A nutritionally dense diet is a critical part of reaching any health and wellness goal; appropriate nutrition puts that pep in your step, improves mood and performance, aids recovery, and is a building block for hormones and lean tissue, not to mention bones and teeth.

Here and in the next blog I will outline 10 simple tips for healthy, nutritious eating. Note that “simple” does not mean “easy” or “ineffective.” Contrary to popular belief, healthy eating doesn’t have to be complex, sleek, well marketed, or “new” to be effective. Your “perfect” plan is the one that addresses your specific goals, genetics, lifestyle realities, nutritional minefields, and triggers — and the one you can follow consistently.

Kathleen’s 10 tips for nutritious eating — Part 1

1. Set up systems that save you from your lesser self

Your food triggers and habits are not just going to magically disappear overnight. A large part of adopting a healthier diet is increasing your “personal literacy.” Work to learn your habits (both positive and negative) and triggers, and establish systems (in advance) to save your future self from your future triggered self.

For example, if you historically use food to eat away your emotions, first work to understand the triggers (why is food a comfort?). Simultaneously create situations where the triggers can’t cause a food binge (don’t have binge-worthy foods in the house) and find alternative solutions for when you do get triggered (when you start to feel sad, call a friend instead of heading to the kitchen). The goal is a future where the trigger happens less often and, when it does happen, your reaction is less intense and shorter lived.

Or perhaps you make bad choices when you get overly hungry. If that’s the case, always carry food in your purse so you don’t “have to” grab a chocolate bar. When you do end up eating because you’re too hungry, try to make the deviation either less intense (1 cookie not 5) or shorter lived (don’t let yourself spiral into a “who cares?” attitude after eating those 5 cookies).

As Mark Twain is reputed to have said, “History doesn’t repeat itself but it rhymes.”

Figure out your food habits — they will rear their ugly heads over and over — the only question is how intensely will they rear and how quickly can you course correct?

Don’t rely on willpower. Change THE SYSTEM!

2. Make it simple with the power of 3

Often making healthy food choices can feel all-too confusing, and when overwhelmed it is easy to say “screw it” and fall completely off the wagon.

The “simple” (but not always easy) rule I follow is the “rule of 3.” I save my cognitive energy by telling myself that every meal has to have a protein, a vegetable or fruit high in vitamins and minerals (green leafy vegetables or berries), and a healthy fat. Once I eat those three things, I don’t have room for any of the less healthy stuff!

3. It is not just about what you eat — it is about what you DRINK!

Many of us are aware of the food we eat but are fairly airy-fairy about liquids. Liquids count — they contain calories and, more important, impact our blood sugar, which affects our hormones and fat production.

Stay hydrated, watch your caffeine (and what you add to your coffee), avoid liquids filled with sugar and empty calories, AND always be aware of how much alcohol you are drinking.

Carry a water bottle. Set an alarm at work to remind yourself to drink water. Too often we misunderstand dehydration as hunger. Make yourself have a set amount of water before you get your morning coffee. Consider cutting your alcohol with a fizzy water or alternating water with each alcoholic beverage. Or go wild and crazy and have weeks where you skip drinking altogether.

4. Ask yourself, "How can I make this meal a little bit better"

You don’t have to make each meal perfect; you just have to make it slightly better than originally planned. If you were going to have 4 servings of pasta, have 3 servings and some green vegetables. If you were going to have 3 eggs, bacon, and white bread, have 2 eggs, bacon, and 1 piece of seed-filled bread.

“Eating well” exists on a continuum. Instead of labeling foods as “bad” and “good,” shoot to trend positive. Work to get to the next stage of your eating continuum. As you adjust to your new habits, additional changes will be easier to make.

5. Become a nutritional agnostic

Do you. Be you. Find the food program that works for YOU.

There is no “best diet” that works for everyone. All food plans have pros and cons. The one that is right for you depends on your time of life, your goals, your genetics, your lifestyle, and your budget.

The way you eat will change as you age. That is okay. There is no one program that works for everyone or one program that works for any one person their entire life. Be flexible yet dedicated to one rule — finding a program you can stick to for a good amount of time, that makes you feel vibrant and vital, and that is nutritionally dense.

Final thought

Let go of any misguided quest for “perfect.” Perfection is not possible. You can have a treat once in a while. Go ahead and mindfully enjoy a small portion of something you love. I call this my “love it rule.” It is not the occasional deviations from the plan that matter — what matters are the choices you make on a daily basis, how intensely you deviate from your norms when you deviate, AND how quickly you course correct.

