My 10 tips for setting realistic health & fitness goals

1. Start small and keep the bigger picture in mind. If you want to lose a significant amount of weight, tackle it bit by bit; 5 or 10 pounds at a time.
2. Reframe your goal as journey or experience, not a trying task. Instead of “I need to lose 20 pounds before my cousin’s wedding,” say “I commit to working out 4 times per week from now until then”. Once you accomplish the latter AND find you have also lost the 20 pounds, it’s like double the sense of accomplishment!
3. Plan for how you will measure success. This depends entirely on your goal, but from the outset decide your method and frequency for tracking your progress. Perhaps you will weigh yourself once every two weeks, measure your bust, hips and waist every six weeks, or take a full-body selfie once a month; regardless of how or how often. This is important because it punctuates your journey and gives you milestones to look forward to and work toward. An extra slice of pizza during your cheat meal? Probably not, with a weigh in coming in three days!
4. Realize your goal requires you to make new choices every day. Keep making these positive choices that move you closer to your goal until it becomes habit. Ten times repeated = a habit.
5. You’ve made the amazing decision to make a change, now keep yourself focused, determined and strong by zeroing in on ideas like “growth,” “progress,” and “I can” – negative thoughts and a self-critical tone will not serve you.
6. Make yourself your own icon. Everyone needs a little inspiration, but aspiring for a tighter, rounder, better version of your butt instead of chasing Beyonce’s butt, means there is no way you can be disappointed.
7. Don’t expect anyone other than yourself to shake things up – it is your responsibility to keep your workouts and meals interesting!
8. If you hit a setback or obstacle, don’t let it bog you down. Acknowledge it and move forward.
9. Identify your barriers to success and develop a plan. Is the candy in your desk drawer calling out to you? Trash it! Are you noticing you have one too many glasses of wine when you go out with a certain friend? Rain cheque!
10. Remember, good things take time! Set a reasonable deadline to achieve your goal.

What new health and fitness goals are on your horizon? What can I offer to support you? Recipes, workouts, tips? Tell me what you need to succeed in the comments below.

10 Popular Diet Tips to Ignore

BAD ADVICE: Choose fat-free or sugar-free foods

BETTER ADVICE: Don't believe the hype. "They usually use fat and sodium to replace sugar, and sugar to replace fat—or chemicals to replace both," says Denis Faye, Beachbody's nutrition expert. And Rania Batayneh, MPH, a nutritionist and author of the upcoming book, The 1:1:1 Diet, adds, "Removing fat from a food makes it less satiating, so you ultimately may end up eating more." Stick with the original versions, and watch your portions or better yet, eat more unprocessed foods.

BAD ADVICE: No cheating ever!

BETTER ADVICE: Relax your diet rules, and you'll be more likely to stick it out long-term. "If 80% of your diet is tight, then 20% can be a party," Faye says. "It keeps you from getting stressed—and stress is a huge obstacle in weight loss." Just plan your splurges ahead of time so you're not giving in to every temptation that crosses your plate.

BAD ADVICE: Stop snacking.

BETTER ADVICE: Choose snacks that offer a balance of protein, fiber, and healthy fats—like apples with peanut butter, or carrots with hummus. "A healthy snack can help maintain steady blood sugar levels, which keeps your appetite in check and your energy stable," Batayneh says. Skipping a snack can cause your blood sugar to dip, leaving you moody and famished—and more likely to overeat at mealtime.

BAD ADVICE: Don't eat fruit—it's full of sugar.

BETTER ADVICE: Let fruit satisfy your sweet tooth. "Yes, fresh produce is full of sugar and carbs," Faye says. "But sugar itself is not the enemy. Fruit is packed with vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals; it's also rich in fiber, which slows the absorption of sugar. I've never met a human being who got fat because of bananas." When you're craving sugar, there's no debate that a handful of grapes is healthier than a hot fudge sundae.

BAD ADVICE: If it's organic, it's good for you.

