The P.O.S.H. Life (Pursuit of Strength & Health)

• Maintain a diet lower in carbs and higher in lean protein - Protein builds muscle and helps in burning calories. Everyone loves pasta and bread but these foods may just hurt you in the weight loss process. Good carbs are fine, these are vegetables and whole grain products. You should eat 3 servings of vegetables and limit other carbs to around one serving.


• Exercise - You should try get some cardio into your life at minimum 3 times a week. Its ok if you are new to exercising. If you need help and don't understand the equipment get a trainer or just ask someone in the gym. Don't worry about how you look working out or if you feel too chunky. No one is worried about your size. Everyone there is trying to fix some part of their body so you are not alone. EVERYONE needs weight training. If you are new to exercise start off with Cardio and work your way to free weights or machines.


• Eat 5-6 times a day - This means 3 meals and at least 2 snacks. Your metabolism is like fuel in your car. If you drove your car all day and ran out of gas your car would not be a happy camper. This is just like your body which needs fuel to run. If you starve yourself or do not eat enough during the day, your body goes into starvation mode. This means it holds on to any little bit of food you put in it because it doesn't know when the next meal is coming. This is how you gain weight.


• Eat Breakfast- Breakfast means breaking your fast. Your body goes into starvation mode during the night. Food revs up your body for the day and provides you with the essential nutrients and calories needed to get you on your way during the day. Skipping breakfast slows your metabolism because your body has no fuel. No breakfast is a sure way to slow down your weight loss goals. You don't need a whole meal. Grab a lower sugar fruit or a protein shake and be on your way.


• Drink 6-8 Glasses of water a day- Water is good for your body. It clarifies the skin and flushes out toxins within the body. Many times when you are feeling ravenous, it may just be your body is in need of water. You may just need a nice cool glass instead of that piece of pie. When you start drinking the right amount of water you will feel when your body craves it.


• Take it one day at a time - You are not a failure if you fall off the wagon one day. So, you lost your mind and ate too many slices of pizza or had too many cookies. Tomorrow is another day!! You can begin again and hit the gym and start over the next day. DON'T QUIT!


• Make short term goals and reward yourself when you reach them - Monthly goals are usually a good way to go. If it takes you a little longer to reach you goal so be it. You can't force your body to go where you want it to go, you can only help it along. Once you hit your goal. Go Celebrate. Buy that new dress or electronics or go on that trip. This is the best way to want to keep moving forward with your journey. Hard work deserves praise!


• Keep a Food Journal - Write down everything you eat in a monthly journal. This is the best way to hold yourself accountable for what you eat everyday. When you write down what you have eaten everyday then you can't conveniently forget the bad things you ate to throw you off your diet. The food journal also allows you to notice your eating patterns. Maybe you are a late night snacker, or go crazy at lunch. Once you recognize your patterns you can get deeper in the trenches with yourself. Keep track of your weight in the journal


• Love your curves- embrace those thick hips, thighs, that belly, and your arms. If you don't love yourself and want to lose weight for you, the journey becomes that much more difficult. Weight loss does not happen over night. If you can't love you where you are now....your journey will be difficult and discouraging when you hit plateaus or you lose slower than you will like. Love you every step of the way!!
  

Let us know what you think! Have any extra tips? P.O.S.H. would love to hear about it!