If you fall off your health horse — you will; you are human — stop yourself after 1 cookie not 5 cookies and 7 beers, AND get right back on your health plan!

My next blog will cover tips 6 through 10. Curious? Some foreshadowing … I touch on the importance of portions, preparation, and trade-offs.

It’s so easy for us to go back to old habits when we are tired & stressed….that’s why our snacks (especially in the evenings) often look the same. We are too tired to think of something new or creative, so instead we reach for the same old thing that we always do, (and grind that habit just a little bit deeper into our brains while we are at it).

The solution? Plan ahead and have some snack options on hand, so when you are tired or stressed you have something already in the fridge (or cupboard) to easily reach for.

Give these coconut oatmeal balls a try. They take about 15 minutes to whip up, store well in the fridge or you can double (or triple!) the recipe and put some in the freezer so you are fully stocked.

To help with healthy snacking ideas I’m going to create a little recipe book with some of my favourite options, but for now….get started and give these a try.

Ingredients

• 3 Medjool dates (or 5-6 smaller dates)
• 4 dried apricots
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 3 Tbsp coconut flour (or 4 Tbsp regular flour)
• 2 Tbsp hemp hearts
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp cardamom
• 1/8 tsp ground ginger
• 1/8 tsp ground clovves
• Pinch of ground black pepper
• 1 cup finely grated carrot
• 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut for coating

In the food processor bowl with the S blade, pulse together the dates, apricots, coconut oil, pumpkin puree and vanilla until well combined. Scrape down sides of bowl as needed.

Add oats, flour, hemp hearts, spices and carrot. Process until well combined and mixture sticks together when pinched between your fingers.

Roll mixture into small balls and roll in coconut to coat. Refrigerate for a few hours and eat.

The balls freeze well. Thaw at room temperature for about 20 minutes before eating.

If you want to add more protein to these balls add in some peanut or almond butter (if you do this, increase the quantity of oats a bit), or add nuts to the mixture (if you do this, add another date or two, to keep the mixture moist enough to roll into balls).

Marisa is BCRPA personal trainer and a fun-fitness-fanatic living the active dream in beautiful Vancouver, BC. She hikes, swims, runs, bikes, bootcamps & yoga's as much as possible, outdoors when possible, and believes everything is possible. Find her on the web at www.motivatedmovementpt.com and on Facebook and Instagram.

We have all been there – you are so busy running between errands, kids' activities, work meetings and 1001 competing priorities that you grab some food on the go and wolf it down. You reach for another french fry, the other half of the sandwich or another chug of your juice (or pop) and it’s empty. You barely remember the first couple bites and now it’s all gone. Or maybe worse yet, you don’t even remember eating, you are on auto-pilot and it doesn’t register at all.

Today I want to share with you the simplest and quite possibly the most effective nutritional habit that you can implement in your life, which can have a massive impact – slow down. Seriously, that’s it. Whatever speed you currently eat at, slow it down.

By doing this one habit consistently over the past 6 weeks I was able to lose 4.6lbs. This was at a time when I indulged in many of my mother in-law’s to die for Nanaimo Bars, had drinks with friends and delicious meals with friends & family. I didn’t increase my physical activity (however I did do something active most days even if it was just a walk or playing around in the snow!)

That might not be a flashy 20lbs down in a month, but it is slow, sustainable weight loss. The good kind, the kind that you can maintain in the long term because you didn’t have to drastically change your life to achieve it.

The ONLY thing I changed was slowing down my eating pace (and linked to that, I stopped eating when I was full).

There are several good reasons why this simple habit will have a huge impact on your health:

• Your stomach needs time to process the food that it is getting and send signals to your brain when it’s full. When you eat in 10 minutes flat (or less!) these signals don’t have a chance, and your chance of overeating is about 97%.
• You can actually enjoy the food you paid for. What if you took a few extra moments and savored the food you are eating.
• It’s safer…seriously. Slow down and chew your food fully before swallowing. First aid responders and concerned family members will thank you.

Need some strategies to help you slow down? Try some of these:

• Put your fork down between bites.
• Don’t eat while on your phone or in front of the TV.
• Try to not eat in your car (multi-tasking is dangerous to others on the road with you and you are more inclined to eat quickly and not focus on the food).
• With each bite stop to think about the food you are eating, the flavours, spices, herbs used, how the different textures feel.
• Time yourself. Ok sounds a bit silly, but if you don’t know how can you improve right? See how long it typically takes you eat dinner and then see if you can make it take 5 minutes longer the next day. This isn’t a long term technique, just something to give you a tangible baseline for where you are at and how you can improve.

