This Year: Form Habits, Not Resolutions

Meg White • January 6, 2017

As another year comes to a close I found myself writing my annual “How to achieve your New Year’s Resolutions” article. Where I go on and on about setting realistic goals, how achieve them, and blah blah blah. 12 months later, most still haven’t achieved their goals, and like a recording I say the same thing all over again. Isn’t that the definition of insanity?

In response to achieving New Years resolutions I heard one person say, “I never set them, then I never break them.” “That’s a crappy attitude,” I thought. While you won’t fail if you don’t set goals, you’ll also never succeed.

Instead of trying to teach people how to make realistic goals – this year I’ve decided to just make them for you. No matter what your health and fitness goals are- more muscle, less fat, better sports performance- Changing these 5 tips from resolutions to habits will have you at your fitness goals in no time!

1) Eat Breakfast EVERY DAY
Start your metabolism off right with a nutritious meal each and every morning. On average people who eat a balanced breakfast regularly have less unhealthy body fat, and are less likely to make bad nutritional choices through-out the day. Try to include a starch or carb like: potatoes, oatmeal, whole wheat bagel- A Protein like: nitrate free turkey bacon, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, turkey sausage- A Healthy Fat like: avocado or peanut butter-, and A Fruit

Try one of these quick and easy muscle building fat burning breakfast recipes to stay healthy, increase your metabolism and improve your mood:

Protein Packed Parfait
8oz Greek Yogurt + 1 tsp Honey
1c Blue Berries
2 Tbsp Granola
Mix honey with yogurt, top with fruit and granola

Green and Lean Protein Shake
1 Banana
1c Strawberries
1c Spinach
1c Ice
1 Scoop Vanilla Protein Powder
8oz Vanilla Almond Milk
Blend and Enjoy

Fat Busting Breakfast Burrito
1 Whole Wheat Tortilla
1 Egg + 1Egg White
1/2c Mushroom
1 Turkey Bacon
1/4 Avocado
2 Tbsp Salsa

2) Sleep 7-8 Hours EACH NIGHT
Sleep is an important time for your muscles to recover and become stronger, meaning they’ll help you burn more fat. Getting enough sleep also wards off chronic disease, improves mood, and keeps you energized (without the caffeine hang over).
Try Setting a Sleep Alarm: Set an alarm 8 hours before you have to be up for 1 week. See how often you get to turn the alarm off before going to bed.

3) Drink 80-100 oz Of Water Each Day
Hydration is key to fat loss and overall health. Staying hydrated has long been linked to decreasing headaches, reducing symptoms of depression, and appetite control.
Try buying a large reusable water bottle
This year buy a 30oz water bottle and drink 3 each day. For 1 week try keeping 3 rubber bands on your wrist, take them off as you finish each bottle.

4) Stay Active
Does the idea of 12 months in a gym scare you straight to Halloween? Good News! Staying active and healthy can be done most anywhere. This year try out a few sports and see what sticks. Sacramento has a thriving community and recreational leagues in Soccer, Ultimate Frisbee, Roller Blading, Biking, boxing, hiking, and Indoor Climbing
5) Eat more real fresh food
Eating of lots of fresh fruits and vegetable is to your fitness goals, like oil is to a car. Can run without it- but will go a lot slower and do tons of damage. The vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants found in fruits and veggies will keep you healthy, fit, and full all year long!
Try This year each week plan to get veggies in at one snack each day.

Ready for some help getting your habits to stick? Check out the accountability of my fitness community at Train Hard Or GO Home. Mention this article and your first work-out is free!

New Years Day: Sweat for a cause

By Meg White • December 28, 2019
A group of women are posing for a picture in a gym.

Happy New Year!

By MadDog Meg • January 10, 2019
Our New Year’s Day 2019 Workout Crew

Refit Restorative Exercise with Miya Simpson

By MadDog Meg • January 30, 2018
One of the trivia questions I ask in my breathing workshops is: Which movement happens more often, breathing or blinking? The correct answer is breathing, because we don’t normally blink in our sleep. But why does breathing matter so much? The movements that we do most have the greatest impact on our functioning and performance. 

