getting 1% healthier everyday
A fruit and water only smoothie is the perfect way to start your morning!
Add in some extras to your smoothie when you’re craving something sweet!
If you’re new to plant-based eating or are looking for a little inspiration for your next meal – I got you with a Plant-Based Meal Guide on how to build a yummy and nutritious plant-based meal:
These foods are higher in calorie and can be considered the foods that get you feeling full.
You can do a large portion of 1, or mix it up however you’re feeling.
You’ll barely taste them with all of the other flavor going on, and they will add so much goodness to your dish. People who started adding greens to their diet noticed a difference in energy levels almost immediately!
What if I told you there’s a way to feel more healthy and fit, even with a busy schedule?
It doesn’t come without a cost: you gotta be willing to put in the daily work to get there.
Doing it when you don’t want to. Learning to say no more often. Thinking over your beliefs and thoughts and creating your own point of view and standards that you live by.
Being healthy and fit is not for everyone, and that’s okay.
If you’re content living the life you’re living, where you’re at, what you look like, and what you do on a daily basis – I mean this genuinely: good for you! Keep it rolling my homie!
But if you’re fed up and need a change, I got you with some tips on how to get healthier and more fit… by doing something small each day.
Full disclosure: you’ll only see change if you are willing to put in the daily work and grind it out. No work = no results.
We gotta start somewhere, sooooo let’s rock!
It’s not so important as to what time you eat your first meal of the day…
Rather WHAT you eat as your first meal of the day.
When I learned this, I decided to commit to “fruit first” and this small thing has been a game changer for my energy levels, skin, all that!
It can be a piece of fruit, a fruit smoothie (fruit & water only), or a freshly squeezed fruit juice shot / drink.
Fruit first = instant energy + a positive ripple for the rest of my day.
So if you have to choose between a healthy snack and junk food like sugary cereal, breads, bagels for breakfast…
Go with the healthier option! Even if it pains you at first to do so.
You’ll thank yourself later on when you’re feeling more upbeat and energized.
This little switch will make a world of a difference!
Intermittent fasting is an effective way to achieve your fitness goals while improving your overall health.
The most popular form of intermittent fasting is known as the 16/8 method and is basic enough for anyone to try and succeed at!
Here is the 16/8 method: Establish an 8 hour window in your day to eat.
In other words, you are technically fasting for 16 hours every day, and restricting your eating to an 8-hour eating window (16/8).
No food is allowed during the fasting period, but you can drink water, coffee, tea and other non-caloric beverages.
Some forms of intermittent fasting allow small amounts of low-calorie food during the fasting period.
I typically eat fruit / drink fruit smoothies in the morning before my eating window begins for more morning energy and to help with any hunger pains.
See more on intermittent fasting > here < like the benefits and what works for me.
Not just once a day → throughout the day. 5 minute hang session here, a yoga session there, squat burnout before lunch, a mobility session before bed.
Incorporating more movement throughout your day.
Focusing on different areas and different types of movement.
Having fun and moving around. Putting your limbs where they usually aren’t.
“Move it or Lose it” aka move your muscles and joints, or they will become weaker, achy, and painful with time and inactivity. If you have weaker, achy, or painful areas now, consider moving them more to help build them up again. Start small and be consistent.
Now that you plan on moving more throughout the day, throw in some burnout workouts throughout your week if you’re really looking to tone up quick!
A burnout workout goes like this: put on some music with songs in the 3-5 minute range.
For the first song, we’re gonna focus on arms: arm lifts in particular. Lateral raises, arm circles, shoulder presses, swimmers, wings… anything that keeps your arms moving and burning. You want to think non stop arm movement. 10 arm raises to the side, 10 to the front, 10 wings, etc. If it’s burning, it’s working.
Next song, we’ll focus on legs: squats, sidekicks, calf raises, single leg romanian deadlifts, etc.
Next song, you could go back to arms or you could try out another muscle group like glutes, back, chest, or abs!
Go the entire song straight with no breaks / rest. If you can’t yet, amazing! Now we have something to work toward. If you can, then let’s bump up the goal to 2 songs, 3 songs, etc!
Do as many songs as you’d like. My rule of thumb with movement is at least 30 minutes of movement throughout the day along with a daily mile walk or run.