If you have tried everything under the sun to lose weight and it hasn’t worked, why not try the opposite of what you have been doing? Try doing this one small habit, consistently (consistency is key!)

If you struggle with the consistency or accountability part, let me know, I love assisting with that stuff.

Marisa is BCRPA personal trainer and a fun-fitness-fanatic living the active dream in beautiful Vancouver, BC. She hikes, swims, runs, bikes, bootcamps & yoga's as much as possible, outdoors when possible, and believes everything is possible. Find her on the web at www.motivatedmovementpt.com and on Facebook and Instagram.

A balanced plate (and diet) can go A LONG way in helping you achieve your weight-loss or health-related goals.

But what does a balance plate look like? Do you know how much carbs, protein, veggies and healthy fats should you have on your plate? And if you do have an idea, how do you measure that without looking like a food-obsessed freak?!

A major problem in North America is that more often than not our serving sizes are out of control. So even when we are trying to make the right decisions and choose less-processed options or opt for home-cooked meals, we are eating way over and above our body’s caloric needs for the day.

Ok, so you need to know what food to put on the plate and approximately how much of it to eat.

First, let’s get back to the basics and break down the four major groups that should be included in all (or at least most) of your meals:

• Protein
• Carbohydrates
• Vegetables
• Healthy Fats

A simple way to estimate the serving sizes is to use your hand (please note this is a rough estimate only and you should use your own discretion and listen to your body if you are full with less or may need a bit more depending on your lifestyle and activity levels).

When planning a meal think of protein first. Women should look to eat 1 serving of protein approximately the size of the palm of your hand. Men should eat 2 palm-sized portions per meal.

Next, add on veggies. Again you can use your hand. Women should aim for at least one fist sized portion of veggies and men, two fist sized portions. If you are really hungry and think you need some more food on your plate I suggest adding more veggies before the other categories. Veggies are high in fiber which will help keep you full longer and I have yet to meet someone who gained weight eating too many veggies (side note – these veggies should be raw, steamed, broiled, grilled etc. A massive plate of deep fried cauliflower coated in batter isn’t exactly the type of veggies we’re going for here).

Carbs – ohhhhhh…it almost feels like a dirty word these days. It seems everyone and their dog are staying clear of carbs. Here’s the thing…carbs aren’t evil. Yes, some people do react differently to them, so if you are sincerely allergic to them then obviously steer clear. Carbs get a bad rep in the diet world because so many people link carbs to white bread, pasta, rice and other highly processed options. Carbs are much more diverse than that and include grains, starches, beans & fruit. There are plenty of healthy options that will fuel your body and provide you with energy whether you are going for a run, smashing some weights at the gym, doing kiddo drop-offs and pick ups or trying to stay engaged through a meeting at work. Aim to get one hand-cupped serving per meal for women and two hand-cupped servings for men.

Fats are a good addition to your plate with each meal, however healthy fats should be limited as it’s easy to load on the peanut butter on your sandwich or morning toast a little too think, pour a few too many glugs of olive oil on your salad or just want to eat all the avocados. all the time. For healthy fats, aim to eat a thumb-sized portion for women (per meal) and men should eat two thumb-sized portions.

Practice makes perfect, so practice making each meal a nice balance of the above categories. If it feels like too much work, then just commit to focusing on one meal a day. When that becomes second nature you can aim your sights higher Common sense is not common practice. So to help you remember this guideline for portion sizes, I’ve included this super simple page you can print off and place on your fridge as a helpful reminder.

Marisa is BCRPA personal trainer and a fun-fitness-fanatic living the active dream in beautiful Vancouver, BC. She hikes, swims, runs, bikes, bootcamps & yoga's as much as possible, outdoors when possible, and believes everything is possible. Find her on the web at www.motivatedmovementpt.com and on Facebook and Instagram.

I admittedly suffer from hanger on a somewhat regular basis. Well, I try to avoid it because I know how unpleasant I can be. I have actually named my hanger monster in my stomach Gosover, and boy does he get angry!

When I miss a meal it’s not a pretty sight and my husband knows it’s time to find a snack stat, before someone gets hurt and Gosover gets out of control!

Years ago when I didn’t pay as much attention to my nutrition I would often miss a meal or be without a snack. My body would progress from hunger pains to irritability, to clamminess and sometimes I would even feel lightheaded, dizzy and nauseous. These are the actual symptoms of my blood sugar dipping too low and my body giving me some very intense signals that I need nourishment immediately. Of course it’s way more entertaining to refer to these initial signals as a food-crazed monster living in my gut, but not recognizing your body’s needs (either too little food or too much!) can have serious effects on your body.