 Can you imagine doing jumping jacks while holding your breath? Breathing impacts our external movement, our digestive system, our sleep, and our nervous system’s communication. When breathing is inefficient, the brain perceives this as a threat to life, and normal functioning is disrupted. The “fight or flight” mechanism gets turned on, posture muscles get recruited (compensate) to do the job of the breathing muscles, and so begins the injury cycle. For these reasons, restorative breathing exercises are a foundational component of all our exercise programs. 

Office, car, computer, and cell phone postures have played a huge role in the dysfunctional breathing epidemic in our culture. Whether you’re training for sports or everyday life, your training demands efficient breathing. My favorite strategy to improve this critical movement: balloon breathing. There are several techniques, but a great start is 90/90 balloon breathing. Balloon breathing trains the “core”, and by “core” I mean the diaphragm, which is the true core. The diaphragm is our primary breathing muscle. When we help the diaphragm do its job, we release tension in all the muscles of the torso that were compensating for the weak and poorly positioned diaphragm. Blow the balloon up with 4-6 breaths in a row, always inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth into the balloon. Then hold the breath at the end of the exhale for 3-5 seconds, empty the balloon and begin again. 

 Why does breathing matter so much? Well Neil Rampe the Head Athletic Trainer for the Los Angeles Dodgers put it this way "It's like driving with your alignment off, you can compensate by over-steering, but if you don't correct it, your tires wear out after 30,000 miles instead of 60,000". Efficient breathing is one of the best gifts you can give to yourself. Try balloon breathing 3-4 times a day to start reaping the benefits of efficient breathing. 

 For more techniques on how to build a strong foundation come to our next free workshop on Feb3rd from 12pm-1 pm at Action Fitness Community in East Sacramento.
Two burritos are on a plate on a table.

3 Ways to Add Veggies to Breakfast

By Meg White • January 9, 2017
Most of us know we could add some more vegetables to our daily menu. Vegetables provide vital water, vitamins, and minerals to our diets. Starting off with a serving of vegetables is a great way to kick off a nutrient packed day! Here are a few ideas on how to add more veggies to your daily routine: 1) Fruit and Veggie Smoothies
A pair of black and white sneakers with the words `` end homelessness '' written on them.

WIND Youth Services Workout

By Meg White • January 9, 2017
Homelessness among teens in Sacramento has sky rocketed over 500% in the past few years. Wind youth services is Sacramento’s only non-profit specifically working to tackle this dire problem. I have worked with Wind in the past, and they are an amazing organization. For the month of November, I invited everyone at my studio to get involved by donating items on their supply wish list.
Two women holding a sign that says health at every size principles

Health At Every Size: LIVE!

By Meg White • January 9, 2017
Health At Every Size: LIVE! was a huge success.
A collage of four exercises including squats plank up lunges and push ups

Fitness Anywhere

By Meg White • January 9, 2017
Fitness Anywhere As seen in 
A poster that says strive for progress not perfection

Sticking to your New Year’s Resolutions

By Meg White • January 9, 2017
And some moves to help you get there… Click here for the Sac and Company segment that inspired this blog Every January 1st (or the first Monday of a new year) gyms, parks, and fitness trainers are swarmed with people hoping to make this year different from the last. The reality of the matter is 1/3 of the people who make New Year’s resolutions are give-up before February 1st , 73% give up before meeting their goal, and only 8% are successful. So why make resolutions at all? If you don’t make them you can’t break them right? The flip side is if you don’t make them, you can’t achieve them either. Making a plan means you’ll likely do better than you would if you had made no plan at all. So how do you get into that elite group of 8%? Bottom Line – don’t stress about it. Here are some tips on how to make this year a healthier one: 1. Having a plan is better than none at all . In the words of Bruce Lee:
A group of people posing for a picture in a store

