2/1/2012 Wednesday
7:30pm Yoga @ 24 Hour Fitness Elgin & Louisiana

2/2/2012 Thursday
7:30pm Yoga @ 24 Hour Fitness Meyerland

2/6/2012 Monday
7:30pm Yoga @ 24 Hour Fitness Rice Village

2/8/2012 Wednesday
7:30pm Yoga @ 24 Hour Fitness Elgin

2/13/2012 Monday
7:30pm Yoga @ 24 Hour Fitness Rice Village

2/15/2012 Wednesday
7:30pm Yoga @ 24 Hour Fitness Elgin

2/20/2012 Monday
7:30pm Yoga @ 24 Hour Fitness Rice Village

2/22/2012 Wednesday
7:30pm Yoga @ 24 Hour Fitness Elgin

2/27/2012 Monday
7:30pm Yoga @ 24 Hour Fitness Rice Village

2/29/2012 Wednesday (Leap Day! How cool!)
7:30pm Yoga @ 24 Hour Fitness Elgin

#16  Stretch.
I mean this in the most literal sense. I’m not talking about stretching your mind… we already talked about that (See Part I), but stretching your body. When we work out, we typically contract, contract, contract our muscles and then… we go home. This equals tight mucles, soreness, decreased flexibility and thereby decreased mobility. Not good. Having good flexibility is not about twisting yourself like a pretzel, it’s about having the ability to move your body in any way that you may need to for any number of functional reasons. Quick (and very important) tip: do not stretch a cold muscle. Be sure to incorporate stretching at the end of your workouts when your muscles are nice and warm. If you need some tips on how to stretch, come see me. If you’re serious about increasing your flexibility, come to yoga where we can really work on it.

#17  Get out of your rut.
We all struggle with getting into ruts in so many areas of our lives… we cook the same recipes, we do the same workouts, yawn, yawn, yawn. Not only is this boring, but it decreases our chances of success when trying to reach our health and fitness goals. Get creative and try something outside of the box when it comes to cooking for your family and/or getting your sweat on at the gym. Creative workouts are my specialty so if you need some help, come see me about getting set up for some one on one sessions to kick your workouts (and your results) into a higher gear.

#18  Just say no to seconds.
Now that the biggest food day of the year is behind us (Thanksgiving), it’s time to get real about portion control again. We really do not need to eat like we’re in some sort of contest. We won’t get penalized for not cleaning our plates, despite what we may have been told as kids. Be thoughtful when you’re putting your food on your plate. Think about how you feel while you’re eating and stop when you feel full. If you do clean your plate and still feel a little hungry, take a break and just wait a while before immediately jumping in for a second round. Get up and do something to take your mind off of eating. It takes a little while for our stomachs to tell our brains that we’re full, so just give the process time to work.

#19  Downsize your dishes.
For some reason, dishes these days are the size of serving platters and are not condusive to serving healthy portion sizes. It plays tricks on your mind to see a true serving size placed on a huge dish… it doesn’t look like anything at all. Do yourself a favor and eat from a smaller dish to help yourself keep better tabs on your portions. Eat dinner on a salad plate, eat your FroYo from a coffee mug instead of a bowl… you get the idea.

#20  Write it down.
Goals and resolutions aren’t just for new years day. If there is something you would like to accomplish, write it down. Hold yourself accountable. Post it up where you can see it every day. As you reach your goals, mark them off the list so you can watch your progress! This is incredibly motivating and will give you a great sense of accomplishment.

#21  Get a partner in crime.
This can be a friend, family member, trainer, anybody. When you are trying to accomplish something (weekly workouts, a new diet plan), it’s important to have someone by your side to cheer you on and to light a fire under your butt when you start slacking. It’s called a support system and you need to get one no matter what if you want a better chance at success.

#22  Act like a kid!
If you have kids, get down on their level. Play chase with them, roll around on the floor with them, play hide and seek. It will be good for them and good for you! A win-win! If you don’t have kids, you can still act like one every once in a while. Run around, kick a ball, do cartwheels! Have FUN! If you can incorporate more fun into your routine, you’ll be more likely to stick with it.

#23 Let it go.
“What you are is what you have been. What you’ll be is what you do now.”
“Nobody gets to live life backward. Look ahead, that is where your future lies.”
“Your imagination is your preview of life’s coming attractions.”
“The wise man must remember that while he is a descendant of the past, he is a parent of the future.”

Ok… you get the drift of what I’m trying to say here, right? Point your energy in the right direction. Think forward, not backward. Let yesterday go and make the most of today, which leads to tomorrow.