Of meals that I have missed in my life, breakfast isn’t one of them. I was never one of those people who can forego the first glorious meal of the day and wait until lunch for my first chance to dig into some real food. You would’ve seen my face on the morning news by now if I even tried to dabble in that practice. I typically wake up hungry, and that’s fine with me because breakfast just happens to be my favourite meal. There are so many delicious options, you can go savory, or sweet, grab something quick or take your time to prepare a nice warm breakfast. It’s the second best meal of the day….sliding in closely behind brunch.

What is the Most Effective Way to Start the Day?:

Breakfast vs. Working out Fasted

There have been various research articles over the years highlighting both sides of the coin. Some insist that this early morning meal is necessity for setting your day (and diet nutrition habits) up for success and ensuring you don’t overeat at other meals. Other articles counteract these points and say that breakfast isn’t essential and actually doing a workout (specifically cardio) in a fasted state can be beneficial, and there are all those who support intermittent fasting. Just like everything in health and fitness, there are 50 articles supporting each point of view.

My personal opinion is in favour of breakfast. A healthy, well-rounded breakfast helps me think clearer, focus on morning tasks, perform better when doing a workout or going for a run and does in fact keep me from eating everything in site when 11 or 12 o’clock rolls around. My body likes consistency and that means 3 meals throughout the day, along with some healthy snacks.

Given that I have such a love of breakfast I thought I would share my three favourite breakfast options. These all have a good combination of protein, healthy fats and fibre – all essential ingredients to keep your Gosover at bay until lunch time.

9-Spice Avocado Hummus Toast

from the Oh She Glows Everyday cookbook

Ingredients

1-2 slices of bread – whole grain with lots of seeds is my favourite

• Garlic clove
• 2 Tbsp of hummus
• 1/3 avocado
• 1/4 lemon
• 9 spice mix – (mix together the following spices:(1tsp paprika; 1 tsp garlic powder; 1 tsp minced onion; 3/4 tsp sea salt; 1/2 tsp pepper; 1/2 dried oregano; 1/4 tsp ground turmeric; 1/4 dried thyme; 1/4 smoked paprika). Combine all the spices in a small jar. This will make a fair bit that you can use for a while!

Toast a slice of your favourite bread (make sure you toast it until it’s fairly crisp otherwise it will get soggy from the ingredients). Rub the sliced garlic, cut side down over the toast (this infuses the bread without giving it an overpowering flavour). Spread the hummus over the toast and then top with sliced avocado. Sprinkle the 9-spice mix over the avocado and finish with a squeeze of lemon juice.

I know the 9-spice mix doesn’t sounds that revolutionary, but please promise me you’ll try it. I am certain you will be surprised at how amazing this tastes on the avocado toast!

I’ll often eat one slice of this avocado toast along with some scrambled eggs.

Overnight Oats

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup of oats
• 1/2 banana
• 1 cup of almond milk *or other milk you prefer
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 Tbsp chia seeds
• Berries, peaches, other fresh fruit
• Optional: Pecans, pumpkin seeds, hemp hearts or other for toppings
• Optional: 1 scoop vanilla protein powder *I personally like ‘Garden of Life’

The night before mash up the banana with the almond milk and add in the chia seeds. If you are using protein powder add it to the milk mixture and mix well. Put the oats into a mason jar (or bowl or tupperware container) and add in the milk mixture. Add vanilla and cinnamon and stir until combined. Place container in fridge overnight, which will let the oats soften and the chia seeds expand. In the morning add some fresh fruit and any toppings you may like and grab on your way out the door.

You can make a few containers at once and have breakfast ready for the whole week.

Green Goodness Smoothie

Ingredients

• 1-2 cups of fresh spinach (or other greens)
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1/2 banana frozen *tip – peel & freeze bananas in chunks for easy addition to smoothies
• 1/4 avocado
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
• 6-8 ice cubes (depending how thick you like your smoothie)

Add all ingredients into a high powered blender until smooth. This is the base recipe I use, often I will add a Tbsp of peanut or almond butter. Adding some frozen berries and fresh mint makes for a refreshing summer smoothie. Swap out the almond milk for coconut water and add in some pineapple for a tropical smoothie drink. A Tbsp of cocoa and some mint leaves (or mint extract) makes for a delicious chocolate mint variation. The flavour combinations are endless!

