Maintaining
After training for a big race or an important event, it is very tempting to give your body a break. After working so hard to get your physique into top condition, now it is time to just maintain.Shocking the body by trying different workouts is the best way to stay lean and develop toned muscles. Try to create a routine to lead a healthy and balanced lifestyle while still achieving your overall fitness goals. Here are some simple tips to keep you on the right track or get you started if you have just decided to make a lifestyle change:1. Drink 8-10 glasses of water a day-
Drinking a lot of water helps to flush out your system and keep you hydrated throughout your day.
2. Eat 5 small meals a day-
Instead of packing all your calories into 1 or 2 meals, spread out your meals so you are eating small portions more frequently. It will help to naturally speed up your metabolism.
3. Do not skip breakfast-
Protein load your first meal to help start off your day with a lot of energy and curb your hunger early. Maybe start with a protein shake with some added dry chia seeds for natural energy.
4. Pack all of your food for the day-
I am sure you have a really busy schedule and it is sometimes easier to buy food out or eat on the run. However, this is when we tend to make the unhealthy food choices because we are trying just to eat and get going. If you know you are going to be out of the house all day, pack yourself a whole bag with enough food and snacks: carrots, trail mix, granola bar, sandwich, salad, fruit, yogurt. Always better to pack too much food then not enough.
5. Watch your portion size but do not calorie count-
Like we were talking about earlier, watch how much you eat at one time but do not calorie count. When we calorie count, we tend to feel like we are restricting ourselves too much and then wind up binging on unhealthy food later on. You can make it a goal to not eat sweets, but then allow yourself to have one small piece of dark chocolate once a day. In other words, do not completely cut things out because then it will be harder to maintain in the long run.
6. Mix up your workout routine-
Our body responds best if we keep it confused. Try to workout in different ways all the time. For example, 3x per week is cardio (bike, run, elliptical), 2x per week is strength conditioning (weights, body weight exercises, etc.), then 1x per week is recovery and stretch (yoga, pilates, etc.). Keeping our muscles confused is the best way to see results.
7. Last thing 🙂 Make sure you are getting enough rest-
Lack of sleep and stress are two of the biggest causes of weight gain/loss. Being healthy is a lifestyle and not simply a workout routine. Try to make your new outlook on your total wellness more of a routine: fall asleep and wake up at the same time, workout at a consistent time, and allow yourself to have “you” time where you can have fun with your friends or spend time by yourself. When our bodies are stressed or fatigued, it goes into defense mode and we tend to store more fat in case of an “emergency”. It is our body’s natural defense mechanism to ensure survival.
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