January 17, 2026

Small Changes Lead to Big Results by Josh Anderson

March 2, 2015 By Leave a Comment

Small Changes Lead to Big Results

Who wants to live their life losing 10 pounds in a week only to regain 15 pounds after quitting their incredibly hard diet? Many people do this continually – wash and repeat. That sounds like a terrible version of the Twilight Zone – harming your metabolic capabilities and hurting your psyche. So what’s a person to do? One option to shoot for a realistic caloric deficit of 100-200 per day that can result in 0.8 – 1.7 pounds a month which seems trivial but that equals 10 – 20 pounds a year respectively! The best part is creating a gentle caloric deficit like this is really simple.

Here are two options:

Snack Swap: If you would simply swap your normal, at-work vending machine snack with a piece of fruit, you could have cut out 150-200 calories! Get this; one 2oz. (56g) bag of salted potato chips has roughly 307 calories which you could have swapped for something like a large peach which has only 68 calories (175g; not to mention the vitamins, nutrients, fiber…etc.). With that swap you would actually be eating more food while saving yourself 239 calories. Do that every day for a month and you save 7100+ calories which equals to 24.9 pounds worth of calories a year!

Drop the Sugary Drinks: Sugary drinks are literally packing the pounds on people; they are so easy to consume! Let’s take the example of your typical classic Coca-Cola (12 ounce can) which has roughly 140 calories in it. If you simply stop drinking one soda per day you can literally cut out 4200 a month or 14.6 pounds a year worth of calories (51,000+) – that’s pretty simple!

Wrap-Up

It’s not all about cutting out calories; it’s about living a long, healthy life. If you’ve tried and failed in the past, it’s time to stop thinking of weight loss as a sprint. Instead, start thinking of weight loss as a fulfilling journey. Have patience with yourself in order to make weight loss work – make the small changes and give it time!

Josh (M.S.) is an AFAA Certified Personal Trainer and the founder of Always Active Athletics: “Your #1 Source For At-Home Fitness and Nutrition”.  He loves blending science with sustainable practices that can be implemented by literally anyone in order to live a healthy life!

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Healthy Habits That Stick by Nicole Bryan

February 24, 2015 By Leave a Comment

Small Steps to Successful Healthy Living

Long- lasting sustainable wellness happens with small consistent behavior changes. Going “on” or “off” a healthy eating or exercise plan for example, will defeat your efforts and only be effective and lead to results for so long. Just as you wouldn’t ever consider going “on” or “off” brushing your teeth or combing your hair, you shouldn’t consider a healthy lifestyle as something you are on or off of either.

The key is to consider healthy living as something you simply are, not something you do. So, how do you get there? Break your unhealthy habits down into small steps to slowly wean off or replace with new healthy behaviors. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Replace waiting time with walking time. How many minutes do you waste sitting and waiting for meetings or appointments? Instead of sitting around and wasting time, why not head out for a walk instead. Even standing instead of sitting is a more productive option. Keep an extra pair of walking shoes in the trunk of your car so taking advantage of the found time is easy and simple.

Replace juice with water. Save 100-plus calories plus countless sugar every single day by swapping out one glass of juice as your go-to beverage and drinking pure calorie-free water instead. Reducing simply 100 sugar calories a day equates to 700 less calories a week! Over the course of a year, the health benefits will really add up.

Make Monday mandatory exercise. Make Monday your non-negotiable fitness day. Always exercising on Monday sets a healthy tone for the week. You’ll be less likely to skip the rest of the week. Exercising on Monday also provides a great confidence booster and motivational tool to have one solid workout already completed for the week.

Small changes also eliminate the feeling of being deprived and punished. Small changes are the key to sustainable and effective wellness and healthy living.

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Avoid Winter Weight Gain by Gen Preece

November 20, 2014 By Leave a Comment

Make this Winter your healthiest and happiest yet with these easy tips on staying trim:
When the days get shorter and the weather colder, it’s no wonder we crave hot ‘comforting’ heavier foods to warm us up. Light refreshing summery salads just aren’t enough and can even leave us feeling cold!