#24 Catch some ZzZzZzZzZz’s.
Getting a good night’s sleep is so important… and believe me, this is coming from someone who has struggled with sleep her whole life. If it was up to me, I would stay up all night. Our bodies don’t respond well to that, though. We were created to sleep when it’s dark outside and rise with the light. A long time ago, this was easy to do, but these days with the advent of artificial light (and it’s EVERYWHERE) our bodies have a much harder time “shutting down”. However, it’s imperative that we treat our sleep with the respect it deserves. Important things happen while we sleep… our bodies repair and grow, our immune system shifts into overdrive, our minds get refreshed, and best of all, we get a better tomorrow when we aren’t exhausted from the night before.

I love reading sleep articles from a blog I follow, Mark’s Daily Apple.  Here is a link to a great one that I suggest you read. The Definitive Guide to Sleep by Mark Sisson.

#25 Slow down.
We’re all in too much of a big damn hurry all the time. We put too much on our plates… figuratively and literally. We try and do too many things and end up doing none of them well. We need to narrow our focus and streamline our attention. We scramble to get through our days and then wonder where they went. Life goes too quickly as it is. We truly do need to stop and smell the roses. Take time during meals to actually chew your food and enjoy your meal (bonus: you’ll eat less). This brings me to my next point…

#26 Be sure to take some “me time”.
This is hard to do, especially if you have a family or others who are depending on you. It can feel like taking time for yourself is selfish or a waste of time but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Take a little time each day to do something nice for yourself, even if that just means sitting in a quiet room for five minutes (not making to do lists, not folding laundry, not checking your iphone) and being still or painting your nails. Go to the gym and put the kiddos in the Kid’s Club, even if it’s for half an hour. It is important that you take some time to recharge your batteries. This de-frazzles us and keeps us more focused for the rest of our day. Believe me, the rest of the fam will be glad you did!

#27  Don’t let others be in control of your success.
I hear this all the time… “If I could just get So and So on board, I would start exercising/dieting/whatever.” Guess what? All this person is really saying is, “I’m giving up all control to So and So and letting them determine my success.” What is this? An excuse. The only person who should be in control of your success is YOU. Empower yourself to be in control of your own destiny. What a huge thing to give up to someone else. Take that power back and you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it a long time ago.

“The best day of your life is the one on which you decide your life is your own.  No apologies or excuses.  No one to lean on, rely on, or blame.  The gift is yours – it is an amazing journey – and you alone are responsible for the quality of it.  This is the day your life really begins.”  ~Bob Moawad

#28  Remove “I can’t” from your vocabulary.
Another thing I hear all the time (and am guilty of uttering myself sometimes) is “I can’t do that.” I can’t touch my toes. I can’t do yoga. I can’t lose weight. I can’t get my life under control. I can’t. I can’t. I can’t. Wow. You CAN. Such limits we place on ourselves. So much of what we don’t think we can do is mental. We need to make a mental shift and change our vocabulary. ”I’m not quite able to do ____ yet, but I will be able to. I’m working on it.” Isn’t this a much more positive and empowering way to think? Stop setting unnecessary limits on yourself. Believe in yourself and know that you can do so much more than you ever thought possible. It’s time to tell ourselves the same thing we tell our kids, “You can do anything you set your mind to!”

#29 Cook more. Eat out less.
This is simple. When we cook at home, we control what goes in our meal. When we eat at a restaurant, not only is it more expensive, but it’s often far less nutritious. Plan and pack your lunches the night before so you don’t run out of time in the morning. Make extra dinner so you can take leftovers and break out of the sandwich rut. Short on time during the week? Make healthy meals on Sunday and eat them throughout the week. Create a healthy menu for the week so you can properly plan your trip to the grocery store and make sure you’ll have everything you’ll need during the week. Overall, this will save you calories and money. It’s a win-win and worth the extra time.

#30 Get a game plan.
And finally we reach the end of our list and honestly this is probably the most important tip I can give you because it fits into every single aspect of our lives. Whether you’re making a change in your diet, trying to improve fitness or just organize your day, you will get there faster and see better results if you have a game plan, a road map, a recipe on how to get there. As we’ve already discussed, we all know we don’t have loads of extra time lying around. We need to learn to use the time we have as wisely and efficiently as possible. We’ve also discussed how much it helps to write things down. Make a list, write down what you need to do to get what you want. If you don’t know how to get there on your own, ask someone for help. Invest in an expert’s knowledge. If it helps you improve your life faster, it’s going to be worth it.

I hope that you can take these little tidbits and incorporate them into your life in some way, large or small. If you didn’t read Part I of this list, you can read it HERE. If you feel my services could benefit you in any way, please let me know. I’d be more than happy to try and help in any way possible. Leave me a comment or email me at mandeemoves@gmail.com for more information!

