How to Quit Your “Diet” and Start Living for Real Life

Imagine your life where eating healthy and indulging in your favorite foods where all part of the same plan. A world where cheat meals don’t exist because you aren’t cheating, you are just enjoying your life. This is what I call ‘Real Fitness for Real Life.’  There’s no “fitness wagon” to get on and off.  There’s simply a new path where you live a healthy and REAL life.

Here’s what I mean:

There’s no secret that structuring your week will set you up for success. What doesn’t work is creating this perfect schedule with no room for real life to happen. Creating a schedule that is realistic and allows you the freedom to reorganize mid- week will give you a balanced, healthy lifestyle.

Plan your fun when you schedule out your monthly commitments and events. Having something to look forward to helps keep you accountable to your goals because the opportunity to let loose is right around the corner. Have your fun with no regrets and get back to your normal routine.

Prepping your meals for the week will keep you on track and help resist cravings because you will already have a healthy option prepped in the fridge. This doesn’t mean you need to let meal prepping take over your life. It should be a tool that makes eating healthy easier and not a burden. Even if meal prepping isn’t your thing, you can still plan your meals out for the week without pre-cooking them and use a food journal to keep track of what you’re eating.

Keep your home free from snacks foods that make you over-indulge.  For me, this is chips and salsa, and other salty foods.  For my wife, this is sweets like chocolate and dried fruit, which may sound healthy but are really packed with sugar!   To satisfy the sweet and salty cravings, you’ll find a variety of Shakeology, turkey jerky, nut mixes, and fresh fruit in our home at all times.

This also means planning your fun meals is a must! Creating a schedule that includes a meal out, a glass (or two) of wine, chocolate, and any other of your favorite foods and coctails will help you create a balanced lifestyle, instead of feeling like you are having to constantly give things up.

Find your soulmate workout, something you look forward to doing. You will have to try different types of workouts and even things you think you might not like to find what’s right for you. Luckily, Beachbody on Demand features workout plans for anyone.  Whether its dance, HIIT training, weights, yoga, and of course MMA style workouts, you’re sure to find something you love.  Working out should be an act of self-love. When you are excited about your workout, you are less likely to skip it. You will no longer struggle to find the motivation to get moving in the morning, your workout will be the best part of your day and will surely become a necessary part of your routine.

Create a workout schedule that gets you moving every day. Pack it full of workouts you love and sprinkle in some workouts you don’t love but you know your body needs. Make it fit into your busy life schedule and your routine. Whether it’s first thing in the morning or in the middle of a busy day, make sure you plan ahead and know what time you will be working out each day. Treat it like an appointment for yourself that you cannot miss.

Celebrate all your hard work by letting your body recover properly. Rest days are important for your muscles to recover and for your mind to rest. Sleep is also essential for a healthy lifestyle, depriving your body of sleep can stump your progress and create further health problems. We are trying to create a healthy lifestyle with the freedom to have fun and recovery is an important part of that. Earn your rest by working hard, and playing hard, and you will truly enjoy it.

No matter how prepared you can be, mishaps will always happen with your routine and your diet. Let it go, forgive yourself quickly and get back to it. A minor slip up doesn’t need to turn into a major setback. Honestly, one bad day will not put off a week’s worth of hard work. Don’t stress about it, move on and get back to your normal program. By forgiving of yourself, you can truly adopt a balanced fitness lifestyle where fun weekends and slip ups are not a big deal and won’t deter you from getting back on your normal routine.

You may have to throw out your old way of thinking to adopt your new fitness path, and that’s ok. There will probably also be a lot of trial and error until you find out what truly works for you. At the end of the day what really matters is that you are being YOUR fittest self. Work hard for your goals and enjoy your successes along the way.  Continuing on your path will create consistent progress and you’ll be happier every step of the way!

Keeping it real,