9 out of 10 monkeys believe they are not behind glass

I have bad news.

We all are dying of a terminal disease.

It’s called life. You won’t get out alive.

But, how you go out is your choice. Do you want to go out as an overwieght, diabetic, sickly individual, pooping in a diaper cause you have no bowel control? Or do you want to go out in your own bed, legs sore from the hike that day, sleeping so deeply that the grim reaper has to hit you over the head to wake your ass up to the after life? Personally, I want to be the latter.

Now I have been guilty of many of the common fitness sins. Lack of time, too expensive to do it, no energy, the burnout… everything. I have thrown up way too many times after too hard of a work out because of those breaks in routine. So we come back to my search for personal sustainable fitness.

The idea: A sensible diet is 90% of the battle in maintaining wieght and health.

You have to maintain a level of activity that burns the same amount of calories coming in… Maintaining equilibirium. That is all it is. Maintaining a balance. And the best part? No fad diets, no crazy eating routines, no pills, no more lies. You know that old saying “Everything in moderation”? Well, hell, it was talking about this very thing. Eating only certian portions, eating different foods, drinking plenty of water. There are easy tricks you can do to improve your over all healthy eating level, and most of it is common sense.

• Hammer water. Seriously. I find that if I drink a huge glass of water before and after a meal, I am more likely to eat a whole lot less and not be hungry later on.
• Cut out unnecessary calories. Pop – goodbye. Sugar in coffee – goodbye. Those little treats that are in your drawer at work? Yep – goodbye. Eat to live, not live to eat. Avoid sugar substitutes too. They just fool your body into a missing a glycerin high and before you know it, you are craving something sweet. With protein aim low. Lean that is. Avoid marbled meats… but you can still eat them. Just in moderation. Bacon everyday? Nope. Bacon once a week? I am not a doctor, but I am sure that is ok. An expensive cut of steak? As long as you are not eating fatty steak every other night, I am sure it is ok, too.
• Your stomach is tiny. It actually does not take that much food to fill you up, it is all in your head. Take your average plate at Olive Garden. Did you know that that plate of noodles is EIGHT servings of carbs and THREE servings of protein? Seriously. But there is an easy measure to keep yourself in check. Portion control is as easy as your palm or fist. Protien – all servings are about the size of your palm, carbs your fist. The trick is avoiding the high calorie, low nutrition foods that break this rule. Like a fast food hamburger. Sure the bread, the meat, the toppings are all the size of your palm, but then again, most of it is overprocessed, saturated fat ridden, high fructose corn syrup based foods that are about as nutrition empty as the greasy cardboard it came in. Eat the cardboard. It is healthier.
• Which brings us to the next one: Avoid processed foods. It really is not that hard as it may seem. You just need to plan ahead. And if all else fails, buy smart. Nutrionally rich food is only an apple away. Or a good protein bar. Focus on the reducing processed sugars. The more processed a sugar is, the quicker your body will turn it into fat. Not all sugar is created equal. In fact processed white bread and refined pasta can be turned into sugar and fat almost as fast as just eating the sugar straight.
• Kids eat what you give them. If you raise your kids expecting sugar laden, fat heavy foods, they are going to be sugar laden, fat heavy kids. You can throw them in the oven and cook em up as a delicious cake. Be a responsible parent. Don’t make your mistakes with food your kids’ future. The reason I am making a point about this, is because I think my health is do to the efforts of my mom growing up. Junk food was not that common in my house. To this day, I love bananas more than most desserts. And if a dessert has bananas (or apples), its all over.
• Which leads to the Fruit bowl. Keep a bowl of fruit in easy reach and plain sight. Every time you eat a meal, grab something out of the bowl and add it to your plate. Chicken and green beans? Add an apple. Pork chop and broccoli? Add a pear.
• Be realistic and truthful with yourself. Avoid rationalization. When shopping, ask yourself a question about what is about to go into your cart. “Will I regret this?” If the answer is yes, put it back. Ice cream is great example. Grab a thing of Ben and Jerry’s and ask yourself, “will I regret this?” If you know that you will only eat small controlled portions only every so often, then obviously you will not regret it. If you know deep down that you will eat the entire pint in two sittings and that is your upcoming weekend, you should probably put it back. You can satisfy those cravings, just be smart about it.
• Think Europe. For those that have been to Europe, you know what I am talking about. Slow meals. Small portions. Plenty of good discourse with friends and family. See it is all about the pacing. If you are able to consume half a cow in under five minutes, you probably need to find that “trick” to slow yourself down. Take a drink of water between each bite. Put your fork down and touch your knee with your hand. Find something to slow yourself down. You are not that busy. Again, it is all in your head. Don’t succumb to the societal pressure of “go, go, go”. Enjoy what you are eating for goodness sake! You have a tongue covered in hundreds of buds and thousands and thousands of nerves. Enjoy what you are putting in.
• Read the freaking labels. I know. I know. I know. Total pain in the butt. In fact, this is my hardest thing to follow. But unfortunately it is just a necessary evil. You have to know what you are eating. The only way to avoid high fructose corn syrup, trans fats, high levels of fat, sugar, etc is to read the label. Otherwise you are just putting sugar in your gas tank, so-to-speak.
• Whole grains and fiber are your friend. Fiber can be found in tons of natural sources. Fruits and veggies included… not just fiber cereals and bread. But when you do eat carbs, be smart and eat the ones that whole wheat/grain.
• Take a multivitamin. Food is mostly nutritious, but you are probably missing something important. A multivitamin can smooth things out. I get sick when I skip my vitamin for a while. Right now I have two massive cold sores because I missed a week.
• Eat multiple small meals. Try breaking your 3 squares into 6 squares. Eat every 2.5 – 3 hours. I do it by carrying a small lunchbag with me everywhere, with portions in baggies ready to consume. Starving yourself is only making things worse. You have to eat in order to maintain healthy weight.
• And the hardest pill to swallow: Calories. You have to count them. Your doctor, a nutrionist, many websites all can suggest calorie limits. Mypyramid.gov is also a source you can get a rough estimate. Your doctor is probably best, followed by a certified/licensed trainer/nutrionist.

I have to be smart about what I eat, because I want to be successful and healthy. I try to follow these to the best of my ability, but I still fall off the wagon sometimes. I guess patience and resolve just have to get you through, right?Whew. Maybe some more tomorrow.