(Hey you!  Thanks for coming back to WoldFitness.com, I really appreciate being your friend.  Today’s post is a special guest article by a great personal trainer in Carson City and a good friend of mine, Eric Robinson.

Eric gained 80 pounds after high school and then took it all back off through diet and exercise.  His passion for health and fitness shines through in everything he does.)

Eric Robinson

It’s no secret that most people know the basics of what they should and shouldn’t put in their body. With all the great free resources we have available to us, its getting easier and easier to be an informed consumer.

What’s not so easy is finding the right things to eat in the middle of a busy day when time and circumstances are against you. How are we supposed to eat 5-6 small healthy meals a day when our lunch is at 12:30-1:30 and little Jimmy has to be dropped off by 1:15?

What ends up happening is we break down, a little at a time and end up way off track and back where we started on our diets. It’s way too easy to find very good excuses when our responsibilities are pulling us in every direction.

Here are some strategies that have worked for my clients and me to help us stay consistent and motivated with my diet.

1. Stock up like it’s y2k! Not only is it cheaper to buy in large amounts, you can prepare it all at once, saving yourself that time later on. By cooking chicken, broccoli and mashed yams at the beginning of the week, you can have several meals on hand that you can steam in your office microwave.

2. I’ll show you mine if you show me yours… Share your recipes! There’s a lot of great health foods out there, but it’s still easy to find yourself eating the same thing time and time again. Share your recipes with your friends, it’ll keep your plate exciting and will help you stay motivated!

3. Don’t forget to eat! How much harder is it to say no to the jerk who brought blueberry bagels to the office if you haven’t nipped that craving in the bud. We all know to eat regularly, but we tend to underestimate how important it really is. Not only does regular intervals between meals speed up and regulate your digestion but it helps you “just say no”

4. Ask yourself… Do I need this? What will happen if I don’t eat that last piece of Gena’s birthday cake? Nothing. In fact chances are you won’t even remember it, can you think of one unhealthy thing that you regret not eating? Yummy food is only fun to look forward to, not back on.

5. Keep Track… Don’t obsess or you’ll drive yourself crazy, but try to know what you’re about to eat and what you’ve eaten already. Skipping the daily 350 calorie caramel frappachino can sometimes be all it takes to lose a pound every ten days. Try writing it down for a couple days so you avoid starving yourself or giving yourself too much room in your diet.

(Note from Luke: Eric is GREAT at helping his clients really dial in their nutrition)

6. Family Matters! Cook recipes for your whole family! It could get them excited about eating well (probably not, though), and it’s no fun when everyone else has pizza and you’re sitting alone with your brown rice pilaf. Families were invented so we don’t have to suffer alone right?

7. Eat to live… A dinner for friends is a great way to relax (assuming you like your friends), but we tend to treat dinner like the entertainment. Fill your time, idle hands hold drumsticks, and being active burns calories instead of adding to them.

8.Check it out! Who cares if someone sees you flexing your butt in the gym mirror, you deserve to see what all that work is doing for you, and you know they love it!

9. Be creative! Cook fearless! Try weird stuff, that’s how all the best recipes get invented. Whatever it is, do what you can to keep it fresh and keep from getting exasperated. worst case scenario, your dish is so disgusting it ruins your appetite and saves you from dessert.

10. Treat yourself! Once a week eat something naughty. It will help you keep from binging and when you are sure you will die without coffee cake you can tell yourself, not now but I’ll have some on Sunday. It is easier than telling yourself no and come Sunday you might not even want any. But if you still do, so what?! Better once a week than once a day. Think of it as an immunization. : )

Whatever you do, stay motivated!! If you are having a hard time keeping up the good fight, talk to someone, whether it’s your Personal Trainer or your friends or whoever, nothing motivates you like the people who want to see you succeed!

For more helpful hints or specific questions, or to set up an appointment to talk in person about your fitness goals and struggles email me any time I love hearing from people who are interested in this stuff!

-Eric

(Hey guys, Luke again.  I filmed Eric saying “Hi” and put it up on Youtube.  Here’s the link: Eric Robinson – Carson City Personal Trainer.

If you really want to lose some inches and tone up, come in for a no-cost, no-risk, no-hassle fitness consultation with Eric.  He’ll go over your goals with you and then give you his best advice for your PERSONAL situation.

Give him a call at: 775-671-5417 or email: eric.robinson.nv@gmail.com)