4 Obstacles Preventing You From Reaching Your LifeFit Goals

What's preventing you from getting real results?

I've been getting a lot of emails lately from people who feel like they're going around and around the same mountain with their life organization and wellness challenges.

Underneath the frustration at either not achieving their goal at all or sliding after they'd reached a certain baseline (no judgement here, we've all been there!) what I see they almost always have in common is one or more of these 4 obstacles. They keep turning up like ducks in a shooting range so let's blast em one by one. Let's face it, all change starts with being aware right?

1. Inability to push yourself. Guilty as charged! It's easy to convince yourself that you don't need to crank out those last few reps with the weights, or you can stop your cardio session 10 minutes early today (you'll make it up tomorrow, yes?) or you can leave the kitchen counter buried with mail and get takeout (again). Rationalization is easy when you're all alone - it gets harder when you've got someone else to answer to. The solution? Get some accountability - with a trainer, coach, friend, mentor, group - whatever it takes. When someone else is pushing us to do just 1 more lap around the track, we dig deep and do it! And I stand accused - yesterday without my swim trainer I ended my lap swim early (a little boredom crept in, I confess!) fully intending to make it up at my next session. Shame on me, but there it is - thank goodness I'm human!

2. Not having a plan. If you were planning a trip to California from Rhode Island you wouldn't just gas up the car and start driving. You'd probably eventually get there but it would take a lot more time, energy and money than if you had a roadmap and itinerary. This is especially true for fitness goals. Do you know what you need to do to get the results you want? How often/how long and what kind of workout is best for you? What to eat and when? What's your goal? Weight loss, muscle gain, cardio endurance or just getting off the couch on a regular basis? There are very specific (and simple) ways to get there. The same is true for eating healthy or organizing your home. With a plan your actions become very clear and focused. You save time, energy, and money because you know what to do and how to do it!

3. Lack of time. This is one of the most oft repeated excuses I hear, and I know it's a real one. We're more time crunched now than at any other time in history. That said, we can't use it as an excuse because we're not going to get any more than 24 hours in a day anytime soon. The good news is - small steps yield big results and things like getting organized and committing to a fitness program don't need to take longer than 30 minutes a day. In fact, as far as workouts are concerned an inverse relationship exists: the longer you work out the lower the intensity has to be to enable you to keep going. The higher the intensity, the shorter the work out - but you get great benefits because you burn more!

4. Lack of consistency. Of the 4, I think this is the biggest frustrator and dream dissolver. And again, I plead guilty here! Let me give you an example. You decide (right now) that you want to get in shape for the summer. Or you want to clear out the dead weight of winter clutter still lurking in the garage or basement. Great idea. You make your plan and begin with a bang. You work consistently for 2 weeks or a month and achieve a level of success. You feel pretty good about that so then you take a little break. Soon you've fallen off your commitment wagon a few more times and then you start to lose momentum. Maybe the weight starts to creep back, the clutter piles you didn't quite finish begin to spread. . .Or maybe you've set a 3 month goal for yourself and by the end of that time you don't see the results you had hoped for and you get discouraged and give up.

Remember - if you're not consistent, you're non-existent. Lack of consistency will steal your joy. You don't deserve that!

Spring clean Your Fridge & Freezer

Most people, it turns out, don't understand the dangers of improper food storage. The American Dietetic Association found that only 40% of consumers knew that eating food that has been stored in refrigerators warmer than 40 degrees Fahrenheit can increase the risk of food-borne illness.

Food poisoning and other food-borne illnesses are common. Last year, there were an estimated 76 million cases of food-borne illness in the United States, according to the CDC.

When in Doubt, Throw It Out

You can't always tell if a food has spoiled by its smell or appearance. Don't take chances with your health. The advice from the FDA: When it doubt, throw it out.

If food looks or smells strange, don't even risk tasting it -- just toss it. Mold you can see on the surface is just the tip of the iceberg; there could be poisons under the surface of the food that aren't detectable by the naked eye.

With a few foods -- such as hard cheeses, salami, and firm fruits -- you can cut the mold away, but be sure to remove a large section around any mold you can see. In general, food with mold should be tossed.

You already know that you need to throw out those containers of "mystery food" found in the bowels of your fridge.
But what about those jars of condiments that have been open and around for years? Most will stay fresh for two months on the door of the refrigerator. That part of the fridge is designed for storing condiments, because their acidic content tends to make them more resistant to bacterial contamination than other foods. Still, their quality is likely to decrease with time.

