Habit #1: Ditch the scale

We’ve all heard that muscle weighs more than fat, right? But when we work out in order to lose weight and instead see the number on the scale rise, we quickly get frustrated. Don’t let the scale wreck your motivation to get fitter and healthier. It’s possible to become leaner and slimmer without the number on the scale changing, which means the scale isn’t the best representation of your progress.

Kyle Jason Lane, a Burn Boot Camp Elizabeth, NC trainer, says, “Get fitter and healthier by measuring your progress with pictures instead of the number on the scale.” Get into the habit of taking progress pictures one or two times a month, always wearing the same clothes. You’ll be much more motivated to push hard and eat healthier when you are able to compare your progress photos each month and see the actual changes in your body composition.

Habit #2: Keep your goals visible at all times

“A habit I always tell my clients to start doing to help them get fit and healthy is to write down their goals somewhere they will see them every day. Whether it’s on a mirror, a sticky note in your car, a whiteboard in your room, your refrigerator door or the wallpaper of your phone, making them visible helps you keep your eye on the prize!” suggests Burn Boot Camp Verona, WI trainer Cody Burns.

When you have a craving or want to skip a workout, your goals often slip your mind. Keeping your goals visible at all times will remind you of what you are working toward even in your weakest moments.

Habit #3: Schedule your workouts

Fit and healthy people don’t skip their workouts! If you struggle to make your workouts a priority in your life, Burn Boot Camp Columbus, OH trainer Becky Carnes Huff says, “Get into the habit of putting your workouts on your calendar. Once you have it scheduled, treat it the same way you would treat a doctor’s appointment or a work meeting.”

Would you skip a doctor’s appointment just because you didn’t feel like going? You probably wouldn’t. Before the week starts, make it a habit to sit down with your calendar and schedule your workouts for the entire week to help you become fit and healthy.

Habit #4: Close the kitchen

Fit and healthy people are not in the habit of eating around the clock. If you want to become fit and healthy too, you have to establish a designated time to close the kitchen. Creating these boundaries not only stops you from mindlessly snacking while watching TV. Waiting 12 hours between meals also has been shown to boost fat burning, increase digestion and promote a healthy gut.

Habit #5: Track your food before you eat

“Use the MyFitnessPal app, or any other food tracking app, to track your entire day’s worth of food the night before,” says Burn Boot Camp South Park, NC trainer Krysta Huber. While tracking your food is a great habit to get into when trying to get fit and healthy, tracking your intake after you eat may not be as helpful.

If you track your food later, you may realize after the fact that the food you consumed wasn’t as healthy as you anticipated or that you consumed a larger portion size than you should have. When you track your food beforehand, you are able to make adjustments to ingredients and portion sizes. “Tracking your food the night before also helps you commit to eating healthier because you have a plan to stick to for the entire day,” adds Krysta.

Habit #6: Surround yourself with tools that will help you get fit and healthy

“If you want to get fit and healthy, then surround yourself with things that will make you fit and healthy. For example, subscribe to a bunch of different health podcasts and play one every time you get into your car. You can also place fitness magazines in the bathroom, keep healthy cookbooks visible in your kitchen and follow nutritionists and personal trainers on social media.

Bombard yourself with a healthy environment,” suggests Burn Boot Camp Hainesport, NJ trainer Sandy Sweeney. When you start acting like you are fit and healthy by creating a healthy environment, you will become fit and healthy!

Habit #7: Get an accountability partner

It’s easy to set goals, but it is hard to hold yourself accountable to do what it takes to actually reach them. “A great habit to get into when trying to get fit and healthy is to always share your goals verbally,” says Burn Boot Camp Northville, MI trainer Tricia Wanish.

Find a family member or friend who can become your accountability partner. Share not only your goals, but also exactly what you plan to do each day to ensure you reach them. Meet them for a workout or coffee regularly to keep them updated on your execution of your plan as well as your progress. When you let it be known to others that you are working toward a fit and healthy lifestyle, you will be much more motivated to actually do it!

Habit #8: Eat greens at each meal

The key to getting fit and healthy isn’t working out more; it’s eating more healthy foods. The best way to ensure you are eating nutritious meals is by eating greens at each meal. Greens should take up half your plate, while protein and carbohydrates each take up ¼ of your plate.

If you struggle to get enough greens into your diet, add cooked kale or spinach into each meal. When cooked, the “green” taste is greatly reduced and the leaves take on the flavor of the rest of your dish. You can also try blending this delicious chocolate-flavored green powder into a protein smoothie each morning for an amazing extra boost of greens.

Habit #9: Start meditating

Fit and healthy people concentrate on their physical health as well as their mental health. Developing the habit of meditating each morning, even for just five minutes, will help you reduce stress, increase focus and productivity and create a more positive mindset.

A great meditation practice to start with is focusing on your breath. On each inhale, feel yourself breathe in new, positive energy and allow it to fill your entire body. On each exhale, feel yourself breathe out old, negative energy—all thoughts and feelings that are creating stress, anxiety, doubt or lack of confidence. Repeating this each morning for five to ten minutes will create a healthier mindset, which will give you more energy and motivation to get fit and healthy.

Haley Twist

This time of year is all about feeling renewed, refreshed, and reenergized. We know you’re on track to prioritizing your health and fitness this year, in addition to making strides in your career but you don’t always have to focus on the big items in your life! Here are some small, easy, and effective ways to feel healthier and happier at home, this year.