Bon appetit!

Marisa is BCRPA personal trainer and a fun-fitness-fanatic living the active dream in beautiful Vancouver, BC. She hikes, swims, runs, bikes, bootcamps & yoga's as much as possible, outdoors when possible, and believes everything is possible. Find her on the web at www.motivatedmovementpt.com and on Facebook and Instagram.

So many people see “salad” and think “healthy” or “good for weight loss.” Wrong. Dressings are usually laden with sugar and filled with preservatives and unhealthy fat, and too often salads have additives like noodles, fried ingredients, taco chips, or dried fruits. Often in restaurants they are just a bunch of unhealthy ingredients assembled together—think taco salad. The other day my friend ordered a “squash salad.” What was it? A large piece of squash with a rich sauce and fried cheese.

I am not saying never order salads. Just know what you are eating. If you order an unhealthy salad because you love it, great. Have a small portion and enjoy it. I live by my “love it” rule: eat and enjoy small portions of the things you love. I just don’t want you to think you are making the healthy choice only to end up feeling bloated and unenergetic. KNOW what you are eating! Make an informed choice.

A few things to keep in mind:

-Be wary of dressings. They have hidden sugar and unhealthy fat. Either ask for dressing on the side or ask for olive oil, mustard, and balsamic so you can make your own dressing

-Watch for salads full of grains. I am not saying that grains are bad. Just know when you are ordering a grain bowl, not a mainly vegetable-filled salad. Own your choices.

-Read the ingredients carefully and ask your server questions. Watch for filler non-vegetable ingredients; set your antenna for sugar (candied nuts, dried fruit), fried foods (crispy nuts, tortilla chips), large portions of cheeses, unhealthy fats (sour cream), processed foods, vegetables drenched in oils (grilled vegetables), empty complex carbs (noodles), and salty foods (salted nuts, meats).

-Watch portion sizes. Salads can often be big enough to feed three people. Portion sizes count.

-Watch the amount and number of ingredients. A subcategory of “unhealthy healthy” foods is foods that are healthy in moderation (as in, if you eat one or two portions), but that are not healthy when consumed willy-nilly. Think avocado, almonds, peanut butter, crackers, high-GI fruits (mangos, pineapple), and hummus.

So many restaurant salads are humungous and too often contain not one but many of this subcategory of unhealthy healthy foods. For example, a salad with vegetables, chicken, and one serving of avocado is great. A salad with grilled vegetables (soaked in oil, so just unhealthy), chicken (drenched in a processed dressing, so unhealthy), PLUS multiple servings of foods that should be eaten in moderation such as avocado, nuts, and cranberries is NOT as okay.

Be particularly mindful of the “moderation” category if you’re trying to lose weight. The key to weight loss is not only food selection but portion control. Too often, when one knows something is healthy, one is less mindful and doesn’t worry about portion control. Almonds are healthy, but too many of us grab handful after handful in a day. An entire large bag is not part of a nutritionally balanced day—especially if one of your main goals is to lose weight.

Don't misinterpret my words. Obviously, blatantly unhealthy foods like doughnuts are still unhealthy. All I am trying to say is, don't try to “scam the system.” A gluten-free cookie can be made of as much crap as a regular cookie. Plus, no matter what you are eating, portion control is key! Don't stand at a party or at your kitchen counter and snack mindlessly. Sit down and enjoy what you are eating. If you decide to have an amazing piece of cake, great. Enjoy your treat. Just have one small slice, not seven.

This year instead of hoping to be a "whole new you," decide to become a version of yourself who exercises and eats well. You are enough. You are worthy. Your body is not a garbage can, so don't put garbage food into it. Your health is important, so prioritize daily movement.

To do this, make sure to make fitness goals not fitness wishes. Instead of saying "I will get fit" - which is more of a wish - figure out your exact goals, as well as the when, where and how you will actually follow through. Basically, come up with a detailed plan.

One way to follow through on the goal of improved eating is through keeping a food journal.

There is often a disconnect between the health choices we think we are making and the choices we actually make. We don't consciously quantify how many times we hit snooze on our alarm, watch TV instead of working out, or indulge in a treat. We delude ourselves into thinking these types of choices are exceptions, when they are often more normal than we want to admit.

A journal can help to highlight these disconnects; recording nutrition data can foster a degree of nutritional mindfulness and provide useful data.

The Basic Journal

Record food choices and portions, as well as alcohol and water consumption. There are many apps and weight-loss programs that offer food-tracking options. Or be old fashioned and simply write everything down.

