Nutrition and Fitness

Nutrition and fitness are the key elements to the Heart Smart Minute program, there are no quick fixes or magic pills that can shed your weight over night. However, there’s nothing more frustrating than putting in the work and not seeing the results you’re hoping for.

Remember, the Heart Smart Minute is not about being skinny. It’s about changing your nutrition and fitness habits so you can live the healthiest life in the strongest body possible.

Double check your fitness and nutrition routine with these key points and learn why those last stubborn pounds aren’t coming off.

Heart Smart Minute Nutrition Tip:

You’re NOT Eating as Healthy as you Think

Do you know exactly how many calories you’re eating when you grab that handful of nuts? What about the size of your portions? These are all important nutrition check points you need to ask yourself. Calories add up much quicker than you think and it’s much easier to take them in than to burn them off. Be extra vigilant with your nutrition, always be aware of the serving sizes and the amount of sodium you’re eating. Sodium makes you bloat and retain water which can easily add a few extra pounds to the scale. Add to your fitness and nutrition success by doing a Food Journal. The more you write down about your nutrition the better. Ask yourself, WHY am I eating this snack? Hungry, Bored, Angry? All these extra calories have to be burned off and could be the reason why your nutrition is poor and why you aren’t losing weight.

Heart Smart Minute Fitness Tip:

You’re NOT Sleeping Enough

Believe it or not, sleep has a huge impact on your fitness level throughout the day. Losing sleep slows down the metabolism and affects the secretion of cortisol, one of the hormones that regulates appetite. Add to your nutrition and fitness program by getting at least 7 hours of sleep for women and 6 hours for men.

Heart Smart Minute Fitness Tip:

Lack of Consistency

I can’t stress enough how important consistency is to be successful in your Heart Smart Minute fitness goals. It’s not enough to have a great workout one time or eat a nutritious meal one time and think you can take the next three days off. Consistency and Will Power are the greatest tools for success. You have to make fitness a priority, which means planning your fitness out everyday. Set an appointment with yourself and make it for the same time everyday. The more you do this the more routine it becomes. This is why I stress working out in the morning to many of my clients. When you get it done before work there is nothing the day can throw at you that will derail your fitness plans. Also when you exercise in the morning you are more likely to make better nutrition choices throughout the day. Of course you have to get up earlier but it’s worth the extra effort, especially if you are new to the Heart Smart Minute! So make a daily appointment with yourself and get in a routine!!

Heart Smart Minute Fitness Tip:

You hit a PLATEAU

This happens to everyone in the fitness world and it’s easy to fix. Plateau’s happen when your body becomes accustomed to your exercise routine and it simply means it’s time to change things up a little. Try doing jumping jacks in between your Heart Smart Minute exercises or a light jog in place, this will increase your calories burned.  Also make some different nutrition choices, try some white fish for dinner instead of your usual chicken. All these little changes can help you drop some extra pounds.

Heart Smart Minute Nutrition Tip: 

You’re an EMOTIONAL Eater

Our emotions can get the best of us, it’s part of being human. A bad day can send our nutritious dinner right out the window in exchange for a slice of chocolate cake and ice cream! This happens to us all sometimes but if you are a constant emotional snacker, you are derailing your fitness goals quickly. Right down why you are snacking and if it’s for emotional reasons then you MUST deal with these issues before you can be successful in your Heart Smart Minute goals. Learn to let go of stress, and depression by facing your problems, talk to a professional or your friends. Emotional eating will always get in the way of your fitness and nutrition goals, so do your best to solve the problem.

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