Set a "Smart" Goal for March

For those of you who set a goal for February now is the time to see if you have reached it.  If you were unable to reach your goal it's not the end of the world.  Assess the problems that may have gotten in the way and make some adjustments to your goal for March.  If you did reach your February goal congratulations!  Keep up the hard work and things will continue to pay off.  Reward yourself with something that's not counterproductive and set a goal for March using the guidelines above.

Have Fruit for Dessert....

...and I don't mean fruit pie.  Having a sweet tooth can be a big drawback if you're trying to eat healthy.  Consider swapping out your cake and cookies for a fruit dessert tonight.  Be creative.  While it could just be a fresh fruit salad, it could also be low fat ice cream or yogurt with fresh fruit over top of it.  Make it a healthier alternative that you can enjoy and you might find yourself sticking with it a few nights a week.

Plan Ahead If You're Eating Out

If you have plans to go out to eat consider looking up the restaurant menu online beforehand.  This is a good way to find the nutrition facts and calories of your potential meals.  Once you get to the restaurant don't even look at the menu.  Stick with your smart choice and have an extra drink if you can afford the calories....IT'S THE WEEKEND!

Jump Rope for 5 Minutes

Take five minutes out of your day to get some at home cardio in.  If you've got a jump rope at home, today is the day you are going to use it.  Whether it's five sets of one minute intervals on the rope, or a long five minutes of jumping, take the time to complete this task.  Jumping rope is one of the best cardio workouts a person can get.  It will help you get closer to your weight loss goals and aspirations of toning up.

If your rope jumping skills are comparable to the last child's in the video above, consider jumping back and forth over a line or doing jumping jacks rather than using an actual rope.  I don't want any law suits.  ;)  GOOD LUCK!!    

Eat 25 Grams of Fiber

Make an effort to eat 25 grams of fiber today. 

Lunge Around the House

Pick one room in your house that you will lunge to rather than walk to all day today.  Perform walking lunges every time you enter that room.  If you are unable to do lunges, consider doing a lateral kick and a squat bringing your feet together between each while moving closer to your destination.  Another option would be a walking hip abduction with a resistance band.  Whatever it is, get a mini leg and cardio workout in at home throughout the day or evening.  

No Carbs After Supper

Steer clear of carbohydrates after your last meal tonight.  Consider sticking with this plan of action a few nights per week and enjoy the rewards of staying consistent!

Do 50 Pushups

Find the time to do 50 pushups today.  You can break them up into two sets of 25 or five sets of 10.  Try some with wide hands, some with your hands directly underneath your shoulders, and some with your hands close together.  If you're not strong enough to do pushups on your toes then do them from your knees.  If that's a struggle, do as many as you can on the floor and then finish up with your hands on the edge of a table, the arm of a couch, or against the wall.  Work on increasing the number of pushups you can do in a row.  You'll be surprised how quickly you can improve!

Plan Your Meals for Tomorrow

Take the time to plan tomorrow's meals tonight.  It won't take more than a few minutes and you're less likely to eat out if you have a plan.  Use planning to your advantage and take a day off from the fast food.  

Buy a New Piece of Fitness Equipment

Head out to your local sporting goods store and buy a small piece of fitness equipment today.  Consider a resistance band, stability ball, yoga mat, kettlebell, or set of dumbbells.  After you buy it, make a commitment to using it at least twice a week.  Don't put it anywhere near the closet that's holding your ThighMaster and Tae Bo tapes.  Put it somewhere where it can be seen and easily picked up.  Remember that buying the equipment is only half the battle.  You have to use it to reap the benefits!  

Try a New Produce Item

Branch out and try a new produce item today.  Consider checking out a place like The North Market in Downtown Columbus for fresh new ideas.  If you've got a lot of time on your hands grab it from Seattle's beautiful Pike Place Market (pictured above).  Anyone up for a weekend road trip?

Spend One Hour on a Stability Ball

Whether it's at your desk or in front of the TV find an hour to spend on a stability ball today.  It doesn't have to be consecutive, but try to stay on for at least ten minutes at a time.  Not only will this be more of a core workout than you think, it can help you work on posture too, which has very underrated importance.  Sixty minutes of core work will get you one step closer to that six pack!!   

Pack Your Lunch

Pack your lunch today.  If you're used to eating out for lunch you're probably used to lunch being your "high-calorie" meal.  Pack a reasonable lunch today and enjoy your dinner more tonight.  If you have a lunch box this cool, you may even make a few new friends!!  (No promises on that last part.)

Do 100 Squats

Find time in your day to do 100 squats.  That can be four sets of 25 or ten sets of ten!  You can do them at the gym or in your living room while you're watching tv.  This won't take more than a few minutes out of your day, but with good form, you'll be feeling like you did something tomorrow!

Drink Only Water Today

Skip the coffee, tea, and soda today and drink nothing but water.  Shoot for 3-4 liters!

Park Far Away and Walk

It's getting a little warmer outside!  If you're going out today take this opportunity to park far away and walk.  It doesn't seem like much, but it's something small you can do at each stop throughout your day.  It really starts to add up! 

Get in a Good Stretch

Whether it's after your weekend workout or before bed, get in a good stretch today.  Loosen those tense muscles up and rediscover relaxation!

Have Fun this Friday Night!

