5 Tips for Beginning a Running Program:

“Nothing will work unless you do.” ~ Maya Angelou

1.      Set goals – As with any fitness program that you begin, goal setting is priority.  It gives you something to work towards and keeps your eye on the “prize!”  Are you running for fat loss?  Are you running to prepare for a race?  Are you running to gain cardiovascular endurance?  Once you decide what exactly what YOUR goal is, this will lead you to the second step. 

2.       Choose your program – There are so many programs online and so many apps that you can find to help you reach your goal.  Hal Higdon’s training programs are one of the most popular downloaded programs because he gives you beginner, intermediate and advanced programs to choose from.  Also, the popular Couch to 5K app on your smart phones give you programs and verbal ques during your runs to assist you and motivate you.  Running is just as much a mental challenge as it is a physical challenge.  When you have a program telling you what you need to do and how far you need to go; mentally, you can prepare yourself for the distance. 

3.      The Right Gear - Now that you have determined your goal and obtained the program that will guide you throughout the process, you will need to purchase the right gear.  Appropriate running shoes can MAKE or BREAK your success.  It is advised for you to go to your local running stores and let them evaluate the way that you walk and run so that they can guide you to the shoe that is best designed for your foot.  Running can be hard on your body, especially in the beginning stages.  Injuries will be your biggest setback.  When you have the right shoe, this drastically helps to reduce your risk for injury.  Running shoes should be replaced every 300-500 miles.  *Bonus –if you purchase your shoes at the Lafayette Running Store on Johnston Street and tell them that your trainer sent you, they will give you a discount on your purchase. 

4.      Accountability – It is a proven fact, most people tend to stick to fitness programs when they have a group or a friend that they enjoy being with helping to get them there.  There will be days that you are not going to be motivated, a partner will be extremely beneficial on these days.  Truth is, some days, the hardest part is just putting those running shoes on and getting out of the house.  Once you are there, the run is the easy part.  GET A PARTNER!!!!!!  Sharing your accomplishments with good friends makes your success so much sweeter. 

5.      JUST DO IT! - Design your running schedule and STICK WITH IT.  When you have your runs planned out, you can mentally prepare yourself and physically fuel yourself in order for you to make your runs as enjoyable as possible.   Running at the same times and same days, will promote HABITS….good habits.  You will quickly learn that CONSISTENCY is KEY for progress to be made and for your newfound habit to become easier and more enjoyable.  

Finishing a Race is not about the Race, the accomplishment is that you completed the training process!  If you train correctly, the Race is Successful.

“With self discipline, all things are possible.”  ~ Theodore Roosevelt

Kelli Montgomery: Fit Life Fitness Coach

Kelli has been helping people achieve their fitness goals for over three years and as a wife and mother of 3 she realizes the society obstacles of living the Fit Life.  Kelli also finds strength through Faith and has had a specific calling from the Lord to lead others to him through fitness.

SNACKS is that Spark to Rev your Metabolism!

Snack – A small amount of food eaten between meals!!!!

Most of us love snack time…..it probably sticks with us from our younger school years when snack time meant cookies and juice and a little bit of down time from our school time.   Snack time should always remain a special part of your day, even as we get older an

d become even busier in our lives.  Snack time is an opportunity for us to unwind for a few minutes and enjoy the fulfillment of nourishing our bodies in order to be able to keep pressing them along the rest of the day. 

Unfortunately, snacks have a tendency to be unhealthy.  The “snack” aisle at your local grocery store is filled with all of the processed, high sugar items that do not actually fuel and nourish your bodies, nor give them the energy they need to keep pressing them on.  In return, these types of snacks lead you to unhealthy cravings, overeating, and weight gain (especially as we age). 

I believe it is time for us to shed some light on the beauty of snacking and begin flooding our bodies and our children’s bodies with the kinds of snacks that will sustain our appetites, fuel our energy levels and keep our minds intact throughout your day.  Healthy snacks also help to keep your sugar levels steady, which ward off irritability and impatience, and increases your metabolism, as a result, burning more FAT! 

So, here’s the dilemma.  Snacking adds an extra step to our already overbooked lives.  Convenience has become the mantra to our daily lives.  Picking up a pre-packaged bag of snacks seems so much easier than planning ahead and preparing snacks.  Even worse, some people are so busy that they go an entire day without nourishing or fueling their bodies at all. 

What are we lacking????  KNOWLEDGE!  What ARE those healthy, convenient snacks that you will love????  That’s where The Fit Life Coaches come in.  We dedicate our time and our energy to researching these things so that we can give YOU the knowledge you need to EMPOWER you so that you can live the Fit Life.

To get the biggest bang for your buck, your snacks should be a good balance of Protein and carbs.  The right amount of protein will keep you feeling full and the appropriate amount of carbs will help to sustain your blood sugar.   Here is your list of Fit Life approved snacks recommended by your very own Fit Life coaches:

Protein Bars   - The benefits of protein bars is the simplicity and convenience, it doesn’t take any preparation.   The downside of protein bars is they can be costly.  Having said that, here are some of our favorite protein bars. 

·        Quest Protein Bars (so many different flavors to choose from)

·        Advo Bar (Advocare)

·        Pure Protein Bars

·        Think Thin

Protein Powder –

·        Advocare Meal Relacement Shakes

·        Advocare Muscle Gain Protein Shake

·        Trutein Protein Powder

·        Bod-e

·        Quest Protein Powder

High Protein Snack Choices:

·        Cottage Cheese/Fruit

·        Beef or Turkey Jerkey

·        Mixed nuts or trail mix

·        Hard boiled eggs

·        Deli Roll up (low fat or weight watchers cheese stick with ham or turkey wrapped around)

·        Hummus and carrots

·        Brown rice cakes or slice of whole wheat toast with 2 tbs. of your favorite nut butter

·        Greek yogurt

·        Edamame

From time to time, we find ourselves having some extra time and wanting to be creative!  Here are a few extra healthy snacks that take moderate preparation:

Fiesta Turkey Mini Tostados (Biggest Loser Family Cookbook) :

40 Bakes Tostitos Scoops

Olive Oil Spray

1 pound extra lean ground turkey breast

Ground black pepper

1 cup medium or hot salsa

Place a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  When hot, lightly coat with olive oil and add turkey, season.  Cook, breaking turkey into bite sized chunks until no longer pink.  Stir in the salsa, divide evenly among the scoops.

Hummus – Tuna English Muffins

1 16 oz can chunk light tuna in water, drained

¼ c roasted red pepper flavored hummus

2 whole wheat English muffins

4 slices red onions

Mix the tuna with the hummus and spoon evenly on the muffin halves and top each with a slice of red onion.

In conclusion, 2 snacks per day, ranging between 150-200 calories per snack is a very important part of living the Fit Life, even if weight loss is your goal.  

Kelli Montgomery: Fit Life Fitness Coach

Kelli has been helping people achieve their fitness goals for over three years and as a wife and mother of 3 she realizes the society obstacles of living the Fit Life.  Kelli also finds strength through Faith and has had a specific calling from the Lord to lead others to him through fitness.