Learn from last year
Think about what you did this time last year and how you felt. Did you over-indulge to the point of needing a new wardrobe? Or did you have a plan? We often reflect during significant times of the year, so trying to learn from past behaviour can only lead to a better outcome.

Understanding why
The underlying reason behind these food cravings is that we were once preparing to hibernate. Dense foods kept us alive through harsh winters, while food sources were scarce. Although on cold winter mornings, many of us wish we were still hibernating (getting dressed under the covers anyone?) this leads to the next point:

Our choices
Start by reading food labels. It is not just about avoiding the usual culprits (refined sugar, wheat, dairy, chemicals…) but having alternatives ready in their place. For example, winter vegetables roasted in coconut oil are an amazing alternative to white potatoes or dishes with heavy sauces. Check out my favourite easy winter soup also. The more your body gets used to receiving nutrient-dense foods, the less it craves unhealthy stuff! A lack of raw fibrous vegetables can cause feelings of lethargy, congestion and even depression. I therefore recommend a mixed salad before your hot dinner. This will also aid digestion and stop you feeling bloated. Keep up your fibre throughout the winter

Warm yourself healthily
Using warming spices is a great way to heat up, as well as encourage your body to burn fat. A few of my favourite ingredients are Turmeric, Cinnamon, Cayenne Pepper and Curry powder. I also add Ginger to my green smoothie and drink at room temperature.

Morning Warm Lemon Water
If you’re a tea drinker, warm lemon water cleanses your liver and perks you up in the morning, without the post-caffeine crash. Warmed unsweetened almond milk with cinnamon is a delicious alternative to lattes. You could even add a teaspoon of raw cacao for a healthy hot chocolate!

So listen to your body and enjoy your seasonal adaptations!

Gen Preece
FASTER Personal Training Southampton
http://www.ptgen.co.uk

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Settle in!

October 29, 2014 By Leave a Comment

Settle in…to your fitness journey. Some days will easy, some days will be challenging. The key is to KEEP GOING.

Your fitness is cumulative. Results require your daily commitment to healthy choices. Settle in and enjoy your journey to long term, sustainable wellness. Here’s how:

Find your fitness journey support with #HealthyWayMag Fitness Chat, every Monday at 5pm(Pacific)/8pm(Eastern) on Twitter.

THANK YOU #HealthyWayMag Fitness Chat Sponsors and Chat Co-Hosts! Check them out to learn how they can help you settle into your fitness journey.

RecoFit. Discover the RecoFit Compression Gear difference for yourself! Their technical-fit and uniquely designed gear helps you get more oxygen to your muscles, reduce swelling and delay fatigue. RecoFit is the only compression gear that cuts their fabric in a cross-grain process; this means effective compression and no-slip positioning! Founded by an athlete, tested on athletes, made in the USA and made for everyone! Contact your compression gear experts via Twitter at @Recofit.

Milestone Pod. Milestone Pod the simplest way to track the mileage on your shoes. Lace the Pod on and it automatically collects workout data including: distance, pace, cadence, stride length, stance time, calories, and run history.  The Pod also displays the total mileage on your shoes, so you know when it’s time to replace them! Follow them on Twitter for details @MilestonePod.

Jessica Matthews. Fitness expert, college professor, yoga teacher, fitness writer, trainer, group exercise and health coach. She believes in taking a balanced approach to fitness and wellness. You’ll be inspired to live a happier and healthier life with Jessica’s motivation. Follow her on Twitter for workout tips, exercise articles and healthy living ideas, @fitexpertjess.

Shaping Her Esteem. Shaping Her Esteem (SHE) promotes the participation of girls in physical activity to increase their health and wellness. They share nutrition tips, motivational videos and facilitate boot camps for young girls. Shaping Her Esteem is looking for girls between 8-16 who would love to write about her experiences in sport/dance, and to share positive experiences in physical activity! Follow them on Twitter for more info @ShapeHerEsteem.