Whether it's dancing, bowling, making a splash at the indoor water park, or hitting the rec center for open gym, make tonight an active Friday night.  Find a way to burn calories and have fun at the same time.  You never know, it might stick with you and become a part of your routine you can look forward to!

Below is an idea of how many calories you can burn in an hour of activity (these numbers are based on a 150 pound woman and were found at www.fitday.com):

• Dancing ~ 210
• Bowling ~ 120
• Leisurely Swimming ~ 300
• Sledding or Tubing ~ 360
• Downhill Skiing or Snowboarding ~ 230
• Curling ~ 180
• Ice Skating ~ 360
• Basketball ~ 300
• Volleyball ~ 120
• Racketball ~ 360
• Soccer ~ 360

Take the Stairs Today....Just Watch Out for Ninjas!

Commit to taking the stairs every time you have the opportunity today.  Avoid elevators, escalators, and moving walkways and take the steps or walk the extra distance to get a few minutes of unexpected cardio in.  Those minutes start to add up throughout the day!

Log Your Food Today

IT'S ONE DAY!  Log your food to get an idea of how close you are to where you need to be.  Eat like you normally would and use loseit.com to figure out how many calories you've eaten at the end of the day.  Weight fluctuation can be directly linked to the number of calories you're eating each day.  "Lose it" will tell you how many calories you should be eating whether you want to lose, gain, or maintain the current weight that you're at.  Just see how you're doing.  Maybe you're right on the money!  Or maybe this will be the motivation you need to keep logging what you eat and finally commit to reaching your weight related goals.

Rock the Plank!

Take some time out of your Tuesday to see how long you can sustain a plank hold with good form.  Make sure your hips are parallel with the ground and you're taking deep breaths in and out as you hold the position.  Write down your time and make it your goal to improve on it little by little.  If you can hold it for 30 seconds today, make it your goal to improve to 32 seconds tomorrow.  With a two second increase each day, you're looking at adding almost 30 more seconds to your plank by the end of the month.  Good luck rocking the plank!

Try a New Exercise

Whether you're in the gym or at home, pick a new exercise to try today.  Email Jess@napfitpit.com or visit www.youtube.com and search a particular muscle group for new ideas.

All too often, we get in the habit of doing the same type of exercises over and over.  Switching it up is the best way to steer clear of a plateau.  Try something new today to avoid slowing down your progress.

Unfortunately, for my Steeler Nation family, I don't have any good exercises for a broken heart.  Get up and get moving today...there's always next year?

Smart Super Bowl Snacks!

As you get ready to cheer the Steelers on tonight, substitute greek yogurt in your party dip recipes that call for sour cream or mayonnaise.  You'll be surprised at what little a difference it makes in taste.  In addition, remember to wave your terrible towel during every Steelers touchdown to burn as many calories as possible on game day!  HERE WE GOOOOO STEELERS!!!!!!!

The Art of Preparation

Take the time to write a grocery list today.  When you go to the store, purchase only what you've written on the list.  This will not only keep you from spending extra in the store, it will stop you from picking up the junk you don't need.  Preparing for the coming week can be the first step to healthy eating.  Going into each week with a reasonable plan makes it easier to stay on track.  Experience the art of preparation.  It goes a really long way!  

Try a New Healthy Recipe

As the start of another cold weekend rolls around, make the most out of your winter hibernation.  Try making a new healthy recipe as a family, couple, or small group of friends.  We're all sick of risking our lives on this ice.  Find a recipe, hit the grocery store on the way home from work, and stay in!  Judging by the picture above, cooking just might be the time of your life.  Who knew cracking an egg could be so fun?!

Not sure where to look for recipe ideas?  Yesterday, someone shared with me, e-mealz.com.  For as little as $5 per month e-mealz provides you with a personalized weekly meal plan and grocery list.  It has plenty of fresh and healthy recipes for its members to try.  Also, remember to check out Food Network's website if you're looking for free healthy recipe ideas!  

Now take one more look at that classy couple pictured above.  That could be you and yours this Friday night!  Bon appetit!

Crunch Time...

...and no I'm not talking about the Cap'n!  Take time out of your day to do 100 crunches.  They don't have to be done all at once.  It could be two sets of 50, four sets of 25, or even ten sets of ten.  Just take the time to do some physical activity that may have not gotten done otherwise.  This will take less than five minutes out of your day, SO DO IT!!!

Sleep Tight...

Get a full 8 hours of sleep tonight.  We often overlook the benefits of sound sleep.  Among other things, a good sleep schedule can help us:

• Control our weight
• Reduce our stress
• Improve our memory
• Increase our energy levels
• Improve our heart health

Promise yourself a full 8 hours tonight and experience the difference in the morning.  Sleep tight!

Set a Goal

Set an attainable goal today.  Make sure it can be reached by the end of February.  Whether it be to lose four pounds or be able to complete a single pushup, make it something you can reach by the end of the month.  Hold yourself to it, it's only four weeks!  You'll be surprised how sweet the feeling of success can be.  Even if it's something small, reaching your goals creates the motivation it takes to stay accountable.

Without a "smart" goal in mind it is easy to veer away from your healthy habits and routine.  Refer to the checklist pictured above to make sure your goal is realistic.  Write your goal down and we'll check back in 28 days to see if you achieved what you're setting out to do today.  Good luck!