The problem is that too often when one journals or uses a weight-loss app one is primarily concerned with tracking calories.

Our eating habits are inextricably linked to our emotions, our lifestyle and habits, and our childhood eating patterns. Until you tackle your emotional connection to food, focusing on your food choices is relatively useless. You can stress-eat or binge-eat out of loneliness on any diet – lots of people overeat gluten-free cake and paleo treats. If you don't become aware of the what, why and how of your eating patterns, your personal food habits will simply follow you from nutrition program to program.

Do you eat when you are sad, angry, bored, tired, thirsty or uncomfortable? Are you a social eater or a closet eater? Only when you know your habits and your triggers can you can work to establish a detailed and tailored plan of attack.

Here are two iterations on the basic journal that can help you figure out the "WWH" of eating: Why you eat, when you eat, as well as how much and how you eat.

The 'X vs. O' Journal

Draw five circles on each page of a journal. Each page represents one day, and the five circles represent three meals and two snacks. After every meal ask yourself, "Did I stop eating when I was full and did I generally make healthy choices?" If the answer is yes, you don't have to write down what you ate; simply put an X through the circle.

If you made food choices that you were not happy with, write down what you ate, as well as how and why you ate the food. Were you tired or depressed? Did you grab food mindlessly off your co-worker's desk or eat as you cooked?

At the end of one week, look over your food journal. Hopefully, your week will be full of Xs. If not, figure out when and why you made your unhealthy choices. Decide how you can make better choices next time.

The 'Hunger vs. Want' Journal

Write down what you ate, but also note your hunger and degree of fullness before and after each meal. Write down if you ate when you were ravenous, hungry, full or stuffed, and if you stopped eating when you were pleasantly satisfied, full or stuffed. Use this data to learn in what situations you overeat. Do you mostly eat because you are hungry (a biological need)? Or do you eat when you are still full because you "want" food? Wanting food is more of an emotional response to food.

Remember, the point of keeping a journal is not simply to get the data, but to actually use it. Analyze your journal and learn from it. For example, if you noted that you often eat when full, make your goal to stop eating before you are stuffed. If you realize you always eat before you feel hungry, aim to eat only when you are starting to feel peckish.

I have good news!! You don't have to fall completely off of your health horse. Instead "manage" December with these four simple tricks - live by my "love it" rule, always take a "mindfulness moment" before you eat anything, make simple substitutions whenever possible and make movement a "non-negotiable."

How To "Manage" December

1. Use my "Love It" rule

Go ahead, treat yourself, life is worth living, but before you do ask yourself two questions.

"Do I love it"? Your treat should be something you really want, not just whatever is around.

"Is this an appropriate portion"? Have an appropriate portion of something you love. Don't gorge -- you can always have another moderate portion tomorrow.

2. Take a beat -- a mindfulness moment -- before you eat anything.

It is too easy to overeat or chose unhealthy options when you are not conscious of what you are doing.

No eating while standing!

Don't mindlessly eat while you are cooking, during meetings or while socializing at a party. Make snacking while cooking off limits.

Take the "party five"

At parties, when you want seconds or an extravagant dessert, make yourself take a mindfulness moment by waiting five minutes. Have some water and consider how you will feel if you consume the treat. If after five minutes you decide you "have to have it," go for it. Enjoy! Life is worth living, just don't eat things you don't truly love.

Use my 30-minute rule

At home, when you want an after dinner snack make yourself take a "mindfulness moment" by waiting thirty minutes before eating the snack. Try and get involved in another activity. Read a book, do some crafting or even do some chores. Usually once you are involved in something else you will forget about wanting chocolate cookies. If after thirty minutes you still want something, try and have something healthy like a few vegetables and a tablespoon of hummus.

Stop eating in front of the TV

No explanation needed. Instead of nibbling while you watch TV, drink water or do an activity that keeps your hands busy, like knitting. When I want to snack in front of the TV I try to distract myself by using the foam roller or stretching.

3. Simple Substitutions

When out and about and "hangry," instead of grabbing the nearest sugary treat, grab a hard-boiled egg.

Instead of mindlessly consuming, consciously chose something low in sugar and high in protein -- something like a hard-boiled egg. Most convenience stores sell them, grocery stores almost always have them, and, worst-case scenario, Starbucks has an egg in their protein box.

Better yet, carry healthy snacks with you; try hard-boiled eggs and cut-up vegetables or an apple and a few almonds.

