You gotta love your body... its the only one you have! Love it so much that you want to be healthy!

It’s funny ’cause everyone wants to know how to get fit like it’s a quick fix secret… but there never was a quick fix and it’s definitely not a secret.  Losing weight (sans lipo or cosmetic surgery) takes patience, persistence, exercise, and A HEALTHY DIET.  You can work your ass off on a treadmill and gain those calories back in one stop at Burger King.  (Not that I’ve done that before… I’m just sayin’…lol)  You see, cleaning up your diet is equally, if not more, important than exercising.  Its the initial hurdle of getting disciplined that people find dificulty in jumping over. A bff of mine once told me “If you do anything for at least 21 days, good OR bad, it will become a habit.” So, I decided to make eating right (and less) a habit as it has become extremely vital to my fitness.  You really are what you eat!  ATL has a lot of great food and nightlife, so trust me… I know it’s hard to resist!  Don’t live to eat, Eat to live!

Remember this the next time you say "Supersize Me"

This is for anyone who wants to improve their image and feel healthier, happier, and detoxed. I’m going to share 10 tips that will help you whip your diet into shape… and for those trying to shape up too, help you get rid of that gut, those saddlebags, that third ass cheek, and chin o’ dobles (that’s how you say double chin in France… jk…lol.) Each day, try to accomplish a tip and take it with you to the next day and so on until you can maintain all ten accomplishments for the next 21 days… after that, you might find that a good diet has become a habit.  It definitely has for me… let me know how you do!

Tip 1- Donate your junk food to the trash or to faster metabolizing friends/family. For example, if you normally keep a box of fudge popsicles in your fridge, toss em!  Go grocery shopping and re-vamp your food supply with healthy options.  Out of sight, out of mind!!!

Tip 2- Carry a big ass jug of water and sip on that all day until you finish. I LOVE water… I love water so much, if it was a man… I would marry water. lol jk but I do stay away from all carbonated beverages and limit myself to H2O, soymilk, and very little juice and alcohol.

Tip 3- EAT BREAKFAST. It would be better for you to eat an unhealthy meal for breakfast than to totally miss breakfast all together.  Jumpstart your metabolism early! If you wait till lunch time, your body will produce hormones that actually store fat when you finally eat.  If you are on-the-go like me, I can’t always prepare my breakfast… so I’ll grab a fiber one bar, some pieces of deli chicken sandwich meat, and a fruit.  If I have time to make breakfast, I like to have two eggs, some oatmeal, and fruit.

Tip 4- Purchase veggies and fruits that you will actually eat. Get as much green stuff as possible (brocolli, lettuce, apples, grapes) but don’t buy artichokes if you don’t even know what an artichoke is! lol Try some “steam fresh” veggies for quick meals, where all you do is throw the bitch in the microwave!  That’s better than no fiber at all!  Make these parts of your meals as much as possible. If you are lazy and don’t take the time to wash and cut fruit, buy the ready to eat mixed fruit or quick fruits, like apples, plums, and peaches.  Then, I try to get in some kind of green veggie at some point of the day.  I highly reccomend the steamfresh bags because they are also quick and easy.  I know how hard this can be if you normally don’t eat them… so start slow and build yourself up to eating more and more fruit and veggies.

Tip 5- Buy proteins that you have to prepare yourself. Fried chicken from the deli does not count! lol  Chicken breasts, eggs, and salmon are pretty much all I buy meat-wise… (I also buy deli cuts of chicken or turkey sandwich meat for grab and go purposes).  When you prepare meat, season them right and pan sear with light olive oil.  You gotta get used to eating leaner meats.

Tip 6-  Pack your lunches/snacks. It is amazing how much money and calories you can save by bringing your own lunch.  Usually, by the time we get to lunch while at work, we just want to stuff our faces. And if any of you are emotional eaters, like myself, you will want to go for the unheartiest item available.  Meals here and there add up and cause your wallets to go thin, while your fat cells multiply.  Get disciplined and pack your meals at night so you don’t rush or say “fuck it” in the morning.

Tip 7- Stash healthy grab-n-go options in your car, in your purse, at work… etc. For example, if you love chocolate like I do, buy chocolate flavored granola bars with protein in them (fiber one bars are off the chain) and keep one in your car.  In case you get that cocoa craving, eat that instead of buying a chocolate bar!  Just find healthier options that would satisfy those sweet and salty urges and make them available on demand.

Tip 8-  Eat smaller portions and eat every two to three hours. Even though your portions will look like rabbit food, it will feel like you have to eat a lot actually because you discipline yourself to chomp on something every couple of hours.  Your metabolism will receive the nutrients and process the food quickly and the key is to keep it turned on!  I try to cease eating after about 9 pm because your metabolism should be resting as you sleep and rejuventate.  If I am starving, I’ll eat lean protein (sandwich meat) or some fruit/veggies.  It sucks!!!  But you have to cut yourself off from carbs unless you want to undo all the discipline that you accomplished earlier in the day.

Tip 9-  Take a multi-vitamin on a daily basis. You have to be consistent with your vitamin intake before the results come.  You will feel your body maintain energy and you will also notice your immune system build up.  Women, especially, can benefit from the iron intake since we typically lose a lot of iron from our menstrual cycles.  I just bought the women’s one a day for active metabolisms. lol  so far, so good.  I noticed that they have a little bit more B-vitamin complex in them, so it also gives me a boost of energy.

Tip 10-  Challenge yourself to cut out sugars, salts, and FAST FOOD. These three things caused me some mass destruction when I got to ATL two and a half years ago.  I was always tired in the morning, so I would get my usual 5 pump white chocolate mocha at Starbucks (instant 600 plus calories).  Then, I would go on all these dinners with my friends and we would eat sushi like every two days.  Salt causes you to retain water and just feel bloated.  So, then you start to feel like shit and eat more to offset your annoyance with weight gain issues.  To pull myself out of stress and whatever have you, I would go out at night and drink my ass off (more calories) and then leave the club and grab some fast food so I wouldn’t be hungover the next morning.  Then, I would go home and pass out while my body was just storing all those empty calories.  Doesn’t all this just sound gross?! Excuse me while I go throw up now. lol If you can’t go cold turkey, start slow by modifying sizes, frequencies, and getting disciplined.

Wonder Woman... the ultra thick version ;o)