BETTER ADVICE: According to the USDA, organic food is produced without antibiotics, growth hormones, conventional pesticides, and synthetic ingredients.1 The problem is that many people assume organic foods are all low in calories, too, which isn't necessarily true. Don't get us wrong—we'd rather eat food that doesn't resemble a science experiment. But, Faye cautions, "You need to use common sense. If it's bad for you with conventional ingredients, it's still bad for you when it's organic." A cookie is a cookie, no matter how all-natural it is.

BAD ADVICE: Calories in, calories out—it doesn't matter what you eat.

BETTER ADVICE: What you're eating matters. Compare a 100-calorie candy bar to 100 calories of avocado—the latter is packed with nutrients and has healthy fats and fiber to keep you full. Or compare 50 calories of spinach (about seven cups) to 50 calories of ice cream (about two tablespoons). To feel full when you're cutting calories, look for foods loaded with water and fiber, like veggies or broth-based soups. Plus, "Hormones have a huge impact on our health. Junk food can trigger bad hormonal responses that, over time, can lead to all kinds of problems, including weight gain," Faye says. Occasionally, someone will pop up in the news claiming they lost a ton of weight while eating nothing but Subway®, Starbucks®, or Snickers® bars—but don't put too much stock in those success stories. "When you go that route, you're not educating yourself," Faye says. "It's like the teach-a-man-to-fish adage. If you give someone a gimmicky diet, they might lose weight for now; but provide them with knowledge, and they can be healthy for life."

BAD ADVICE: Try XYZ Extreme Diet—it works for everyone!

BETTER ADVICE: Find a plan that works for you. Gender, age, genetics, metabolism, and lifestyle can all play a role in weight loss—so even if a fad diet has worked for others, that doesn't mean you'll get the same results. "There's no single diet that works for everyone; our biochemical needs are different," Faye says. Talk to a dietitian or nutrition consultant to find a long-term eating strategy that is tailor-fit to you.

BAD ADVICE: When in doubt, order the salad.

BETTER ADVICE: Choose your greens wisely. Leafy greens and vegetables may be virtuous, but not if they're slathered in creamy dressing and topped with bacon, candied nuts, croutons, deli meats, or cheese. "Fatty fixings can add hundreds of calories to your meal, and sometimes contain more calories than that juicy burger!" Batayneh says. Salad can be a healthy choice, but order dressing on the side and limit the add-ons.

BAD ADVICE: Don't exercise—it'll only make you hungrier.

BETTER ADVICE: Get moving—an hour-long workout isn't going to make you suck down calories like Michael Phelps. "Exercise isn't just for losing weight—it improves your cardiovascular health and strengthens your bones," Faye says. You might feel hungrier while recovering from a grueling workout, but that doesn't mean you're going to pack on pounds. "As long as you're eating clean, your body is amazing at self-regulating," Faye adds. "It should crave the calories you need to fuel your workouts, not to get fat."

BAD ADVICE: Treat yourself for a job well done!

BETTER ADVICE: Rethink your reward system. After an intense workout, you may feel like you've earned a cocktail or cupcake. But splurging after every workout can quickly undo all your hard work. If you've been good all week, go ahead and grab a guilt-free beer on Friday. But, Faye says, "Don't let every workout become a Pavlovian thing where you need to eat cake afterwards." After all, the best reward for a killer workout is getting one step closer to the body you want.

The Top 12 Truths about Losing Weight

1. You can't just say you want to lose weight, you have to get on a scale, get that number, subtract the number you want to get rid of, and make that your goal, and set a date.
2. You have to go to your kitchen and overhaul everything that does not support that final number above. This includes limiting some friendships that may not understand your path.
3. You have to find a workout that you WILL do, not one you will dissect and tear apart and then say it doesn't work. The one that works, is the one you will do. 

