rest...

I often happen upon YouTube videos or some blogger chatting up about a diet (I HATE DIETS...ok!) they've tried and working out 3-4 hours a day, seven days a week. HUH? Crazy! Are you preparing for a competition or something? I don't get it! Yo Yo Alert!

People. You need to create an atmosphere of exercise and nutrition that you can stick with during the holidays, vacations, weddings, and funerals! I've mentioned this before and I'm afraid that it may just turn out to be the most redundant heavily tagged subject of my blog or YouTube Channel - you can't lose weight if you are punishing yourself. Eating healthy takes practice. I know. Exercise takes practice. I know. But I am not a glutton for punishment and don't you be one either. You can exercise and rest without falling off the wagon to success. Actually, it's needed. Your body needs to restock and repair itself. Overexercising leads to fatigue, injury, and burnout.

Think ahead, plan short and long term goals. Rotate your schedules, reps/sets, meals, and you will remain challenged. Find what works for you. And you may just be surprised that you don't have to kill yourself or hate yourself to be healthy. I'm currently on a Day On/Day Off plan. I used it last month, loved it, so I followed it this month. But I'm not stressing about plateaus because I've increased the weights I lift, increased the speed and stamina on the runs, and guess what? I'm still losing weight.

Why?

My body has no idea what to expect from me. I'm always changing up, throwing it a curve ball, here and there. But, I've learned this through trial and error. I promise you if you plan, rest, and work the plan, you will get results!