What You WANT & What You NEED

What You WANT & What You NEED

August 11, 2013 // Fitness, Nutrition, Wellness

We always put our needs first. We want the best of the best. We want to enjoy outings and experiences to the fullest. We want to relax whenever possible. We like our routines and want nothing to change. Sometimes our wants consume our actions and we forgo what we need. In terms of health and wellness, there are necessities that we overlook and mismanage. These necessities can change the quality of our lives and create a struggle to regain control of our health. Let’s take a look at some ways to balance what we want and what we need.

What We WANT

The Stuff We Love:

  • Alcohol

  • Condiments, Sweeteners, & Syrups

  • Snacks

  • Pizza & Burgers

  • Anything That Ends In “Cake”

  • Convenient Technology

  • Flatter Stomach

  • Wake Up 5 lbs. Lighter

  • Easy Fitness Routines

What We NEED

The “I Know, I Know” Stuff:

  • Adequate Hydration

  • High Fiber Foods

  • Liver Bile To Break Down Food

  • Balanced Internal pH Level

  • Restful Sleep

  • Controlled Body Fat

  • Measured Progress

  • Accountability

How To Balance WANTS & NEEDS

The Tricks:

  1. Hydrate before Dehydrating. Saying NO to Alcohol? That’ll never happen. Instead, have a glass of water before you crack open the next bottle of wine. If you drink liquor, mix it with tonic water. Water is the biggest necessity for optimal health. Make a conscious effort to hydrate before you dehydrate with alcohol.
  2. Have That Salad Before Your Meal. I was a culprit of this avoidance for years. Salad is one of the easiest ways to trick yourself into feeling full without having to stuff yourself. Veggies have fiber. Fiber helps aid in digestion and fullness. Eating a salad prior to your meal will initiate the feeling of fullness. By the time you eat your entree, you will be well on your way to being full without such a large quantity of food.
  3. Take A Break From Eating. The health industry has told everyone to eat often. This is a great strategy for portion control, but the continuous cycle of eating will disrupt the natural processes of proper digestion. Here’s your trick: Give your body at least 12 hours OFF from food. This 12-hour window can (and should) include your time asleep. So, if you sleep for 8 hours a night, stop eating 2 hours prior before bed and wait another 2 before you eat breakfast. Play around with a schedule that works for you and create a purposeful absence of eating.
  4. Set A “Lights Out” Time. It’s very difficult to regulate anything if you cannot set a limit for yourself. Establish an hour where the TV is off, phone is silent, and computer is in sleep mode. Turning off the technology and visual stimulants will help you gauge when your body needs to rest and sleep. Too often, we keep ourselves up longer for junk TV and social media crap. Be an adult and shut it down.
  5. Challenge Yourself Physically Twice A Week. Should I start the rant on why you need to exercise? Just follow this rule: Do whatever you want (weight train, run, TRX, yoga, etc.) and do it BETTER each time. Do it faster, heavier, longer. Give your body a reason to change and improve. Minimum twice a week.
  6. Own Up To Someone. Have you ever wondered why professionals and experts in various fields have coaches and mentors? Accountability. Even the best attempts to self-regulate are not nearly as effective as owning up to a source for support. Weight watchers uses group support. Athletes use coaches. Experts use mentors. Find someone or something to hold you accountable. (Choose someone outside of your network. Friends and family can complicate things because of pride, emotions, history, etc.)

BONUS Notes

Extra credit:

The health and wellness industry has started catching on that people want and need support when making decisions and implementing strategies to improve their health. Weight loss and fitness achievements are easier than ever thanks to the newest technologies of our time. Health groups such as Precision Nutrition are developing programs and services that make it affordable for the general public to have custom, private health coaches that automate their fitness and diet routines remotely. If you have trouble balancing your health decisions, consider trying one of these services.

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And be on the lookout for my Online Coaching service launching later the year. All the benefits of good health and fitness. All at your pace and around your lifestyle. Through your handheld device and computer. Coming soon…

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