#FitClubFriday: Six Little Tricks for a Healthier Week

Just do something.

All week, I’ve been crippled by insomnia, yet somehow, I managed to still lose 3lbs in 10 days.  So how did I do it?  By just doing something.  Here are the five little tricks I’ve been using to keep this fitness train on the tracks when my life seems to be conspiring against me.

One. More Fruits and Vegetables.  Every time I made a meal this week, I spent a few minutes thinking about how I could add more vegetables to it.

I made a turkey sandwich and piled on cucumbers, sprouts and carrots.  (Kyle was super horrified I ruined a perfectly good sandwich with carrots.  “They do not belong on bread!”)  I made a salad, and searched every vegetable we had that looked like it was on its last legs.  (It wasn’t pretty, but it was healthy.)  We at Burger King for dinner last night (because I had a craving), and instead of ordering fries, I came home and made grilled sweet potatoes and a salad.  And then, every time I wanted a snack, I had a piece of fruit.

The best part of the whole thing was how full I felt after every meal.  I wasn’t hungry even once all week.

Two. Bring the Triscuits. Did you know Triscuits only have three ingredients?  Wheat, canola oil, and salt.  That’s it.  And those crackers are so filling, I eat six crackers (1, 120 calorie serving) and all cravings for bread and chips cease.

Also, you can dress them up for a quick lunch.  My favorite Triscuit recipe is a little ricotta cheese, roasted grapes, and a little bit of fresh thyme.  It’s delicious and totally satisfying.

Three. Lemon Water in the Morning. I was skeptical about this, but after a week of drinking warm water (not hot) with a squeeze of lemon, I feel far less bloated and my skin is brighter.  There are some other health benefits as well.  Plus, I think anytime you can start your day by doing something that’s good for you, it gives you good psychic energy to keep doing good for yourself the rest of the day.

Four. Just Do Something.  We’ve all been there, the moment you realize you’re not going to the gym today. Maybe it’s a choice, maybe it’s forced upon you.  Regardless, in that moment, take five-minutes to do something that looks like exercise.

One day, I took the pups on a short walk.  Another day, I did some leg lifts and push ups in my living room. And today, I did 50 jumping jacks and 40 arm circles while waiting for a conference call to start.  It’s not a lot, but it’s better than nothing.

Five. Stand Up Regularly.  When we sit, our metabolism slows down.  When we stand, it speeds up a bit.  So all week, I was trying to maximize the time I spend standing.

First, I set my AppleWatch to remind me if I’d been sitting for more than 20 minutes.  Second, I started hunting for tasks I could do standing up.  I needed to read a memo, so I did it standing at my kitchen counter instead of sitting down.  I was scrolling through Instastories while waiting for a delivery, so decided to do it while standing.  And when I was watching TV with Kyle, I’d stand up every other commercial break and find a small task to do.

Six. Make Cleaning Your Cardio.  I am a clean person, and years ago, I realized that I could turn cleaning into a workout.  How?  By speeding it up.

It takes about two-hours to clean my house from start to finish.  But if I set the timer on my phone for 1-hour, I break a sweat trying to finish everything in time.  I make the beds, wipe up the counters, vacuum all the rooms and the stairs, dust everything, and on and on.  By the time I’m done, my heart rate is really cooking.  It seems silly at first, but you have to clean anyway, so why not get an added benefit from it?

All of these little tricks combined really helped me out this week.  And more than that, they kept me conscious of the changes I’m trying to make in my life without feeling overwhelmed or guilty that I didn’t hit the gym.  So what little things do you do to help keep you on the road to a healthier you?

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