Eco-Friendly Fitness Tips

The fitness industry is packed with consumable products and energy-sucking systems, so it’s important to be careful and responsible.

Skip the Prepackaged Bottled Water

Did you know that bottled water production is 560 times more expensive than the tap water and up to 2,000 times the energy required to produce tap water?

That’s a lot of wasted energy and resources.

Instead of buying spring water in plastic bottles, especially considering it might be bad for your health, try to drink tap water in a reusable bottle whenever possible.

In the United States, the drinking water is safe, so there’s no reason to pay extra to support the expensive bottled water industry.

Concerned about what might be in your tap water? Invest in a home filtering system to ensure that you’re drinking the purest water available.

Choose Your Water Bottle Carefully

People throw over thirty-eight billion water bottles into landfills every year. Don’t contribute to that statistic!

Since you’re using tap water to hydrate instead of pricey, energy-sucking bottled water, you’ll need a high-quality water bottle.

You can reuse it again and again, keeping those flimsy disposable water bottles out of our landfills.

Look for a plastic water bottle that is BPA-free; you may even be able to find one with its own integrated filtration system.

You could also choose a glass water bottle, which is more fragile, yet completely recyclable.

Aluminum or stainless steel water bottles are another excellent choice— but be sure that the manufacturer hasn’t used BPA in the lining of the bottle.

Also, choose a bottle that has a wide enough mouth opening so you can clean it thoroughly, otherwise bacteria can build up inside it.

If you like drinking your water with straws, select a reusable metal straw or a flexible, recyclable plastic one.

Go Green at the Gym

Working out at home lets you be more flexible with your schedule and your routine.

But if you want to be part of a gym, choose one that is environmentally and socially responsible.

Eco-friendly gyms not only incorporate recyclable or sustainable supplies, they also implement green elements like solar power and energy-efficient lighting.

Work Out in Nature

Working out in nature allows you to pass on the pricey gym membership— and you won’t be using tons of electricity and energy as you power up treadmills and workout machines.

Instead, you’ll enjoy the beauty of the earth and experience varied terrain as you run or walk.

If you’re doing yoga or one of my favorite workouts, you can take the routine outside to your backyard or even to the courtyard or lawn at work.

If the weather or other factors make it impossible to exercise outdoors, bring the workout indoors.

You’ll be spending less money and using less energy than you would at a gym, even if it is an eco-conscious gym.

Select an Eco-Friendly Yoga Mat

Did you know that the cheaper yoga mats are often made with polyvinyl chloride?

That’s one of the most toxic plastics, leaching out dioxins, phthalates, and vinyl chloride!

Unfortunately, this type of mat is also not biodegradable. When you dispose of it, it will stay in the landfill forever.

Instead of choosing any random yoga mat, make a more thoughtful choice.

YogiApproved.com suggests a number of eco-friendly mats, including anti-microbial cork mats and large mats with extra cushioning, made from eco-friendly thermoplastic elastomer and all-natural rubber.

You’ll also find excellent earth-friendly mats made of sustainable juts, eco-PVC, recycled rubber, and non-toxic, latex-free TPE.

Look for mats that feature closed-cell technology, so that sweat and smells can soak inside and breed germs and bacteria.

As you become more eco-conscious with your fitness habits, try to minimize the amount of new gear you purchase.

Wash your sweaty clothes with eco-friendly detergent, bike to your fitness class instead of driving, and opt for a towel rather than disposable face wipes.

It may not seem like you’re making a huge difference— but just like with exercise, every little bit helps!

The post Eco-Friendly Fitness Tips appeared first on Rachael Attard.

But just as there are positive uses of social media related to fitness, there are negative uses as well.

Discover the good and bad of social media and fitness— and find out how your interaction with social media may help or hinder your progress.

Let’s start with some of the amazing things about social media today!

The Positives

A Source for Healthy Recipes and Diet Plans

Social networks can be a wonderful place to find delicious recipes, along with reviews from people who have already tried them. If you’re pursuing a specific diet, such as the paleo diet, vegan diet, or gluten-free diet, you may find that sourcing recipes online is a must.

You can find gourmet recipes, quick-and-easy recipes, kid-friendly recipes— no matter what the diet may be, someone else has tried it and has probably shared the recipes for their favorite tasty meals and treats.

A Fresh Perspective

Perhaps the greatest gift available through social media is the gift of a new perspective on fitness. We all tend to get tunnel vision sometimes— we’re so wrapped up in the hustle and bustle of our personal lives that we lose the “big picture” view.

By joining an online community, you gain a window into the lives of others. The view is not always accurate, of course; but it does offer you a chance to see things differently, and to challenge your way of thinking.

You might learn something new about how your body works, or gain insight into what types of exercises might be effective for you. You may discover a new way of thinking about food, or a daily routine that incorporates exercise more practically for you.

A Support Group During Your Fitness Journey

Perhaps you don’t have many close friends who are following the same type of wellness journey that you are pursuing.

Through social media, you can link up with others in your age group, or with women who face your particular health challenges or body image struggles. It’s refreshing to connect with these kindred spirits!

Their comments and support can help you get through tough times and find fresh motivation when you need it.

The Negatives

In my experience, these are the main 2 issues that we face with social media. And they can actually make a huge difference to your self-esteem and your progress.

Danger of an Inaccurate View

On social media networks, people typically post what they want others to see— the good stuff. So instead of posting a photo of the empty bag of chips they just finished eating, they’ll post the lovely green salad they had for lunch.

It’s important to remember that what you’re seeing isn’t the whole story. None of the people you follow are perfect. They have days when they struggle to eat healthy or fail to achieve their exercise goals. Enjoy their successes, but know that failure exists in their lives, too.

