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RIP elimination diets, quick fixes, and detoxes.
"Be courageous and join a community of people who have similar goals and then crush them together! When you don't have people holding you accountable, It's easy to ghost — to set a goal and keep it a secret, so when you don't accomplish it, no one really knows and it's like you never set it in the first place.
But having a team of people who want what you want will inspire you to keep SHOWING UP when the going gets tough."
—Braxton Rose, instructor at Lyons Den Power Yoga
"Because most people don't really know how much they eat throughout the day and where that puts them calorie-wise, we generally end up eating more than we want or expect. It's helpful to measure your food so you can have a better appreciation for how much food you're actually eating. This doesn't have to be a forever kind of thing; measuring food can be tedious. Just do it for a day or two to get a sense of how much you're actually eating.
As an example, what people think is a tablespoon of peanut butter (by eye-balling) ends up being two (if not) more tablespoons. When you start to measure your food and begin to understand what a 1/2 cup of oatmeal or four ounces of beef actually looks like, it becomes readily apparent how much you've been OVERestimating your food intake."
—Tony Gentilcore, Boston-based personal trainer and fitness coach
"Buy a new pair of running shoes or workout gear. It may seem trivial, but as the Hollywood saying goes, 'if you dress the part, you'll feel the part.' It'll be just the motivation you need to hit the pavement."
—Toni Carey, RRCA-certified running coach and co-founder of Black Girls RUN!
"How you start your day plays a critical role in your healthy eating and fitness efforts. My advice is to invest some time into creating a healthy morning routine that will set you up to make thoughtful, healthy choices all day long. Always set healthy intentions in the a.m., reminding yourself that eating well and exercise are forms of self-love.
Give yourself an extra 15 minutes in the morning to cultivate a practice that makes you feel good and ready to tackle the day. It could be as simple as drinking a warm cup of ginger tea and doing five minutes of stretches or deep breathing. Or, if you want to focus more on mindfulness, consider spending a few minutes meditating or reading a passage from an inspirational book (I love Everyday Osho: 365 Meditations for the Here and Now)."
—Jessica Jones, MS, RD, CDE, of Food Heaven Made Easy and the author of the 28-Day Plant-Powered Health Reboot
"They are low in calories and high in fiber and other nutrients. They'll add bulk to your meal, helping you feel full, while giving your cells the nutrients needed to function at your best."
—Jeanette Jenkins, The Hollywood Trainer
"It's pretty clear, nearly everyone in America isn't eating enough vegetables, fruits, beans, and whole grains. These foods offer the most nutrition, help us feel satisfied, and displace some of the other less nutritious options. Plus, eating more plants is a positive step for the environment and animals. And when we make behavioral decisions that influence the greater good, we're more likely to feel motivation to continue them long-term."
—Ryan Andrews, RD, Coach at Precision Nutrition
Here are a bunch of ways to get more fruits and vegetables into your diet. And also try out these tips and hacks for making more healthy, whole foods meals.
"The truth is, we'll eat whatever we make convenient. If we make junk food convenient, we'll eat junk food. If we make delicious, natural, minimally processed foods convenient, we'll eat those instead. We don’t have to be disciplined all the time, we only have to be disciplined the one hour per week we go food shopping."
—Rob Sulaver, Founder & CEO of Bandana Training and Founding Trainer of Rumble Boxing
Here are some better-for-you snacks to keep around the house.
"It has always been a lot easier for me to stick to a fitness program when I base my goals on strength or conditioning rather than physical goals. I keep a workout journal to track the metrics so that I know exactly what progress I’ve made. This kind of progress tracking keeps me motivated!"
—Noelle Nieva, CrossFit coach and licensed massage therapist, Brooklyn Body Shop
"This may sound counterintuitive but when trying to lose weight, many people make the mistake of cutting fat from their diet, which can leave them feeling super hungry, cranky, and less likely to stick to the plan long-term (which is key!). Adding in healthy fats boosts satiation and keeps you from noshing on simple carbs and sugar, or giving up too soon.
Try to incorporate healthy fat throughout the day. I like to start my day with an avocado-filled green smoothie, throw nuts on my salad for lunch, and
sip on a mid-afternoon turmeric latte."
—Liz Moody, healthy food blogger and founder of Sprouted Routes
"Find a qualified, experienced, caring, empathic professional and let them help you find your next steps; habits and practices that'll work within the context of your real, probably complicated, probably overcommitted life.
The truth is, there's no one simple trick that will work for every person, in every culture, in every life situation. So run away, fast, from someone who tells you otherwise. While you're at it, run towards people that can provide guidance, support, and accountability. They'll save you years of false starts, frustration, and disappointment."
—John Berardi, PhD, CSCS, co-founder, Precision Nutrition
"Trying to lose weight or eat more healthily shouldn't have to mean skipping potlucks, dinner parties, game nights, and other fun food-based socializing. One ridiculously simple thing you can do to be a little healthier and still be social? Bring the vegetables. Pretty basic, right? Instead of focusing on what you “shouldn’t eat,” focus on all the delicious, fresh, and healthy food that you can eat, and do everyone a favor by bringing it to the table. Here are some of my favorite festive recipes that are easy to make, share, and tasty AF."
—Wendy Lopez, MS, RD, of Food Heaven Made Easy and author of the 28-Day Plant-Powered Health Reboot
"Think of 'fail' as 'F.A.I.L.,' an acronym that stands for 'first attempt in learning.' The quickest way to torpedo your efforts to be healthier is to expect perfection and then be crushed when that (inevitably) doesn't happen. Try to tweak your approach to lifestyle changes from 'winning' to 'learning,' where missteps are just an opportunity to evaluate what went wrong and do something different next time. If you take what you learned and use it to readjust your goal, you'll be working with realistic goals you can actually achieve."
—Ben Sit, RD, president of Evolved Sport and Nutrition
"If the answer is no, look for something else that does sound doable and enjoyable for you personally. If you’re unhappy on a diet, you won’t stick with it, but if a healthy eating lifestyle feels natural and comfortable with your preferred habits and routines, you’ll be more able to maintain it in the long run, which is the only way to lose weight and keep it off."
—Amelia Winslow, MS, MPH, nutritionist and founder of Eating Made Easy