On the path...

Ten Fit Tips

Being healthy, happy and fit are the greatest gifts of wealth we can create for ourselves. It’s really a form of selfish self-love, a really good one. So here are 10 tips to get or keep you on that path.

1 Train your mind
Ah, it’s your biggest muscle. Put it to work and get it on board to plan your workouts and help you to make healthy choices. If you can visualize yourself as the person you want to be transformed into nothing will stop you from getting there.

2 Use a pen
Write your goals and vision down. You know — your personal business plan. Then condense it to a few words and keep it with you at all times. I keep mine on a card in my wallet so I have to see it every time I pay for something.

3 Figure out what rocks you
I love weight training, I love yoga, I love bicycling and swimming, I love running, I kind of love hauling rocks and landscaping my yard, I love sex. Use what you love to do to get and stay in shape. Make your plan around it and be consistent.

4 Invest in fitness like it’s your 401k
If you’re getting in shape for summer — great. But what happens in the fall? Or next year, or ten years from now. Commit to the long term; make choices that will support you for the rest of your life. It’s called a healthy fitness lifestyle. Invest in it daily.

5 Eat often and well
One meal a day will make you fat. Coffee and a muffin for breakfast will make you soft. Eat enough sugar and you’ll need anti-depressants. Learn about food. Eat five to six small meals during the day and always have some protein on your plate before noon. Power-up with a whey protein drink at 10 and 3.

6 Shop with a list
My shopping list includes—Almonds, oatmeal, brown rice and buckwheat cereals, organic eggs, turkey, chicken and fish, sweet potatoes (especially white sweet potatoes), organically grown fresh vegetables, berries and organic fruit that’s in season, olive oil, goat’s milk yogurt, and super grains like quinoa, amaranth and millet. My “ice cream” of choice is made from coconut milk and is sweetened with agave instead of sugar.

7 Drink up
Your body is like mine, composed of somewhere between 55 and 78 percent water. About 20 percent of our water intake comes from food, so you have to make up the difference with the real thing. Drink spring or filtered water. Save the tap water for your shower.

8 Count the black and white sheep
Get enough sleep. Get enough quality sleep. If you’re working out, this is where your muscles recover and grow. Loose enough hours of sleep and you’ll propel yourself down a path of tired overeating and aging.

9 Think outside of time
Don’t ever blame anything on your age. Pick on something else, something you can change. If you can’t change it, you’re stuck. Think like a warrior, you want your obstacles to be opportunities not blocks.

10 Stay inspired
Find someone to encourage and help inspire you. They’ll hold the transformed image you have of yourself even when you forget. Stay committed, train your body, train your mind and tame your tongue… and soon you’ll be inspiring someone else.

Train your Body. Train your Mind. Tame your Tongue.