Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail

I figured out early on that I needed some sort of structure to keep me on track with my nutrition and exercise program. One of the quotes I love from Bill Phillips is "Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail." I can attribute much of my success thus far to this mantra.

I try to plan my meals and workouts in advance. Usually on a Sunday I'll sit down and decide what I'm going to eat for the week. If I'm eating home-cooked meals I make my grocery list, shop for the ingredients, and cook up most or all of my meals for the week in one day.

Pulled Duck Dinner Salad

If I'm doing Jenny Craig or a meal delivery service like Freshology, I just customize my menu for the week. This leaves nothing to chance. That means if someone orders a pizza at the office or I'm out and about and there's no healthy options wherever I am, I won't be stuck or tempted because I don't have a plan. It takes the guesswork out of everything and ensures I'll stay on track.

Finger-lickin' Fried Chicken

A good example of this is I went to the annual Long Beach Jazz Festival here in Long Beach, CA last Friday with a girlfriend. I packed a small cooler with my dinner for the evening (a "Pulled Duck and Edamame Salad). I initially thought that I might be able to get some food from one of the many vendors at the festival but I didn't want to take the chance that they might not have something I could eat. I'm so glad I decided to bring my own food. Every single vendor we encountered was selling food like fried catfish, fried chicken, french fries and funnel cakes. I reminded myself that just 1 fried chicken breast can pack a whopping 490 calories, 31g of fat and 1080 mg of sodium!  There were no healthy alternatives and I was glad I  had the foresight to pack my own meal. I was so proud of myself that I honored my self-promise to eat clean. Now don't get me wrong! I love me some fried chicken and catfish on occasion in moderation, but I only try to do 1 "splurge" or "free" meal a week and I had already planned that for the following day.

With exercise I know what days I'm going to do cardio and what days I'm going to do weight training. For cardio I usually choose the classes I'm taking in advance and schedule it on my calendar like an appointment so I'm less likely to bail out. For weight training days I write down on a progress report what specific exercises I plan to do for each body part, how many sets, how many reps, as well as how much weight I'll lift. During my workout I jot down what my actual sets, reps, and level of intensity are.  This helps to keep me focused. When I go into the gym I know exactly what I'm going to do and I'm not wasting time training in a haphazard or random way.  Every 2-4 weeks I increase my weight and switch up my exercises to keep my muscles from adapting or acclimating too much.


I've noticed in the past that during the weeks where I haven't planned appropriately, I almost always falter and don't see good results.

I don't know about you, but personally I like being in control and not leaving too much to chance.

Plan, Prepare, Execute, Succeed....

the formula really does work.

Mind Over Matter = Motivation

Dr. Ian Smith

Sometimes I chuckle to myself when I look at my bookshelf. I have quite the collection of books on dieting, nutrition, and exercise by various authors including: Bill Phillips,  Jillian Michaels, Bob Harper, Dr. Ian Smith, Dr. Pamela Peeke, and  Paul McKenna.  However, when it all boils down to it, they are all pretty much saying the same things -- in order to lose weight and be healthy you need to eat more of the right foods and less of the wrong foods and you need to move more (i.e., burn more calories than you consume).  That really is the oversimplified summary of all of these books. As it turns out, losing weight is not rocket science...but in the search to find that elusive answer to my weight loss woes I've amassed a collection of  fitness books.

Dr. Pamela Peeke

So I realized my issue was not knowledge. I, like many people, know what to do. I just don't always do what I know. For a lot of folks, motivation is a huge obstacle standing in the way of reaching their goals. There have been many times when I was lacking motivation and I couldn't articulate why...so I decided to highlight some things which helped me get back on track.

First, I firmly believe every significant change starts with your mind. If you conceive it and believe it, you can achieve it. The mind is a very powerful entity and if you don't focus and "train" your mind you probably won't see results.

Trainer Bob Harper

This includes eliminating the negative self-talk or ANTS (automated negative thoughts) which often times are subconscious and involuntary.  You may be surprised at the number of negative thoughts that enter your mind each day about yourself unless you pay special attention. These need to be replaced with positive affirmations...and sometimes we have other people in our lives who are thinking or communicating toxic thoughts and we need to distance ourselves in order to heal and make progress. It may sound silly but I write positive affirmations on 3x5 cards and post them around the house as reminders. It's amazing what effect positive thoughts have on your mind and your mood.

Second, reframe how you think about food.  Many people who are overweight are emotional or social eaters. They are self-medicating themselves with food - stuffing down their emotions, instead of expressing and dealing with them. Often there are painful issues in the past that need to be addressed or worked out in therapy.  Once you internalize that food is  simply  fuel for our bodies and not a reward or cure, you will be less likely to overeat or have those uncontrollable cravings.

