Tag: cheat day

Top 5 best ways to stay on track for a fit summer

On By Dani Sanusi FitnessIn fitness, goal, gym, health, motivation, nutrition, resolution1 Comment

How have your new year’s fitness resolutions been going? Do you have a hard time keeping yourself consistent? It isn’t easy, but it’s worth it. Don’t give up on yourself! Here are my top 5 ways to help you stay on track to reach your fitness goals this summer!

1. Lose it app

This app keeps me accountable for everything I eat. One might say that it is a little excessive to log everything you eat, but think about it. Wouldn’t you be less likely to fall off track if you account for the things you eat? I know I am much less likely to eat that fifth cupcake 😉

2. Never miss a Monday

Habits are essential to success, and Mondays can be hard. But if you make sure you never miss a Monday, it will help you significantly to keep on going. Sure, we are all tired on Mondays. Maybe we had a little ‘too’ much fun this weekend and are paying for it. It’s so easy to say to yourself, “Ah, I’ll just hit the gym tomorrow”. But then that becomes the next day, and the next day, and before you know it you’ve missed an entire week. Don’t let the Monday’s get you down! Take out your frustration on Mondays at the gym!

3. Eat clean, and shop on the outer parts of the grocery store

Ever noticed how you feel better when you eat well? Your skin is clearer, your mood improves, you sleep better, you’re more ‘regular’ in the restroom? I know I sure do. Some cheat meals just ruin the way I feel for the rest of the day, or even the next few days. Eat real foods, and don’t undo all your hard work that you’re putting into the gym. I promise you this: You can not out train your diet. If you have to skip anything, skip the workout over the healthy foods.

4. Have a workout buddy

If I promise a friend I am going to meet them for a run, I’ll be there. It’s that simple. Find someone with a similar goal; it could be your significant other, a coworker, a friend, whatever! Make specific plans to meet at the gym or go to something active together. Maybe sign up for a race and train together. Anything done with a friend will make working out that much more fun!

5. Reward yourself

Don’t completely deprive yourself. Make sure that you still allow yourself room for the little things. Not every day, and not in a large amount. I am definitely not recommending you reward yourself with a big sugary latte every time you leave the gym (refer back to #3). I am saying that you shouldn’t go crazy and not allow yourself to enjoy some guilty pleasures every once in a while. Just don’t let it become a habit, because they are super hard to break!

I hope these tips help you to keep going and stay on track! For daily motivation, find me on Instagram @danisanusifitness!

Happy fitting!

Warmly,

Dani

My problem with cheat days

On By Dani Sanusi FitnessIn fitness, health, nutrition, wellnessLeave a comment

I love cheat days. LOVE them! They can be essential for success with any healthy lifestyle, because they allow you to indulge and enjoy your favorite foods that might not be so healthy. By not completely depriving yourself, you’re motivated to stay on track overall and it does help reset your metabolism and raise leptin levels. But, I’ve found myself to have quite a problem with cheat days! Here’s why.

junk foodI’m not used to rich foods, or processed foods. They aren’t a normal part of my diet, although I definitely do enjoy them. I’m only human! Over the last year I have really cleaned up my diet, still allowing for the cheat meal or cheat day on a normal basis. Because I’m not as used to processed foods anymore, it really messes up my digestive system. My body just doesn’t know what to do with the stuff anymore, I guess? What’s interesting is I don’t have any digestive issues, and they are quite rare. Over the last year (since I’ve started to clean up my diet), I’ve noticed that whenever I have a full blown cheat day, or even cheat meal, I feel TERRIBLE. A few times, I wasn’t even able to keep the food down at all. I felt much better after ridding my system of the food, thankfully.

What’s interesting to me is; what on earth is in these ‘foods’ that my body is rejecting? That’s really something to think about. Kind of scary, right? These processed foods really aren’t actually foods our bodies are supposed to be ingesting. Have you ever gone on a sugar detox, or maybe a clean eating regimen? If you have, you probably found yourself not wanting or needing those processed foods after a few days. Your body becomes addicted to these processed foods, and isn’t really ever satisfied with the foods because it’s not getting the proper nutrients it needs to function at its best. Is it worth eating, only to feel terrible for the rest of the day? Or even worse, let my body reject it a few hours later?

All day last Sunday, watching both of the football games, most of what I ate was processed; Cheetos and Doritos were amongst some of these foods. At the end of the day, I felt so sick, exhausted and sluggish. I literally felt my body crave something healthy. Crazy, right?! I think I’m going to have to go with more of a cheat meal, rather than a cheat day. I would assume it’s just a system overload issue. Does anyone else have these problems with cheat days? If you are interested in eating clean, don’t hesitate to ask me questions you may have!

Happy clean eating!

Warmly,

Dani