Food safety starts as soon as you leave the grocery store. Go home and immediately put away your groceries. Check the labels of foods to determine the best way to store them.
Make sure your refrigerator is at 40 degrees or less and your freezer 0 degrees or less. The only sure way to check the temperature is by putting a clearly visible thermometer inside each compartment (but not on the door). Check it often as temperatures can fluctuate, especially in warm weather. If temperatures get too high, adjust the controls.

It's also important to keep your refrigerator and freezer clean. Wipe up any spills immediately. And once a week, wipe down the interior walls, shelves, and rubber gaskets with a weak cleaning solution to sanitize.

Food Storage Dos and Don'ts

Here are some tips to remember when storing and using foods:
•Wrap foods tightly with two layers of freezer wrap before putting in the freezer or use shrink wrapping for an air-tight seal around the food.
•Store eggs in their cartons -- and don't keep them on the refrigerator door.
•Don't wash fresh produce until you're ready to use it. Store it in perforated plastic bags, and use within a few days. Bananas should not be refrigerated.
•To allow for air circulation in either your fridge or freezer, don't overfill the compartments. Without good circulation, it's difficult to maintain the proper temperatures.
•Store leftovers in tightly covered containers within two hours after cooking. Use in 3-5 days.
•Store food and cleaning supplies separate.
•Keep potatoes and onions in a cool, dry location. Don't refrigerate them or keep them under the sink, where moisture from pipes can cause damage.
•Check use-by or sell-by dates on food packages. Remember, these dates don't apply once the package is opened.
•Best-if-used-by dates are the most reliable ones to follow. They take normal handling into account.
•Put raw meat on the bottom shelf of your refrigerator, in a plastic bag. This will keep the juices from dripping onto other foods.

Food kept in the freezer so long that ice crystals dominate its appearance is safe to eat, since no organisms can live in subzero temperatures. And the nutritional quality remains intact. Still, you probably don't want to eat it -- the quality of this frozen tundra will certainly be less than ideal.
To prevent freezer burn, make sure that the food is tightly wrapped or shrink wrapped with freezer-quality wrap, and get as much air out between the food and the wrap.

Your 5 Best Muscle Building Foods

I've done pretty well incorporating everything on this list except salmon. Can you believe I live in the Pacific Northwest and I DON'T like salmon? :( The good news is I can substitute tuna. :)

1. Chicken breast: This is about as lean as you can get. Skinless they have 7 grams of protein and nearly zero grams of fat per ounce.
2. Oatmeal: A slow digesting carb that won’t spike insulin levels. Keeps your arteries and intestines spic and span.
3. Salmon: Promotes muscle growth and is full of omega-3 fatty acids. Has 1.8 grams of omega-3’s per every 3 grams of total fat.
4. Cottage cheese: Eat it at bedtime. Its signature curds are primarily casein, the slow digesting protein that will carry your muscles safely through seven or more hours of enforced fasting, aka, your night’s rest.
5. Quinoa: This ancient South American grain is almost a meal in itself. It is a complete protein in that it contains all nine essential amino acids, and it is a slow digesting protein, full of fiber.

Make Your Kitchen Fit!

Make your kitchen Fit – Fast, easy ways to make the most important room in your home (outside of the bedroom!) meet your health and fitness needs.

If you’re like many of us who are stretching our food budget by eating more meals at home, or you just want to make a commitment to cleaner eating, you need to have a kitchen that’s in shape! A clean, well stocked kitchen is like a strong body core – it stabilizes your body to keep you strong. Keep healthy go to items on hand so you can put together meals in minutes and aren’t tempted (like me!) to fall back on takeout.

Invest in different sizes and shapes of storage containers to save leftovers. Refrigerate promptly, food should be stored within 2 hours of cooking. Eat or toss after 3-4 days.

Clean eating basics you should always have in stock: fresh fruit, veggies, herbs, salad mixes, low or nonfat dairy, egg whites/eggs, cooked lean meat, 100% juices, olive oil, condiments (mustard, lemon and lime juice, vinegars), pork tenderloin, chickn breasts,l whole grain breads and wraps, nut butters, whole wheat flour, canned beans, low sodium soups, water packed tuna and salmon.

Don’t store spices over the stove or on the windowsill. Store in cool dark places and always keep lids closed tightly. Crush the herb in your hand, if it lacks aroma or color it probably has lost most of its antioxidant capacity and flavor.

Use 2 cutting boards – one for raw meat and one for veggies, fruit, and cheese.

Check your freezer/fridge temps regularly. Fridge should not be beyond 40°F and freezer should be a steady 0°F.

Don’t rinse raw meat of chicken before cooking, it simply splatters bacteria around.

Organize the fridge and pantry so the healthiest foods are at eye level and easy to grab. Keep a bowl of fresh fruit front and center in the kitchen – and eat it!