What Next?

Maybe you have reached your goal weight, are committed to reaching your goal weight, are in the process of enlisting in a healthy lifestyle, or are simply looking for ways to improve your healthy life...

Regardless, you are committed and are in the ACTION stage of change! 


What next...

I've seen it a million times, and it continues to break my heart. You work so hard for months and months, shedding weight you have put on over the years, trying to slowly bring healthy food choices into your life and incorporate exercise on a daily basis. From cardio classes, to cutting calories, you continue to lose weight over a period of time, possibly getting down to your goal weight, and then, the weight comes back on!

Unfortunately, many studies have shown that only 5% of people who lose weight and get down to a healthy goal weight, BMI, and body fat percentage actually maintain this after one year.

That means that the majority of people who work extremely hard to lose weight don't end up keeping it off. 

My top tips to help keep you on track:

1.   Maintain a healthy diet

- I am a strong believer in diet is 80%, exercise is 20%, and a healthy mindset is always 100% involved with both of these.

- What you put into your body directly affects what your blood levels are, your triglycerides (fat cells), and cholesterol levels to be specific.

- Self-monitor food intake and activity level. That said, count your calories! Know what you are eating everyday and you will succeed. Though it seems obsessive, most individuals do not realize how many calories they are consuming until they count them! So, go to mypyramid.gov, shapeup.org, sparkpeople.com, or any other legitimate website to count your calories! Keep a food journal as well as this will help with making you see exactly what you are eating, and if you are embarrassed with writing it down, you shouldn’t be eating it!!!

- Eating high amounts of fruits and vegetables isn't something that should fade over time. When you cheat with poor food choices, you are only putting the burden on yourself.

- Rule #1: If you are embarrassed to be eating something, you shouldn’t be eating it! So, put down that candy bar, bag of chips, or hamburger…you better stick with everything you have done, because in the long run, it’s only going to hurt YOU!

2.  Positive Mind-Set

- Mind over matter! If you want to eat shitty, skip a workout, and completely fall off the healthy bandwagon, DON’T DO IT! It’s as simple as that! If you tell yourself that this is an okay decision, you better think twice!

- Mentally staying strong and making healthy lifestyle decisions is one of the highest priorities you should have on your list!

- Maybe you have already fallen off, and are back to eating poorly and not exercising…it’s NEVER too late to get healthy again. Eliminate all junk food from your house, car, office, etc. 

- As far as I am concerned, it takes 30 days to make a habit. That means, ridding your life of bad habits and implementing healthy ones only takes a short period of time…starting now! 

3.  Keep training

- If you don’t already have a training plan, check out my blog for some excellent and easy workouts you can do at home or in the gym.

-  If you don’t have a motivating, educated, and strong trainer, go find one! A trainer is an essential tool in pushing you out of your comfort zone, ultimately increasing your calorie burn during workouts and adding variation. Just make sure your trainer is well educated and certified with a reputable company! Also, make sure you have a trusting and compatible relationship with your trainer, they should be someone you can constantly go to for healthy lifestyle advice and concerns. 

- Set realistic goals: If you think losing 10lbs in one week is normal, it’s not! Therefore, opt to lose 1-2 lbs a week or a 5-10% body weight loss goal over a given period of time.

-  Monitor your calories burned each workout and during activities of daily living. Get a Polar Watch! I recommend one with a heart rate strap to be the most precise. These things work, and based on your heart rate, age, sex, and height, it can monitor the estimated amount of calories burned a day. At the end of the day- you will lose weight when your calories consumed is less than your calories burned! Simple enough?


You can do it if you put your mind to it! Continue eating well, exercise, and make all of these a #1 priority over everything else on a DAILY BASIS! You only get one life and one chance to live a happy and healthy one. What is the point to eating that entire bag of cookies? It's not making you any skinnier or happier, is it? Nope...I didn't think so!

Stay Strong,
Stay Committed,
Stay Focused,
Stay Motivated!