Probably the best advice I’ve gotten in a long time  about my health has been from my Beach Body Coach, Eric Doeding. He is another very helpful person I met on Twitter.  (Have to say, Twitter has been very good to me!) We got on a call a couple of days ago and he laid down the fitness law.

I’ve been super crazy busy these days between work, commuting, volunteer work, adoption, infertility treatments, marathon training, family obligations–you name it! But, Eric gave me a lot of helpful advice about working out and making commitments. I’m listing the top take-aways from our conversation below.

Get with the “right” program

So, a couple of months ago, I heard lots of great things about P90x and decided to get on the bandwagon. I really liked the program and the instructor. Only, I found it very intense (especially after just starting to work out again), and also required time commitment that I didn’t have. Eric recommended I start out with Power 90–the original program. It’s less intense and workout lengths are a little shorter.

This seemed to be a better option for me because I’m still swamped with a volunteer project and it seemed like I could incorporate it better with my marathon training. So, I’m going to do it for 90 days. After I finish the 90 days, I should also be done with my volunteer work and my marathon will be over. Then I can move on to P90x–the next level!

Whether it’s Power 90 or something else, pick a program that you’ll enjoy, and that fits in with your time commitment.

Treat your workouts like doctor appointments

Like, DUH, right? I mean after all it is your health. Schedule your workouts in a calendar and DO NOT miss them. Sounds easy enough, but when you think of all the things that can get in the way, it actually can be easy to put workouts off, and then not do them at all.

Big and little goals

How do you keep all those little things from getting in your way? Take a piece of paper. Fold it in half. On the left, list your priorties. On the right, list all the things your are doing. Then look at the list on the right. Are those things supporting your priorities? What can you cut out to help you achieve your goals?

Also, under your large goals, write little goals. Post your goals and check each one off as it’s completed. This will give you a sense of accomplishment and will keep you motivated. I wrote down my goals yesterday.

Diet

So, I’ve never really been a calorie counter. But, for starters, advice that Eric gave to me was to stick with whole foods: fruits, veggies, nuts, chicken, fish, and some lean, red meat. Eat smaller portions.  Not a major discovery, right? I think we’ve all heard this before. But, how many of us make eating better a habit? He also recommended keeping a food journal, so I’ve started that as well. Over the last couple of days, writing down what I’ve eaten has actually helped me to stay on track and make better decisions.

Get dunked

I admit it. I don’t do the scale–only when I’m forced to at the doctor’s office. But, scales can also be misleading. Your weight can fluctuate 5 pounds throughout the day. Usually, in the morning, you weigh 5 pounds less. Also, muscle can weigh more than fat. Good points. Although, judging by my squishy parts, I’m pretty sure I haven’t developed lots of lean muscle (yet).

Instead, to track your progress, take before and after photos and body measurements. Eric also recommended doing a hydrostatic body fat test. That’s when you get dunked in water and they measure your body fat (or fat verses muscle). Do this at the start of your exercise program and then again after a period of time. A lot of gyms will offer this or research online to find out where’s the nearest place you can get the test done.

Check!

So far off my little goals list I’ve checked off:

• Order Power 90
• Write goals
• Take body measurements
• Take before photos
• Start food journal

More to come on my little and big goals. Waiting on my Power 90 to arrive in the mail this week. Then I can schedule my workouts. Wish me luck! And, thank you, Eric, for my second wave of motivation.