Sep06Tips/Strategies From H4 Coaches-Sam & Kelly
Kelly’s Tips/Strategies
1) Sometimes drinking water is boring or lack of flavor makes it hard to consume the right intake. Adding cut lemons, limes, blueberries, or other fruit helps to liven things up a bit, and make it easier to drink enough throughout the day.
2) Reward yourself when reaching your goals with a new, cute active wear outfit. It’s motivation to reach a goal and in those morning where you’re feeling unmotivated a fresh fun outfit might be that little extra push that get you to the gym.
3) When performing a manual labor chore, focus on your body and how it moves. Find the connection between the task at hand and a similar move you’ve done in the gym. Try and remember the cues your coaches have given you while performing that movement to keep you safe and apply that to the chore. Just because it’s a bag of potting soil and not a dumbbell doesn’t mean there isn’t a correct way to lift it. Be mindful of your movement and utilize what you’ve learned in the gym to keep you safe at home and also maximize the “mini chore workout.”
4) When incorporating fresh fruits and veggies into the weekly meal plan, make sure to pre cut anything that needs cutting. Somehow, even when I wake up 10min early, I am always 10min behind and the last thing I want to do is make myself even more late while washing and cutting up fruit. I find I waste so much produce when it’s not peeped because I don’t eat it. However, when it’s cut up and ready to go, there is not wasted food! Saves money and helps keep me on track!
Sam’s Tips/Strategies
1. Create a “craving crusher cheat sheet” for yourself.
- Examples:
- Chew gum: chewing gum can signal neurological effects that signal the brain that you are eating
- Brush teeth: brushing your teeth when having cravings can create a clean pallet. Also, you wouldn’t really want to eat something after you just brushed your teeth. (Let’s be honest nothing really tastes too good just after brushing)
- Craving chocolate?: your body could possibly be low in magnesium. Instead of opening up a chocolate bar, try food such as raw nuts, seeds, fresh fruits, or a protein shake
- Craving something salty?: your body could possibly be low in chloride. Try foods such as fish, lemon, or refined sea salt
- Craving bread?: your body could possibly be low in nitrogen. Try foods such as lean meat, white fish, almonds or black beans
2. Stretch post exercise
- Why?:
- can help decrease back pain
- decrease muscle soreness/quicker recovery
- increase flexibility (which can lead to a greater range of motion which decreases risk of injury)
3. Be aware of portion size.
While you may be eating healthy foods, be cautious of the amount of food that you are eating.
- Portion size estimation examples to think about:
- Handful: pretzels, crackers, nuts, vegetables and other snacks
- Palm: meat, pastas, potatoes
- Fingertip: butters and oils
- Fist: fruits, vegetables, cereals
- Thumb: peanut butter, nut butters, cheese, salad dressings
4. Refuel post workout.
You just worked so hard during your session bur your body is now in a deficit. Remember food is fuel do you want to put good fuel in your your body and not something that is going to run you down.
- First off, drink plenty of water to stay hydrated
- can also help with muscle soreness and cramps
- Some post workout snack examples:
- Protein shake
- Protein bar
- Chocolate milk
- Banana
- Fruits
- Greek yogurt
- Lean proteins (eggs/chicken/fish)
- Peanut butter sandwich