Instead of nutritiously vapid white pasta, have bean pasta, spiralized zucchini or spaghetti squash.

Bean pasta has 21 grams of protein in one serving. Combine it with a ton of vegetables for an easy-to-assemble, healthy meal.

Or invest in a spiralizer; make "pasta" out of zucchini (I also love spiralized beets or carrots on salads). Or make "pasta" out of spaghetti squash. Cut the squash lengthwise and bake. Scoop out the stringy inside. Then put nutritious sauce made with lots of vegetables and protein on top.

Instead of sweetening your coffee with sugar, try cinnamon

Instead of rice, try cauliflower "rice"

Chop cauliflower in the food processor until it resembles rice. Steam it. Then load it with yummy spices and toppings like you would rice. I have to thank my awesome client Trudy for bringing this to my attention!

Instead of sugary granola, try Hi-Lo cereal

I don't love most cereals; they tend to be high in sugar and fairly processed. So I encourage my clients to have hard-boiled eggs and vegetables or chia seed "pudding" with berries for breakfast. That said, sometimes convenience is paramount and cereals are convenient. When needed, try Hi-Lo cereal -- it only has three grams of sugar and it has 12 grams of protein. It is crunchy and works nicely in Greek yogurt with berries. Thank my knowledgeable colleague Dr. Kendall-Reed for this tip.

Instead of muffins, have egg "muffins"

Muffins are convenient -- they are just often full of sugar and fat. Egg muffins are equally convenient, but also nutritious. Make six or 10 mini "egg muffins" every Sunday and eat them through the week. Sauté a bunch of vegetables then place them into separate muffin tins. Mix a bunch of eggs and pour roughly half an egg into each cup. Cook muffins in the oven, then voilà -- a healthy breakfast you can grab as you walk out the door. When you have an extra minute enjoy the "muffin" with some avocado or a piece of whole grain bread.

Instead of pizza, have egg "pizza"

The egg is basically just a nutritious platform for yummy pizza toppings. First, put egg whites and/or a few full eggs in a pan. Bake until firm -- that is your "pizza" crust! Then add pizza toppings and bake until the topping are cooked.

4. Make movement a non-negotiable -- a "when" not an "if."

Instead of thinking "Will I exercise?" think "WHEN will I exercise". Can't get to the gym? No problem; work movement into your day. Walk home from work, pace on conference calls, do exercises in front of the TV, or take your kids to the park and run around or play a sport. Consciously flip your mindset -- intentionally find opportunities to be active instead of excuses to be sedentary.

So, I wrote a book! It is called Finding Your Fit. Needless to say, I am pretty excited! The book hits stores October 1st, 2016. I feel like a kid getting ready for Christmas; I am counting down the days until I can walk into Indigo and say "Where would I find Kathleen Trotter's new book?" I am assuming the answer will be "In the health and wellness section," but maybe I will get lucky and it will be on one of the "staff recommendation" tables. Fingers crossed!

My next few blogs will outline a few of the main take-aways from my book. (How cool is it that I can say "my book"?) The first review is out. You can read it here (hyperlink https://www.flamanfitness.com/blog/how-to-get-off-the-sofa-and-out-the-front-door).

The official media blurb is that Finding Your Fit is "A Compassionate Trainer's Guide to Making Fitness a Lifelong Habit: it provides readers with practical tools that will allow them to connect the dots between wanting to make a health and fitness change and actually making it. Finding Your Fit is the "anti–Biggest Loser" handbook for realistic, lifelong health: a motivational handbook with realistic strategies and practical information to help readers initiate and then follow through and adopt a long-term healthy lifestyle."

My unofficial blurb is this: "If I have learned one thing from my 15 years in the health field it is that there is no one-size-fits-all health plan; everybody is different. Everyone requires a tailored recipe for success.

We all have to stop trying to follow someone else's version of a "perfect" program. For long-term success, put together a unique and realistic plan tailored to fit your individual lifestyle realities.

The plan should take into account your goals, your health history, your lifestyle, your finances, your genetics, and your unique relationship with food. You can stress eat or binge eat out of loneliness on any diet — lots of people overeat gluten-free cake and Paleo treats. If you don't become aware of your eating patterns, your personal food habits will simply follow you from nutrition program to nutrition program."

In the first 10 chapters of Finding Your Fit I outline various tools, motivation tricks, and philosophies that readers can use to put together their "unique recipe." In the final chapter I help readers apply all the information outlined in the book so that they finish with a tailored and effective exercise program.

Here are a few of the main take-aways.

