Listen to my FitTalk Interview with Jen HendershottWeight Loss Made Simple
Simple Weight Loss Tips
with Jen Hendershott
http://budurl.com/jenhnutrition
I had the opportunity to trade weight loss tips with two time Ms. Olympia and Ms. Fitness International, Jen Hendershott on my FitTalk show.
It’s certainly no secret that as a country, we are very unfit and very unhealthy. Not a week goes by that we don’t hear about the growing obesity rate in this country. Most people say they are unhappy with their weight and wan to lose weight and make the mistake of looking for a quick easy fix which in most cases don’t work. Jen and I agree that people tend to make weight loss more complicated than it really is, don’t get the results they want and give up.
We’re overworked, underpaid, and very stressed and we’re always looking for the quickest, easiest, solution to everything. When it comes to weight loss, the cold hard truth is that there really isn’t a quick fix. If there was, someone would be a multi-millionaire for inventing it and obesity wouldn’t be an issue.
In addition, the obesity rate among children is rising. Children are watching and observing what you do. They learn from you and develop lifestyle habits from the adults in their lives. Not only do you need to start developing better habits for yourself, but also for our children.
When it comes to weight loss, knowledge is power. We’re simply uneducated about nutrition and it really isn’t taught in the schools. One of the easiest things you can do to start making changes is to start a food journal and track everything you eat and drink for 5 days. At the end of the 5 days, look at your journal and see how many sodas you drank. You’ll also see how many meals you ate came from a restaurant or drive through. Ask yourself of all the choices on the menu, did you make the best choice? By looking at this snap shot of your habits, you can get a clear picture of what you chose to eat or drink, identify what choices you made were unhealthy, and give some thought about better choices you can make.
If you and your children are drinking too much soda and want to cut back on it and have your children drink more water, you can add Crystal Light or Sugar Free Kool Aid to your water.
It’s a matter of making small steps towards better habits. Jen came up with a simple suggestion that you can do to develop better eating habits and turn it into a lifestyle instead of a temporary fix. Jen suggested making 8 major changes in 8 weeks. Every week, pick a new good habit to replace a bad one.
For example, Week 1 you won’t skip breakfast and get into a habit of having breakfast every day. It can be something as easy as a protein shake with a piece of fruit.
Week 2: Prepare a healthy lunch the day before so you don’t have to eat fast food. At the end of the 8 weeks, you’ll have 8 new habits that will stick for life.
Another simple thing you can do is be pro-active about your diet. Jen’s motto is “Your cooler is your purse”. If you fill a small cooler with healthy snacks such as apples, low fat yogurt, cottage cheese, almonds, etc. you will always have something nutritious to snack on throughout the day.
http://budurl.com/jenhnutrition
I had the opportunity to trade weight loss tips with two time Ms. Olympia and Ms. Fitness International, Jen Hendershott on my FitTalk show.
It’s certainly no secret that as a country, we are very unfit and very unhealthy. Not a week goes by that we don’t hear about the growing obesity rate in this country. Most people say they are unhappy with their weight and wan to lose weight and make the mistake of looking for a quick easy fix which in most cases don’t work. Jen and I agree that people tend to make weight loss more complicated than it really is, don’t get the results they want and give up.
We’re overworked, underpaid, and very stressed and we’re always looking for the quickest, easiest, solution to everything. When it comes to weight loss, the cold hard truth is that there really isn’t a quick fix. If there was, someone would be a multi-millionaire for inventing it and obesity wouldn’t be an issue.
In addition, the obesity rate among children is rising. Children are watching and observing what you do. They learn from you and develop lifestyle habits from the adults in their lives. Not only do you need to start developing better habits for yourself, but also for our children.
When it comes to weight loss, knowledge is power. We’re simply uneducated about nutrition and it really isn’t taught in the schools. One of the easiest things you can do to start making changes is to start a food journal and track everything you eat and drink for 5 days. At the end of the 5 days, look at your journal and see how many sodas you drank. You’ll also see how many meals you ate came from a restaurant or drive through. Ask yourself of all the choices on the menu, did you make the best choice? By looking at this snap shot of your habits, you can get a clear picture of what you chose to eat or drink, identify what choices you made were unhealthy, and give some thought about better choices you can make.
If you and your children are drinking too much soda and want to cut back on it and have your children drink more water, you can add Crystal Light or Sugar Free Kool Aid to your water.
It’s a matter of making small steps towards better habits. Jen came up with a simple suggestion that you can do to develop better eating habits and turn it into a lifestyle instead of a temporary fix. Jen suggested making 8 major changes in 8 weeks. Every week, pick a new good habit to replace a bad one.
For example, Week 1 you won’t skip breakfast and get into a habit of having breakfast every day. It can be something as easy as a protein shake with a piece of fruit.
Week 2: Prepare a healthy lunch the day before so you don’t have to eat fast food. At the end of the 8 weeks, you’ll have 8 new habits that will stick for life.
Another simple thing you can do is be pro-active about your diet. Jen’s motto is “Your cooler is your purse”. If you fill a small cooler with healthy snacks such as apples, low fat yogurt, cottage cheese, almonds, etc. you will always have something nutritious to snack on throughout the day.
My simple suggestion is to pre-cook all your meals once a week. I do this every Sunday and it takes me about 90 minutes. When I come home and I’m tired or in a hurry, I can heat up one of these meals very quickly.
Of course, there are times when you have to get something “to go”. Rather than hit a drive through, I will go into a local supermarket and pick up a rotisserie chicken and salad in a bag. I’m literally in and out of the store in the same amount of time it would take for me to place my order at the drive through. This is a low cost, healthy meal that can also quickly feed a family.
Another habit you can develop is regular exercise. Set aside at least 30 minutes a few days a week to exercise and give it a chance and realize how good you feel. Exercise helps you feel strong and empowered. When you feel empowered, you do things which make you feel successful, happy and creates self confidence.
I had created a Vision Board of my role models and images that represented a healthy, fit, body along with pictures of treadmills, dumbbells, spin bikes, healthy foods, etc. I would look at these images every day and was inspired and motivated by them. When I went to the gym, these images would be in my head which helped fuel my workouts.
If you are looking to learn everything over a weekend, Jen has created a program that she has been touring the country with over the past few years called PHAT Camp. PHAT camp is a camp designed for women who want to learn about being the best they can be. It’s not just for fitness competitors. People of all ages, shapes and sizes attend the weekend long camp. Jen has had participants as young as 13 and as old as 70 attend camp. Jen teaches you creative ways to make cardio more fun, you will learn exciting new exercises, and so many great ways to eat and cook healthy. Learn things you didn't know and get your questions answered. This is something I highly recommend that will get you motivated and on the right path. To learn more about Jen’s PHAT Camp, visit her website: http://budurl.com/jenhnutrition You will also find exercise DVD’s and other products that can help you reach your goal.
You really don’t need to get hung up on counting calories. Focus on eating foods that are what I call quality calories. Foods that are rich in nutrients and are as natural as possible. Avoid foods that are loaded with ingredients you can’t pronounce. Be aware of the sugar content in the foods you eat. Read the nutrition labels. If you do these simple things, the weight will start to come off and you will start to feel better.
Incorporate strength training and cardio along with improving your nutrition and you’ve got the basic, simple formula for weight loss.
