What it takes for me to get fit

I am a non-believer in New Year’s resolutions, and I make it a resolution of mine not to make a resolution every year. I realize I’m three months late discussing this topic but that’s because it’s taken me three months to realize what may actually work for me.  My goal (or resolution if you want to call it that) is to be more fit by the Warrior Dash this summer. I completed the 5k mud race last year and did fairly well considering I had zero training, but this year I want to do better. I’ve been experimenting with different tools and exercise types but I think I’ve finally found something that works for me.

Food

I am a sucker for dessert, junk food, and anything bad for you so this is definitely my weakness when it comes to being fit. I don’t reach anywhere near the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables in a day and don’t even get me started with my lack of dairy products. Has this changed? Not nearly as much as it should but I have started to opt for salads a little more than I have in the past. I also have made it a habit to take my vitamins daily. If I don’t do this now, I know I’ll suffer later.

I’ve also realized the importance of drinking lots of water. I’ve been pretty much addicted to pop most my life but have recently cut it down to one a day. This was hard at first but with the help of Crystal Light Singles, water has become much more appealing.

My last food “tip” is one that I’ve read in about every women’s magazine out there. Don’t eat late at night. This one is tough when I have a fitness class mid-evening but my goal is not to eat anything after 7:30pm. No more late night snacks!

Now, the real secret between my food tracking and the App of choice to help with eating habits…

My Fitness Pal

I love this App! It lets me keep track of everything I eat and makes me more conscious of what I’m putting into my body. It caters your calorie amount based on your current weight, age and goal weight and it shows exactly how many calories you have left after inputting an item into your food log. My favourite part of this app is the scanning feature. You can use your phone’s camera (Android and iPhone) to scan barcodes and it’ll put these items into your food log with all of the nutritional values. It’s so easy to use and extremely helpful. I would recommend this app for anyone and everyone.

Exercise

I love Zumba and I’ve always known this would play a huge role in getting fit. My ideal life would include Zumba at least 3 times a week and finding a gym that can cater to this has been difficult. I finally found one that for the most part meets my requirements. There is potential for me to do Zumba as many as 4-5 times a week if I choose to and they have so many other fun classes available. I’ve been doing a trial run and so far I love it. The boot camp classes they offer have left me sore as ever but I can already feel a difference in my muscles and it’s only been 2 weeks! My only recommendation here is to do something you love and it’ll make exercising something you look forward to rather than dread. It’s really that easy!

FitBit

As I’m not a treadmill or elliptical kind of girl, tracking these non-standard ways of exercise can be difficult when using a calorie counting program. Because of this I asked for a Fit Bit for Christmas. This little gadget attaches to your pants or bra and tracks steps taken, stairs climbed, and calories burned. I think at times it definitely overestimates what I do so I keep that in mind when eating but it gives me somewhat of an idea as to what I’ve burnt for the day. There’s a few too many days I forget to take it with me though and it’s small so I have a tendency to “misplace” it.  Overall I think it’s awesome and I would try it out if your looking for this kind of tool.

 

I’m definitely not a fitness expert by any means but this is what works for me. Everyone is unique and finding what works for you is key! It’s a trial and error kind of thing, so keep trying and when you get it, you’ll know!