and staying healthy? It's not found in a bottle or on a table, but in how you think and live. Change takes changing your daily routine. Start by writing down goals and begin a healthy lifestyle list.

What are some simple things you could do right now to get motivated and moving in the right direction? Build on your list and follow-through with your thoughts.

Short-term goals could be replacing processed foods in your refrigerator and pantry with healthy selections. Another could be adding exercise 3 times per week, or losing 5lbs. Adopting a healthy lifestyle is about daily progress and not perfection. Be patient, don't compare yourself to others, and celebrate each daily victory!

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Follow Your Own Fitness Path for Life Long Results

My daughter's 1st-grade teacher informed me she would always be a leader and not a follower. This still holds true 25-years later and such great advice. I think about her statement often and how it applies to health and fitness.

We all need to be leaders and not followers when it comes to our fitness and health. Following the path of someone else with differing goals just doesn't make sense. We are all unique in body, mind, and spirit. My goal isn't to be you and I hope this is true on your end.

I am a  skeptic when it comes to fitness miracles regardless of who is sharing the information. I refuse to follow the beliefs of others just because they heard it was the next best thing to sliced bread. Do you really think it's healthy to lose 20lbs in 5 days? That's craziness.

I feel the same way about exercise programs. I review fitness trends before agreeing with advertised claims of it being the newest and best workout ever.

What does impress me is solid research and leading myself with what works best for me nutritionally and physically. Everything else is just fluff until proven quality. Sure it takes work when you're a leader, but it's worth the time and effort. Don't you want to apply sound principles to your health and fitness program? There is so much crap out there that can actually hurt you and to not be aware of this fact is negligent.

Leaders also do not feel the need to compare. They are confident moving forward, regardless of how slow, with a tried and true fitness program.

Followers are more apt to give up and jump to the next new fitness trend hoping to achieve something from empty promises.

Leaders stand firm with dedication while followers get lost in the shuffle. Leaders will get lifelong results and followers will yo-yo through and typically end up right where they started or worse.

Science has already proven consistent healthy eating and regular exercise is the answer to good health. Leaders understand and accept this fact. Followers continue to struggle. They want fast and easy and desire the results worn by the leaders but are often unwilling to do the work.

It is so important to understand being a leader will be the success of your overall health and fitness. We all have differing things going on genetically, medically, and even emotionally. Accurate and successful fitness programs take specific and personal needs into consideration. This requires us not to compare our fitness to others and start directing our own path. Personal focus allows us to discover what works best for us.

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