If you are looking to tone up, maybe lose some weight, feel healthier, more vibrant, more energized – eating healthier and moving more will help you get there.
Thank you for reading through 4 Tips to Tone Up and Get Fit!
If you found any value in this post, please share it with a friend who may benefit.
Leave a comment below and say hi!
x Cor
Maintaining your weight is all about burning and consuming about the same amount of calories each day.
And while the number of calories can play a role in whether you are losing, maintaining, or gaining weight…
It’s what those calories are doing for you that’s most important.
If you ate 2,000 calories of fruits and veggies vs 2,000 calories of fast food, which do you think will leave you feeling more energized and less bloated? Easy answer.
Below are some of my best tips for maintaining your current weight…
If you are looking to maintain your weight, keeping up with your healthy habits is key.
Eat plants, move more, breathe deeper, adjust along the way🤍
x Cor
Want to lose weight? It’s simple. Commit to a plan, like the one below…
Review your goal, strategy, and daily tactics on a weekly basis to make sure everything looks good. If the plan needs adjusting, weekly reflection is the perfect time to do so.
For example, you can bump up your cardio goal from a walk around the block to a jog around the block.
Maybe you scale your eating window time back to 6 hrs, or bump it up to 10 hrs.
Having your very own plan and adjusting it on a weekly basis to what works best for you = long-term success. Each time you review your plan you plant another seed of success. You are influencing your own actions to get the results you want.
And if you ever need feedback about your weight loss plan, reach out through my contact page I’d love to help out!
Here’s a food shopping list and some easy recipes to help get you started.
Plan. Do. Review.
x Cor
If you are trying to lose weight, burn more calories than you are consuming!
1 pound of fat = 3500 calories which means in order to lose weight, we have to burn more than we are consuming on a daily basis.
How? It’s simple… exercise / move more often and consume less calories (note that it’s less calories, not less food)
Easy math:
Say you burn 2,500 calories for the day, and you consume 2,000 calories. That’s 500 calories down. To get to 1 pound of fat burned off, we are looking to get 3,500 calories down. 7 days at 500 calories down = 3,500 calories down = 1 pound of fat burned off.
I’m sure you can see how the day to day really does matter whether you are looking to gain, lose, or maintain your weight.
It’s important to stay active and eat well – we all know this. Taking the first step is the hardest, but once you start and get in a rhythm, you won’t have to push yourself as hard to get it done – you will start to form the habit of doing —> less thinking and wishing, more doing and improving.
CHALLENGE! For the next 30 days, commit to moving more and eating cleaner, healthier (low-cal) foods. A little bit everyday absolutely goes a long way and the change you’re seeking to make can start today if you decide to follow through on your commitment.
Here’s a free movement guide for ya to get started…
Along with a food shop checklist and some easy healthy recipes.
Regardless if you walk, run, lift weights, etc —> burning more than you consume will ultimately drop the extra pounds you’re trying to lose.
Keep on stepping!
x Corie
Out with the old! Now’s the time to go through your kitchen cabinets and fridge. We’re looking to get rid of anything old or unhealthy. Check your expiration dates and labels. Throw away anything expired and donate anything you won’t use or has whack ingredients that you shouldn’t be eating.
We prefer our labels to include ingredients that are natural. If you can’t pronounce it or don’t know what a certain ingredient is, ya probably shouldn’t be eating it – that’s our point of view! The fewer ingredients the better if you’re going to opt for something with not-so-natural ingredients.
Remember that whole-foods are the way to go!!! So keep those fresh fruits, vegetables, grains, and nuts on hand always.
Quick vegan bowl recipe:
rice, beans, chopped veg, peanuts, spinach (whole-foods) with hummus and tahini (labeled)
Pasta primavera:
1 ingredient pasta noodles with pasta sauce (homemade with whole-foods or labeled), chopped vegetables and spinach (whole-foods), with nutritional yeast (labeled)
Cupcakes:
Bananas and oats (whole-foods) with 1-2 ingredient peanut butter and 1 ingredient maple syrup (labeled)
As you can see, the bulk of these recipes are whole-foods with labeled ingredients assisting with added flavor, texture, and nutrients.