4. You will have to follow a nutrition plan that will likely be different from what you have been doing. It will take discipline, effort and courage. It will take adjusting and you will have some withdrawal moments.
5. There will be massively hard days. Regroup, focus on your goal number and fight through it; you will get stronger.
6. There will be emotional days. Anger, frustration, hurt, tiredness.... Workout through those. Your future energy will pay you back tenfold, and make those future emotional days a little easier.
7. There will be days you want to completely give up. Don't. It's not worth it. And you wouldn't be restarting over now, if you didn't last time.
8. There will be days that you'll look at really fit people and get mad you're not there yet. That's okay, they do it to.
9. There will be days you want crap food, drive thru food, sugar, chips, and adult beverages, YOU are NO DIFFERENT than anyone else getting fit, they want it too.
10. There will be days you look in the mirror and see no change, keep going. Someone will compliment you when you least expect it.
11. There will be days you wonder why you gave up your favorite things for this healthy life.
12. Then... there will be a day, when your favorite things will be working out, eating healthy, wanting less junk, buying smaller clothes, and being happy for no reason at all.
Health recovery takes time, but in the end you will thank and love yourself a million times over.
I speak from tons of personal experience...

HOW TO BE MOTIVATED & STAY MOTIVATED TO EXERCISE

This is a very common question people ask about exercising or even eating right. Below I am sharing my personal take on the question. Everyone is different but I am confident that there are a few points here that others would probably agree on.

 I personally think that a lot of time we make it much more complicated than what it is. By complicated I mean that we tend to think of exercise mainly as weight lifting, getting on a treadmill and joining some classes. All this is great but it's not always necessary.

You start with what you do every day.  If you have a dog it's as simple as taking him for a 20-30 minutes walk, if you have children it's as simple as riding a bike with them, playing basketball or any other sport or just walking with them. If you are married or dating it's as simple as walking along side your partner for 30-50 minutes, turning quality time into an exercise time. If you have some friends it's just as simple as meeting them at the park for a walk and some girl time. If you have a radio it's as simple as playing your favorite music and dancing around for 30 minutes, even taking 15 minutes to stretch every day is a way to start. Those are all suggestions that are very easy to implement.

 The more you do the simple things the better you feel and the more you want to do and it just grows from there.

Taking time to also read some Health & Fitness magazines or visit some healthy pages is important because you are sowing seeds in your mind and thinking and even if you don't do certain things right away, you are gradually putting it in your mind. You are reprogramming your thinking. The great thing is that when we keep thinking about something long enough, before we know it we start doing it.

You also have to reach the point where you tell yourself that it's not about motivation as we put is. It's more about commitment. You tell yourself that you are on your side, you are committed  to yourself and to your happiness .  You might have to start by writing down your activities as a to do list and make yourself do certain things just like you would an appointment or a meeting with someone. You do it, check it off your list, do it again the next day. You write it down every day and check it off every day and before you know it, if you've done it long enough, it becomes a habit and second nature and you will love yourself and the results way too much to even want to revert back to your old ways.

The most exciting thing is that you reach the point where it's not even the weight loss you are after anymore, I am talking for myself I suppose.  

You get to the point where you love being that disciplined person, you love the feeling of pushing your body when it doesn't feel like it, you love the fact that your character and your mind are getting much stronger than your flesh. It's one of those things that no one can't take away from you not even (the old) you. Then it no longer has anything to do with being Motivated, it just become who you are...humm...I guess to sum it up you make up your mind to do it just like you make up your mind to do all the things that are so important to you, and you Go, you Grow & you Flow from there...

I read an article many months ago in a Sport magazine that was on the subject of motivation. One famous athlete, I don't recall his name, was asked how he stays motivated and he answered that they are not also motivated to work out and train. They don't always feel like getting on the field and play a game, they don't always feel like traveling etc. He said that you JUST DO IT, just as simple as that. You do it because that's what you do, you do it because you've made a commitment to do it, you do it because you are held responsible for it. His answers stuck with me obviously but there is so much truth do it!

I think one issue a lot of people have about eating right and exercising is that they don't fully get that they are responsible for their health and for their bodies. We can't just fantasize about getting healthier or ripped. We have to discipline ourselves, we have to put in the work, we have to plan the work and work the plan. We have to realize that no one but ourselves can't say no to laziness, no one but ourselves can say no to the compromises, no one can do it for us. We just have to reprogram our thinking, change our attitude and go for it. And of course it will not happen overnight, it's delusional to think so. But it will happen. It will happen if we do our best one day at a time! 

Well, that's my take on it. That's how I stay motivated! What about you? How do you stay motivated? Is there anything I said here that's very similar to your personal experience? Anything that particularly 'speaks to you'?