1.Own your health choices; take the time to actively "set yourself up for health success" — the key words being own and actively.

You are an adult; take responsibility for your health choices. Adopting a healthier lifestyle isn't a passive process. If you don't take the time to set yourself up for success, you might as well be setting yourself up for failure.

2. Always have a plan...and then a back-up plan.

For example, don't decide you are "destined" to be inactive when you have a busier-than-normal week. Instead, use my "piggyback" strategy. Pinpoint daily, non-negotiable habits that you already do, then turn them into a workout: turn your daily dog walk into a jog or interval workout or have meetings with your colleagues while walking.

As for nutrition, decide in advance how you will handle every event. When going to a restaurant, read the menu online and decide in advance what you will order. Going to someone's house? Offer to bring a healthy option. When in doubt, opt for a lean protein and lots of vegetables, never eat while standing, use a smaller plate when possible, and be mindful of your portions.

3. When you fall off your health horse, don't allow that not-so-great choice to spiral into multiple unhealthy choices.

Instead, learn from your unhealthy decisions so you get back on a more informed rider. Did you let yourself get too hungry? Were you emotionally eating? Did you not take the time to set yourself up for success? Make a mental note of what went wrong, then proactively avoid those situations in the future.

4. Some movement is always better than no movement.

Every bit of motion adds up, and every situation can be reframed as an opportunity for movement. Can't do a full workout? No problem, do 10 minutes. When it comes to exercise, getting started is usually the hardest part. So use my 10-minute rule. Tell yourself you have to do something for at least 10 minutes. Anyone can do anything for 10 minutes. If after 10 minutes you want to stop, fine. At least you will have done something. Once you start you will usually end up doing a full workout.

5. Stop waiting for the "perfect" day to start moving. Get up and go for a walk!

You can pre-order Finding Your Fit here: https://www.amazon.ca/Finding-Your-Fit-Compassionate-Trainer's/dp/1459735196/

This is why I love a new book to be released this October by Canada's fitness information leader - Kathleen Trotter – as it addresses this very issue.It is entitled, "Finding Your Fit; A Compassionate Trainer's Guide to Making Fitness a Lifelong Habit."

The book answers, "How do we find the inner motivation to go from thinking about a healthier lifestyle to actually adopting one? How do we get off the sofa and out the front door?" It provides you with the practical tools that will allow you to connect the dots between wanting to make a health and fitness change, and actually making it.

If you've read anything by Kathleen, heard her on radio, and seen her on TV, you soon realise that there is something different in her approach – in a very good way. She is driven from a perspective of honesty, health, and compassion. A quick review of her website will make this very clear.

From my fitness blogging/writing/business life, I've seen time and time again that to get started into a fitness routine or healthier lifestyle – as in "get off the couch and out the front door":

* Knowing why you should work out is not enough

* Knowing what to do is not enough

* Having the equipment at home is not enough

* Having the best equipment is not enough

* Having the time is not enough

* Hearing inspirational stories is not enough

* Discussing fitness with inspirational people is not enough

* All of the above combined is not enough

In short, I realised that "it's all on you." You can have everything handed to you to start your fitness journey – but until you decide to start and then you actually start, nothing will happen.

That's where Kathleen's book comes in - it gives you the mental key to "start" and then stay with it.

Frankly, it provides the critical missing link.

Its themes include "10 simple, practical ways to get moving, get healthy and feel great." It clarifies that you should set "fitness goals not fitness wishes." It advises you to develop "a fitness entourage." It shows you how to "set yourself up for health success."

And just to be clear, Kathleen didn't just wake-up fit - she had her own journey that she details in her book. In fact, this segment alone is worth the read. You'll soon realise that she did, and still does, have fears and battles to overcome. So, you're not alone.

Finding Your Fit will stand in opposition to the extreme and unsustainable models of fitness that are so often propagated in the media. Finding Your Fit is the "anti–Biggest Loser" handbook for realistic, lifelong health.

Finding Your Fit is an intelligent and empathetic guide for the reader who wants both information and encouragement on their quest for long-term health and an easy-to-follow program to achieve it.

In only 136-pages and with 50 illustrations, Finding Your Fit is a "go-to" book health book: a motivational handbook with realistic strategies and practical information that helps them not only initiate but actually follow through and adopt a long-term healthy lifestyle.

Finding Your Fit will be released in October by Dundurn and available at Flaman Fitness. It will also be available from your favourite bookseller and even available on Amazon for preorder here. If you're in the Toronto area, you can attend her book launch on October 5^th