Monday 1/9/2012
7:30pm Yoga @ 24 Hour Fitness Rice Village

Wednesday 1/11/2012
12pm Boot Camp @ 24 Hour Fitness Rice Village
7:30pm Yoga @ 24 Hour Fitness Elgin

Monday 1/16/2012
7:30pm Yoga @ 24 Hour Fitness Rice Village

Wednesday 1/18/2012
7:30pm Yoga @ 24 Hour Fitness Elgin

Monday 1/23/2012
7:30pm Yoga @ 24 Hour Fitness Rice Village

Wednesday 1/25/2012
7:30pm Yoga @ 24 Hour Fitness Elgin

Monday 1/30/2012
7:30pm Yoga @ 24 Hour Fitness Rice Village

http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/weight-loss/tips/diet-tips/how-to-increase-metabolism/

Saturday 12/3/2011
10:05am Power Yoga @ Cannon CrossFit

Monday 12/5/2011
7:30pm Yoga @ 24 Hour Fitness Rice Village You will have a sub. Be back next week!

Wednesday 12/7/2011
7:30pm Yoga @ 24 Hour Fitness Elgin

Saturday 12/10/2011
10:05am Power Yoga @ Cannon CrossFit

Monday 12/12/2011
7:30pm Yoga @ 24 Hour Fitness Rice Village

Wednesday 12/14/2011
7:30pm Yoga @ 24 Hour Fitness Elgin

Saturday 12/17/2011
10:05am Power Yoga @ Cannon CrossFit

Monday 12/19/2011
7:30pm Yoga @ 24 Hour Fitness Rice Village

Wednesday 12/21/2011
7:30pm Yoga @ 24 Hour Fitness Elgin

Saturday 12/24/2011
10:05am Yoga @ Cannon CrossFit Out of town for the holidays

Monday 12/26/2011
7:30pm Yoga @ 24 Hour Fitness Rice Village Class cancelled for holidays

Wednesday 12/28/2011
7:30pm Yoga @ 24 Hour Fitness Elgin

Saturday 12/31/2011
10:05am Power Yoga @ Cannon CrossFit

#1  Tell yourself each and every day how absolutely amazing you are.
It’s the truth! Every one of us is special and awesome in our own way and sometimes we really need to be reminded of that. Instead of chastising ourselves for our weaknesses, we should focus on our strengths and remember that we all have something great to offer the world.

#2  Go to a Farmer’s Market.
This is a great way to fill your kitchen with healthy produce and natural meats as well as support your local farmers. It also makes for a wonderful morning outside in the beautiful fall weather!

#3 Ditch the artificial sweeteners.
Artificial sweeteners are nothing but chemical poison. Do yourself a favor and get them out of your system. For white sugar substitutes, try stevia based sweeteners or agave nectar. A little goes a long way.

#4  Turn off the TV and close the laptop.
Yeah, yeah, I know I’m typing this on a laptop, but as soon as I’m done, I’m taking the little one outside to play in the yard. TV and computers are a regular part of our lives these days, but just remember that every minute spent in front of either equals one minute of you sitting on your rear… sitting still…. doing your body no favors… usually eating. The artificial light we get from both also drains us of our much needed energy. So keep the channel and internet surfing to a minimum. Get in, get out and get on with your day.

#5  Plant a garden.
I learned myself this year that you don’t have to have a green thumb or a lot of space (believe me, I don’t) to actually grow some of your own food! This is a fun and cheap project to do with your kids and a great way to get yourself outside. It’s also a good way to experiment with new fresh herbs and produce. It’s an amazing feeling when you can take food from your yard straight to  your kitchen. How cool! Start small and work your way up one plant at a time.

#6 Purge your pantry.
Why torture yourself? What is the point of surrounding yourself with food that will constantly test your will power? Go through your pantry and your fridge and dump the junk. Throw it away or donate it. You don’t need it and neither does your family. Treats are fine once in a while, but to have them on hand every single day isn’t doing anyone any favors. They are no longer treats, but are now a regular part of your diet. Neither kids nor adults need that. Only bring in the treats for special occasions, enjoy them and then get rid of them. Don’t put yourself through that.

#7  Clean out your closets and/or your garage.
Not only will this create more space in your home, but it will burn some calories! If my BodyBugg taught me anything (and it taught me a lot), it was that performing household chores like this burn a ton of calories. Physical clutter creates mental clutter. This is something I struggle with myself… I’m a clutterer by nature. Let’s tackle this one together and bust through the junk! Get it out of there and donate it to someone else who may actually need it.