A Temptation to Compare

When you see gorgeous photos of someone on social media doing yoga, running, showing off her abs, or eating super healthy foods, you might end up comparing yourself to her. I am often guilty of this too.

Remember, no two women are the same. You might not have the same body type, or you may legitimately have fewer opportunities to exercise due to work, kids, or other responsibilities. Or you may simply be at a different stage in your health and fitness journey.

Let the successes of others inspire you, but don’t compare yourself to them. Comparison leads to discouragement, and discouragement leads to giving up. Focus on yourself, your body, your health, and your goals! You can do this!

Have you found the perfect balance between the good and bad of social media and fitness?

I’d love to hear about some ways that an online community has given you support or fresh ideas as you travel your own path to fitness.

The post The Good and Bad of Social Media and Fitness appeared first on Rachael Attard.

It might seem obvious. High calorie foods will increase your overall calorie intake, potentially pushing you past your target. If you think you’re consuming 2,000 calories and you’re actually hitting 2,500 calories, then your weight loss attempts are likely to falter before you even start.

Most of the time, you don’t even realize that you’re taking in all these extra calories.

So let’s take a look at these high calorie foods that might be preventing you from losing weight!

Discover What These Sneaky High Calorie Foods Are

I know what you’re probably thinking. You’re careful about what you eat, and there’s no way these sneaky high calorie foods are affecting your diet…

The truth is, most people will be consuming at least one of the following products. The problem isn’t in eating them; it’s in underestimating how much you’re having and how high the calorie content is.

1. Peanut butter

There are 100 calories in one tablespoon of peanut butter. How much are you putting on your toast? Most people probably use a LOT more than 1 tablespoon (guilty!).

2. Tahini

1 tablespoon of tahini contain approximately 90 calories.

3. Muesli / Granola

½ cup of a typical toasted muesli or granola can have around 220 calories.

4. Honey

1 tablespoon has 64 calories.

5. Trail Mix

½ cup trail mix can have as much as 346 calories!

6. Avocado

1 average sized avocado will have approximately 240 calories.

7. Crisps / Potato Chips

A small packet of salt and vinegar crisps has 184 calories.

8. Coconut Milk

An 8-ounce glass (250mL) has 550 calories.

9. Olive Oil

1 tablespoon has 120 calories.

10. Mayonnaise

1 tablespoon has approximately 90 calories.

11. Nuts

I know we’ve already covered peanut butter, but 22 peanuts are the same as 200 calories! And ¼ cup of almonds or cashews is about 200 calories.

The Real Problem With The Sneaky High Calorie Foods

The real issue is not that these foods are high in calories, because many of them are healthy. It is that you don’t realize just how high they are!

The other problem is that with these foods, it’s easy to eat a LOT of them without even realizing how many calories you’ve just eaten! Portion control with these foods is tough!

The Best Way To Deal With These Sneaky Foods

Wiping them out from your diet is not a good long term solution (you don’t want to cut out any foods if you don’t have to!). If you enjoy these foods, then include them in your diet. If you cut them out, you might start to crave them and could then be tempted to binge on them.

Don’t Forget About Them

Try to make sure you don’t forget about the calories in these foods, and you account for them if you’re counting calories.

If you don’t consider the calories in a tablespoon of olive oil and you cook with it every day, you could be adding hundreds of extra calories to your diet each day!

The calorie content for each item might seem fairly small but you can easily consume a lot of each piece of food.

Journal It

By creating a food journal you’ll be able to verify if your calorie intake is the same as what you think it is. You’ll also be able to see how often you’re using sneaky high calorie foods. This will allow you to work out the best way of removing them or managing them each week.

Portion Control

You should also consider your portion control of these foods (easier said than done, I know!).

If you are watching your calorie intake, then make sure your food is in the right size portion. This will help to ensure you don’t over eat and add unnecessary calories.

To effectively lose weight you need to monitor and plan every aspect of your eating habits.

This doesn’t mean that you can’t eat out or enjoy a meal / snack with friends. All it means is that you need to be a bit more aware of what you are actually consuming.

The calories in certain items can have a far more significant impact on your weight loss efforts than you realize. Knowledge is power :) xx

The post 11 Sneaky High Calorie Foods appeared first on Rachael Attard.

Do Not Skip Meals

I know what it’s like to wake up feeling full and not wanting to eat anything all day. Sometimes you feel like you need to skip meals and not eat to get back to normal, but this is NOT a good idea! This will cause more harm than good, and you will slow down your metabolism, causing your body to store even more fat. Don’t skip meals; instead reduce your portion sizes for today, and only snack if you need it.

Wake Up And Go For A Walk

Exercising first thing in the morning puts you in a good mindset for the rest of the day. You don’t have to do something intense. A good walk is all you need to get yourself back in the zone. Start your day off right!

Have A Healthy Breakfast

I know I say this a lot, but it really is the most important meal of the day! You probably won’t feel like a huge breakfast, but make sure you at least eat something. An omelette or a protein smoothie would be my go to options.

Avoid All Junk Food Today

No junk food allowed! Make sure all of your meals are packed full of protein and fruit and vegetables. Avoid starchy carbs and definitely avoid any type of typical junk such as soft drink, chocolate, cake, etc.

Night Time Sweat Sesh

After work, get your butt straight to the gym before you even think about going home. Do something that gets you sweaty and your heart racing. A high intensity circuit or a group gym class are great options. If you’re not feeling very motivated, go for the group gym class.

Remember the hardest part is actually getting there. Once you are at the gym, dressed and ready to go, I know you will be able to crush that workout!

Everyone has naughty weekends so don’t dwell on it or feel bad – you’re only human! Try these tips and you’ll be feeling great in no time :) xx

The post What To Do After A Naughty Weekend appeared first on Rachael Attard.