Shop East Sac Holiday Fun Run

By Meg White • January 9, 2017
This year Small Business Saturday coincided with Shop East Sac. Shop East Sac is a passport program put on by the East Sac Chamber. Participants visit at least 10 small local businesses to receive a stamp, which makes them eligible to win a $1,000 Shopping Spree. To support small local businesses, work off some holiday calories, and get some activity we decided to do a Holiday Fun Walk/Run. Everyone was all smiles at the start of the walk/run
A woman is giving a man a massage in a chair

On Recovery

By Meg White • January 6, 2017
When race cars speed around the track they burn rubber, loosen screws, and use gas. Any car that doesn’t stop for the pit crew isn’t going to last very long on the track, or in the race circuit. It’s surprising how cars resemble the human body. And how much our lifestyles have changed our bodies from luxury sedans to race cars. Our high paced life style leave some bodies in the dust. It’s always interesting to see the 70 year old in the assisted living facility, who needs help tying their shoes- and the 70 year old still completing 5K’s, and out running the 30 year olds. You have to ask yourself how you want to age, and what you can do to accomplish your goals. We treat our bodies like race cars, and rarely stop by to see the pit crew. To reach and maintain your fitness goals, and get the most miles out of your ride it’s important to take the time for regular tune ups. After all your body is the only vehicle you get. Check out my 4 Tips to A Speedy Recovery and a Long Ride 1) Sleep- A recent study showed that dieters that got 7.5+ hours of sleep regularly, lost twice as much fat as their sleepy counter parts. [1] Not sleeping enough can cause your body to store fat, increase your blood pressure, decrease your ability to perform regular tasks, and have negative effects on your immune system. The average adult should regularly get 7.5-8.5 hours of sleep. 2) Hydration- In spite of the fact that about 75% of the body and lean muscle tissue is water, many still load up on sugary sodas and caffeinated drinks to quench their thirst. Studies regularly prove water’s ability to speed up the metabolism. Being properly hydrated ensures you’ll be able to work your hardest during your work-out, and recover faster by transporting nutrients where they’re needed. Proper hydration can also increase energy and ward off chronic disease and pain. Hydration is more than water. Electrolytes are also key to staying hydrated. Check out the TrainHardOrGoHome blog or Facebook fan page for an easy homemade Electrolyte recipe, or try coconut water. Exercising adults need 80-96 ounces of water per day. Caffeine, intense exercise, and a weight loss goals means more H2O. 3) Post Work-Out Nutrition – After your work-out you’ve depleted your body of glycogen, and torn down your muscles. The next step is to rebuild them. Your body uses carbs to replenish energy and aid in the distribution of protein to repair muscles. You have a 30-45min window when your body is best able to absorb nutrients. Eating you largest meal and being sure to include both protein and carbs are vital for the most efficient recovery. For maximum recovery shoot for between 0.15-0.25 grams of protein per pound of your body weight and between 0.25-0.4 grams of carbs per pound of body weight. If you’re very overweight, use your goal weight when calculating how many carbs/protein to eat. 4) Flexibility Training- Flexibility has to do with the ability of your body parts to use their full range of motion. Limited range of motion can lead to chronic injury, pain, permanent joint damage, and decreased strength potential. Keeping all your muscles flexible puts less stress on your joints and back. A regular flexibility routine is vital to reaching your full fitness potential, and maintaining it. After warming up, stretching should be performed before and after work-outs, and daily for maximum benefits. Yoga is also a great way to increase flexibility. As you speed through your daily tasks, and work-outs be sure to take the time to rest and recover. Remember you can’t trade your body in. If you’re ready to live BALANCED, healthy and fit, enjoy the support of a fitness community geared at realistic lifestyle changes with Action Boot Camps! Not sure if a Fitness Community is for you? Mention this article for a free work-out and come see for yourself.
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