Anybody can set goals, but how can you become someone who can crush their fitness goals? Follow these 7 easy healthy habits and you will will in no time!

The 7 Easy Healthy Habits to Achieve a healthier You:

#1: Eat small meals frequently. 

Every 2 ½ to 3 hours you should feed your body, consuming 5 to 6 small meals in a single day. Small portions at frequent intervals is one of the most important parts of any successful and long term "lean down" program. It's really simple. Eat breakfast, then a snack, lunch, another snack, then dinner. If you're hungrier than usual, have one last snack 2 ½ hours after dinner, but don't go right to bed. Watch a little TV, read, talk on the phone—just do something active. 80%, not 50% of your results, come directly from what you eat.

#2: Drink Plenty of H20…aka…Water:

Your body is comprised of 70% water. Every single cell needs hydration, so a good rule of thumb is to drink about 65 oz. of water for young adults or smaller people, 80 oz. for medium built people, and 100 oz for large people. However, if you are a heavy sweater and highly active, you will need to intake even more water.

Trying to lose fat? Hydration is key because your body's primary fat burner is the liver, which burns 80% of your body’s fat. To burn fat properly, your liver needs sufficient hydration to do the job right. Strive to drink 8 oz of water every 20-30 minutes. 

#3: Be Active and Exercise Regularly. 

If you think pressing buttons on your TV remote swiping through content on your phone counts as exercise, then it's time to step it up a notch. Any form of cardiovascular exercise is desirable, including housework. Even fidgeting burns calories!

But, making a few changes to your daily routines can make a big impact, and here are a few ideas:

  > If you walk, start jogging a little during your route. 

  > Use the stairs instead of the elevator.

  > Park at the back of the lot instead of fighting for a front row space. 

  > Just get in at least 30 minutes of cardio 5 times a week.

And we can't forget about resistance training.  Lifting weights that challenge your body tears down the muscle. Weight training allows you to burn more calories for the next 48 hours, even when you're flipping channels.  And ladies, don't worry about bulking up, especially if you're not a genetic freak. And most of us are not! Resistance training with bands, weights help increase your metabolism along with aiding in your body keeping it ligaments and tendons in great health too as well as improved sleep patterns.

#4: Get a Personal Trainer. 

Every successful person has had a great mentor. When you're starting a new fitness regimen or need to revamp an existing one, a personal trainer can be your best friend. When selecting a personal trainer, you should ensure this person meets, at minimum, the following criteria:

• Is he/she certified through a nationally acclaimed organization? (ask for proof, if necessary)
• Does he/she have experience? Find out how long he/she has worked in the industry. Ask about training styles, methods. And most importantly, watch how this person trains others. Is he/she looking around the room, talking to the others, or posing in the mirror—on your dime!? 
• Does your trainer have a good rapport/good results with most clients? Be wary of any trainers with few or no success stories.
• Assess personality style. Ask questions that will help you determine if you can work as a team or will you butt heads.
• Does this person walk the walk? If he/she is in poor physical condition, how can you feel sure about your own results?

Bottom line, make sure when you invest in a personal trainer, that you're investing in someone who has a proven record of success with clients that have gained sustainable results. If you don't know of a personal trainer, ask anyone on our team and we can offer suggestions of reputable trainers in your area.

#5: Keep Your Metabolism in High Gear. 

Losing weight is pretty simple.  When your metabolism is on fire, reaching your fitness goals become easier. However, avoid these bad habits that can set you back and get your off track.

• Alcohol. Your liver burns fat, so if it’s trying to rid your body of alcohol, then it has no time to remove your belly fat!
• Starving.  If you eat only once or twice a day, your body is confused. It doesn't know when you’re going to give it more fuel, so it get's mad and hangs onto the weight you're trying to shed.
• Overeating. You have a small fire and then you put all sorts of heavy debris on the top of it.  The fire is snuffed out, and you're metabolism plummets. Let the fat storage games begin!
• Sugars. Take in too much processed food and sugar and your blood glucose level spikes. The headaches and inflammation, and yes, FAT, are there to stay my friend!

Stimulants.  Excessive caffeine and other unnatural stimulants can have a negative impact on your Central Nervous System. Too much of anything can be bad, especially if a dependency is created. Whenever possible, opt for alternatives such as green tea or dandelion root tea. Drink water throughout the rest of your day.

#6: Sleep. 

Sleep plays a vital role in your mental and physical wellbeing. Different processes that occur during sleep help to promote healthy brain activity and maintain good overall health. For children and teenagers, sleep is also key for proper growth and development.

Sleep deficiency can interfere with these bodily processes. The term “sleep deficiency” refers to the inability to get enough high-quality sleep. This may occur due to sleep deprivation, or simply not getting enough sleep, or there may be other underlying reasons, such as a sleep disorder or circadian rhythm misalignment. A lack of high-quality sleep means your body has less time to recover during the night. This can also lower your body’s defenses against diseases and medical conditions.

The amount of sleep one needs changes with age. Newborns and infants require as much as 15 to 17 hours of sleep per night, whereas teenagers can usually get by with eight to ten hours. Adults between the ages of 18 and 64 generally need seven to nine hours. After reaching 65, this amount drops slightly to seven or eight hours.

#7: Properly Balanced Meals.

You are what you eat. Eat small quantities of food from trees (fruits), the earth (veggies), or from animals that graze or cackle (cows, chickens) or swim (fish), and you will be lean. 

That's why at Balanced Foods, every meal is nutritionally designed to meet the macro needs to achieve and maintain proper health and fitness goals.

Available in various sizes to help you meet your goals, uur nutrition and fitness experts at Balanced Foods are here to help you along the way!  Call or stop by today! To look at our menu, just CLICK HERE!

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