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Healthy Habits for Workout Results by Nicole Bryan

August 22, 2014 By Leave a Comment

Not seeing workout results? Give your workouts a boost by implementing these three habits into your workout routine. There are actions you can take (outside of the gym) that will enable you a more effective, efficient and enjoyable workout. Here are three to get you started:

Keep a written log of your progress. Keeping a log of your workout takes the guess work out of training. You’ll no longer need to remember every detail of duration and intensity, sets, reps and circuits to plan your next workout. Every workout will be high quality because progression will be timely and concise.

Revive your focus. Pick up about ten index-size note cards. Write down your goal, and paste any related pictures or colorful images that you can find. Post the cards in locations you’ll see often. Pasting the note cards around your office, the kitchen, bathroom, family room and car works well. Seeing your goal in written form along with images will evoke emotions of having already accomplished your goal, increasing motivation and commitment. Every slight glance helps reinforce your goal to your mind.

Break it down. Break your main fitness goal into smaller steps of monthly, weekly and daily actions to take. Use your calendar to write down mini-goals on the date you’ll complete them, also include specific steps how you will accomplish the task. If you’re feeling overwhelmed when looking at your main goal¬ tackle it step by step. There are two great systems to breaking down your fitness goals:

Firstly, finding an accountability partner will help you stick with each outlined step. Agree on a schedule when you will check in with one another. Weekly or monthly via in person or online. The accomplishments along the way will empower you and fuel your enthusiasm.

Secondly, scheduling a race or organized event is a great way to break down your goals into manageable steps. You’ll be less likely to miss completing a mini-goal when your fitness (and maybe your ego) is on the line. Scheduling a little friendly competition is also an effective method to giving your motivation a quick pick-me-up.

Not all fitness improvements happen in the gym. Establishing a few healthy supportive fitness-habits outside of the gym will enable you to complete successful workouts.

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Choosing Health Resolutions that Stick! By Andrea D’Ambrosio, RD

January 2, 2014 By Leave a Comment

How to Choose Health Resolutions You WILL Keep:

What is the point of making a resolution for living better, healthier lives if it is not maintainable? Here are my 4 best tips for weight loss and great health. All my tips are achievable and sustainable!

1. Focus on “life-long change” – Ditch all those fad diets, the hunger strikes, the elimination diets and take charge of your health with real foods that taste good! Remember that any valiant effort to lose weight that involves deprivation and/or extreme exercise is unsustainable; you will eventually default to your old habits. Strategies that are enjoyable are sustainable!

2. Fill up with Fibre: Fibre fills us up on few calories; it slows digestion, lowers cholesterol and stabilizes blood sugars. Choose whole grains (ie. oatmeal, quinoa, brown rice, barley) and b-fast cereals with more than five grams of fibre per serving. Add 1.5 Tbsp of chia seeds to cereal and yogurt to boost fibre at a meal or snack.

3. Take the stairs: Taking the stairs burns twice the number of calories as walking. Stair climbers also have greater leg strength and better aerobic capacity. Climbing just two flights of stairs daily could equate to a 6 pound weight loss per year. Similarly, if you did six flights a day, this could be a 18 pound weight loss over one year.

4. Learn to cook! We have become increasingly dependent upon processed, convenience and restaurant meals. Similarly, our taste buds have become accustomed to crave these types of high fat, salt laden and high sugar foods. Cook your own food more often to improve your dietary quality and decrease your reliance on processed foods. Your waistline will
thank you for it!

Andrea D’Ambrosio is a Registered Dietitian and owner of Dietetic Directions, a dietary counseling and education company in Waterloo, ON. (www.dieteticdirections.com). Follow her on twitter @DambrosioRD or like her page on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/andredambrosiord

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