If you are looking to be healthy and fit – a huge component of the transformation is your eating lifestyle. What types of food are you eating and are they compounding your results upward or downward?
It’s simple. Purge your space and give your cabinets and fridge a good wipe down. Get prepped to bring in new types of food into your space. Check out Pinterest if you need inspiration.
Here’s a Food Shopping List we made for ya!
And some Easy Recipes to keep on hand for when you need it.
x Corie
Back with another hearty and delicious plant-based recipe for you to add to your collection: paaaancakes!
You’ll need a good frying pan, blender, and spatula to get these bad boys made.
oats
nut milk or water
bananas
coconut flour
cinnamon
cocoa powder
strawberries
pure maple syrup
Step 1: Pre-heat your pan at low heat and throw some oil on (coconut oil has the best flavor)
Step 2: Blend 1 cup of oats until they’ve turned to powder (mix as needed)
Step 3: Add 1 cup of nut milk or water, 2 bananas, 1 spoon full of coconut flour and cocoa powder, and a dash of cinnamon to your blender
Step 4: Blend until everything is smoothly mixed
Step 5: Pour onto your pre-heated pan and turn to a medium heat
Step 6: Flip your pancakes when they have bubbled on top and are slightly brown at the edges
Step 7: Once your stack of pancakes finish up, pour on some pure maple syrup and top with strawberries (other fruits, nuts, and seeds are great toppings as well – get creative with what you have!)
Step 8: Add 1 hefty scoop of peanut or almond butter
Step 9: ENJOY!
x Corie
Did you know that the word ‘breakfast’ is really just short for ‘break fast’ – breaking your fast, get it?
If you sleep, you fast. Whether it’s a 4 hour, or 14 hour night sleep, you’re fasting!
The first thing you decide to eat after a fast is such an important decision and will literally make or break your energy levels for the day…
It’s not so important as to what time you eat your first meal of the day…
Rather WHAT you eat as your first meal of the day.
When I learned this, I decided to commit to “fruit first” – this shift has been a game changer for my energy levels!
It can be a piece of fruit, a fruit smoothie (fruit & water only), or a freshly squeezed fruit juice shot / drink.
Fruit first = instant energy + a positive ripple for the rest of my day.
So if you have to choose between a healthy snack and junk food like sugary cereal, breads, bagels…
Go with the healthy choice! Even if it pains you at first to do so.
You’ll thank yourself later on when you are feeling more upbeat, energized and don’t crash mid day.
This little switch will make a world of a difference!
CHALLENGE: Tomorrow morning, eat fruit first!
Keep crushing your goals, you got this🤙
x Cor
This can be a weekly or monthly budget. Sticking to it is key.
You can utilize a calculator during your visit to ensure you are within budget.
Anything left over from your budget can be used for the night you want to order in or go out to eat!
This concept also helps to keep expenses low, compared to freely spending money on food with no structure or awareness.
Working off of a list takes the guess work out of your shopping. This saves time and calories!
Set yourself up for success by cutting out the junk food, candy, cookies and anything else that isn’t considered clean before you even step in the store.
Remind yourself why you are deciding not to buy these items, so when you are tempted to get them in store, you’ll have better chances of turning toward more healthier options.
Once you get that habit going, you won’t be able to stop!
This way you can avoid both street traffic and store traffic, saving you some time and energy.
If you’re tight on time or have the money to invest, there are plenty of home delivery services that will drop fresh groceries off right to your door step!
Please learn from my mistakes and fuel up & hydrate before your food shop run! If you go hungry or thirsty, you’ll be much more likely to make impulse purchases, or buy way more than you need.
Last week’s food: top shelf. New food: middle shelf. Fruits: back of fridge/bottom shelf.
This will save you time during the week when you are looking for something – you won’t have to search around for long.
Feel free, of course, to personalize the system to work best for you!
Whether you need to bake potatoes, cut your veggies, or prep your salads – doing it in the beginning of your food week (right after food shopping) will save you a ton of time! It’s essential.
Food shopping and meal prep usually happen within a day of each other, most likely the same day. I carve out three hours total for food shopping and meal prep.
Save this post and share it with a friend if you found these tips helpful!
What are some questions you may have about health and fitness?
How has your journey been going?
x Corie
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