#8 Stop buying “fat free” garbage.
“Diet food” is usually terrible food and I’m not only referring to the taste. If you’re trying to lose weight or just live a healthier life, ditch the fat free foods that are full of chemicals, preservatives and hidden sugars. If you look at the list of ingredients on a fat free bottle of salad dressing versus a bottle of regular, you’ll find about twice the number of ingredients… just use your noggin and start reading the nutrition labels and stay away from ingredients you don’t understand. Think “whole ingredients” when you shop. The less processed the better. One exception is non-fat dairy because you’ll see there are no added ingredients, which brings me to my next tip…

#9  Incorporate Greek yogurt into your diet.
Fat free plain Greek yogurt is an amazing thing to keep in your fridge. You can eat it as a snack with a sprinkle of granola and agave nectar or you can really get creative with it. It’s a great substitute for sour cream (I’ve actually come to prefer it because it’s thicker) and you can add it to dishes you want to be creamier. It’s super high in protien and a great way to get your calcium as well.

#10  Try a new fruit or vegetable.
Next time you go the grocery store or farmer’s market, pick up something you’ve never tried before. Get creative and get out of your rut. Don’t know what to do with it? Look online for recipes… my favorites are foodnetwork.com and epicurious.com. It’s fall now so there will be lots of yummy squash around! Spaghetti squash and butternut squash are my faves! Mmmm…

#11 Make a donation.
This goes back to my earlier suggestion to clean out your closets. Keep a box in your garage especially for donations and as you come across things you no longer need, toss them in the box. Once it gets full, take it to Goodwill. Not only are you helping out someone else and clearing your home of clutter but you’re doing something good for your spirit as well which brings us to…

#12 Perform a random act of kindness.
This one is great because you have to think of someone else to do it. We think about ourselves too much. Whether or not you believe in karma, in being a nice person, or just the good ol’ Golden Rule, I’ve heard it said that when you do nice things for others you’re putting coins in your soul bank. I like to think of it that way. Think of something nice you could do for someone today. Then do it. It could make their day and how awesome would that be?

#12  Drink lots of water!
It’s been said that if you’re thirsty, it’s too late. You’re already dehydrated. The best analogy for a body that hasn’t had enough water is a wilted plant. That’s the same thing that happens to us when we don’t drink enough water. Drink a big glass as soon as you wake up in the morning and keep it with you all day long. Drink at least 64 ounces a day and more if it’s a workout day.

#13  Take your vitamins.
Even if you eat a very healthy diet, you likely aren’t getting 100% of the vitamins and minerals your body needs every day. Taking a daily multivitamin will help you fill in those gaps. Getting rid of those deficiencies can also help relieve food cravings, which in turn can help you on your track to weight loss.

#14  Learn something new.
Our brains need exercise, too! Take yourself off of auto-pilot and put that baby to good use. Learning new skills and keeping your brain active helps it stay sharp later in your life. Read a lot, solve puzzles, learn new recipes, hone a new skill at the gym, take a different route to work, get creative! There are many ways to play with this one. Have fun!

#15  Go outside.
Get out into the world and enjoy some fresh air and Vitamin D. Now that the weather is finally starting to cool (it feels AWESOME outside today!), get out and enjoy it! Take a deep breath of fresh air and soak up some rays (just wear your shades and sunscreen). Go for a walk, a hike, a bike ride, to the playground or just have a seat out on your back porch.

Well, this is it for Part I of my 30 Tips for a Healthier You. You can take some and leave some but I hope you will consider each point and think about how you could incorporate it into your life. Remember, a lot of small and simple steps can equal one big change. Go for it! Please leave a comment if you have some tips of your own that you would like to share. Part II soon to follow!

Wednesday 11/2/2011
7:30pm Yoga @ 24 Hour Fitness Elgin You will have a sub tonight. I’ll be back next week!

Saturday 11/5/2011
10:05am Power Yoga @ Cannon CrossFit

Monday 11/7/2011
7:30pm Yoga @ 24 Hour Fitness Rice Village

Wednesday 11/9/2011
7:30pm Yoga @ 24 Hour Fitness Elgin

Saturday 11/12/2011
10:05am Power Yoga @ Cannon CrossFit

Monday 11/14/2011
7:30pm Yoga @ 24 Hour Fitness Rice Village

Wednesday 11/16/2011
7:30pm Yoga @ 24 Hour Fitness Elgin

Saturday 11/19/2011
10:05am Power Yoga @ Cannon CrossFit

Monday 11/21/2011
7:30pm Yoga @ 24 Hour Fitness Rice Village

Wednesday 11/23/2011
7:30pm Yoga @ 24 Hour Fitness Elgin

Saturday 11/26/2011
10:05am Yoga @ Cannon CrossFit

Monday 11/28/2011
7:30pm Yoga @ 24 Hour Fitness Rice Village

Wednesday 11/30/2011
7:30pm Yoga @ 24 Hour Fitness Elgin

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