1. Deep clean your home

Even if it feels like you spend nearly all your free time cleaning, dedicate one day to giving your home the deep clean it deserves! You’ll probably feel more relaxed after you do it, and then it becomes one less thing you have to worry about over the next few months!

2. Take 10 minutes to declutter every day

Dedicate a short ten minutes every day to declutter one part or room of your home. Do the dishes, clean up the toys your kids or pets left out, declutter your desk, or reorganize your coffee table. Staying on top of these little things can lead to you feeling so much more clean, productive, and relaxed at home!

3. Set aside one hour to clean out your phone

Did you download an app last year that you haven’t touched since? Are you subscribed to ten podcasts but only find yourself listening to two on a regular basis? And when is the last time you backed up all your photos on your computer? Set aside one hour to completely clean out your phone. Not only will your phone have more storage, but chances are you’ll feel less cluttered.

4. …And another hour to clean out your computer

We know that cleaning out your computer can feel like a daunting task, but trust us–it needs to be done! Spend some time backing up all those family pictures and home videos for safe keeping and organize your desktop. These tiny steps to decluttering your technology can make a huge impact on your life!

5. Unsubscribe from invaluable emails

On any given day, take note of the emails you receive. How many of them actually bring value to your life, how many of them are irrelevant to you, and how many do you delete upon receiving–before ever even opening? Resolve to unsubscribe to anything that truly doesn’t help you in some way, and you’ll find yourself immediately feeling more organized.

6. Take inventory of your closet and donate what you don’t wear

As parents, working professionals, and consistent exercisers, we tend to accumulate a lot of clothing, don’t we? Spend some time looking through your closet and set aside anything you haven’t worn in the last three months. If something is seasonal and you know you’ll wear it later in the year, keep it. If not and you simply never wear it, donate it. You’re helping someone else out while also getting rid of clutter you truly don’t benefit from.

7. …Do the same for your pantry

When was the last time you looked through your pantry? Do you have expired food, food you’ll never eat, or unhealthy food taking up space? Throw away what’s no longer good and donate what is! There’s no use in keep things around that you’ll never eat, and what better time to do so than when you’re “raising your bar” and dropping your sugar?!

8. Try journaling

At Burn Boot Camp we know your life is extremely busy and probably feels like a constant balancing act. While working out can help tremendously to ease your stress and anxiety, try journaling if your life still feels unbalanced! Whether you’re writing about your day, listing the things you need to do tomorrow, or simply documenting a few reflections, spending time each day to journal is a great stress reliever and can help you stay organized!

9. Meditate every day

Set aside five to ten minutes every day to meditate. This can even be in bed, immediately upon waking, on your lunch break when you have a few minutes of quiet, or while you’re in the car waiting to pick your children up from school. Close your eyes and aim to feel calm, relaxed, and ready to take on the rest of your day!

10. Spend money on experiences

Just as you might tend to accumulate large amounts of clothing, you might be the same way with other things in life. In 2018 think less about spending your money on things, whether it be clothing, technology, or furniture, and think more about how you can save money to be spent on experiences instead. The money you save from spending less on physical objects can be put towards family vacations or an outing with your spouse!

Unplugging comes with a whirlwind of health and wellness benefits! We’re going to give you a few of our favorite reasons why you should disconnect and reflect.

You Become More Aware

The minute you put down your technology you’ll be amazed at what you notice going on around you. The other day I put my phone down and I picked up a book that I’ve been wanting to read. Yep, a real book. Not a Kindle, not a Nook… a book that has pages you can turn and a binding you can crack, and I sat in my living room with the sun shining in and read for hours. It was glorious. I was expanding my mind, resting, and giving myself a mental break from the bright light that shines at me from my various gadgets. Soak in your surroundings and take advantage of the things you can do with your day that will make you a better person. Big things or little things. You’ll be surprised at how gratifying it really is!

You Stop Negative Comparison

We’ve all heard the phrase “social media is just their highlight reel” and for a huge percentage of people, that’s clearly the truth. It’s as if every post you see on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter is about some glamorous vacation so-and-so has been on or a new jump they’ve made in their career. As much as you want to just swipe past it, it’s hard to not let those things deflate your confidence. Comparison is the thief of joy, and technology is only prolonging that!

Your Values Change

Quality over Quantity. People these days are so concerned with the amount of followers they have, but would you say those followers are your friends? I like to think of it this way… how many of your followers could you call if your kid was sick? How many followers could you reach out to if your car broke down and you needed a ride home? How many of them would send you a letter if someone in your family had passed away? How many would surprise you at your doorstep if you were having a bad day? Do you see what I’m saying? Put time and effort into the friendships that are in it for the long haul.

You Have More Face to Face Communication

One of the most difficult aspects of talking solely through technology is that you lack the advantages that come with reading body language. I know there have been countless times when I type out a text way too quickly and hit send before I realize that what I said would’ve come across way more clearly if I had been able to say it face to face. Take the time to put the phone down and set up a date where you can see your friends and family, reach out and touch them and look into their eyes when you’re talking! It will build stronger relationships and strengthen your communication.

Your Sleep Improves

Studies have proven that the bright blue light that is emitted from your technology screen stalls the production of melatonin in the brain. Try turning off your phone, tablet and television 30 minutes prior to going to bed. This will give your brain some time to slip into sleep-mode and help your body physically and mentally unwind.

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