Third,  realize the "power of now."  All we have is right now and the past has no power over us. No matter how many times you've tried and "failed" you can get back up and try again. Today is a new day. Today is the first day of the rest of your life.

Trainer Jillian Michaels

Finally, find something -- a goal, event or  person, that encourages you and gives you something to strive toward. Maybe you want to look good for a high school or college reunion or a vacation or cruise. Perhaps there's someone you admire who has lost as much weight as you want  to lose.  Cut that person's picture out and hang it in a strategic place where you will see it everyday as a visual reminder. I know for me I have a vacation coming up and a physique transformation contest which is providing extra incentive for me to stay on track with my fitness goals.

Weight loss is not easy. It takes time  and some effort....but it's all worth it. You're worth it!  If you "get your mind right" there's no limit to what you can do. It all comes down to your choices. You choose what you want, where you will go and how you will get there. Just be willing to further your journey a little bit more each day.

Stacie's Top 5 Tips for Losing Body Fat and Getting Fit

Did you know that just a 10% reduction in body fat substantially improves your health and reduces your risk for heart disease, hypertension, stroke, cancer and diabetes?!  As someone who has a family history of all of these diseases I realize how important it is to take ownership of my body and my health before it's too late.  I've lost a total of 7-8% body fat thus far so I am well on my way to achieving that milestone.  What goals have you set for yourself and what milestones have you achieved?

"Strive for Progress, not Perfection" - Bill Phillips (Body-for-Life) 

You'll probably notice that I reference Body-for-Life and Bill Phillips a lot in my blog. When I began eating healthy and working out several years ago, his book was my referential bible for fitness & nutrition. If you're just getting started or just want a refresher it's a great read. Available at Amazon.com.....


Ok, I wanted to share my "TOP 5 TIPS" which have worked for me in losing 16 lbs thus far. Some of these may look familiar to you but I guess a little positive reinforcement is never a bad thing.  :)  Okay so here goes:

First of all you've gotta EAT, you gotta SLEEP and you gotta MOVE!

1)  (EAT) -  Eat 5-6 small meals a day which include a protein and a carb to balance your blood sugar and avoid the spikes which will cause you to get hungrier and eat more.  Focus on eating complex carbs like vegetables, brown rice etc.

2)  Write down and document everything you eat and calculate your calorie burn every day. You may say, "well that sounds like a pain in the a$$" or "I don't have time to do that", but if you want to see good results you have to know what's going in your mouth. The bottom line is we all too often underestimate the calories we're consuming and overestimate our level of activity or exercise.

3)  Drink water, water, water all day, everyday!  Your body needs it more than you'll ever know. Our muscles are made up of about 70% water. Water is essential to transport nutrients like vitamins and minerals throughout your body. If you've ever felt sluggish and tired, it may be because you're very dehydrated and your body's ability to transport nutrients is compromised because you're not drinking enough of it.  There's often a buildup of waste (i.e., ammonia, urea, uric acid and other  junk in your body). So drink at least 8, 8-ounce servings of water a day.

4) (SLEEP) - Get 7-8 hours of sleep a night.  Lack of adequate sleep is linked to excess fat and increases the risk of abdominal obesity (or the dreaded belly bloat).  This one was hard for me because I'm a night owl and I love to stay up late watching TV and  surfing the 'Net.... but lack of adequate sleep alters hormones that control hunger and increase your appetite for calorie-dense foods like bread, candy, and chips. The later you stay up the hungrier you get and you're more likely to snack on foods that will completely ruin your calorie deficit. So word to the wise -- get plenty of sleep.

5) (MOVE) - This tip has made the biggest difference in my progress. Exercise burns excess calories so they don't get stored as fat. Simple as that. The best exercise for you to do to lose weight is that which you love. Some people like to run. I personally hate running. So I'm not going to force myself to run and be miserable. Instead, I do other forms of cardio like kickboxing, dance classes and elliptical machines. But also, (and I can't stress this enough especially to all of the women out there), we need some form of resistance training or weight training in our exercise regimen (about 2-3 days a week). While cardio provides the quick calorie burn that lasts only as long as you're exercising, resistance training gives you a slow calorie burn so you burn calories even when you're at REST! It's also the best way to re-sculpt and reshape your body!! So start off with a few days of cardio and a few days of weight training if you're a beginner. Try to work your way up to a total of 6 days of exercise a week (1 hour sessions) to see maximum results.

In the future I'll be featuring a few of my favorite Jenny Craig snacks and meals. For anyone who has not tried the program, it definitely works and the food is tasty. If you are busy like me and don't really have time to shop for groceries, prep, cook, & clean up the kitchen etc.,  I'd highly recommend a program like Jenny Craig to get you started.  Until next time.... :)