Tired of being tired?

We've all had those days and all you can say is, "I'm just tired."
It can be exhausting (pun intended) saying that.

Gone are the days as kid where you just pop up in the morning, are ready to play all day, then sack out for a good eight hours and do it again the next day... BEHOLD! Those days don't have to be gone forever.

A few things can really mess with your energy and sleep. My personal experience and through discussions with others, diet and irregular sleep schedules affect how tired I may or may not be for one or more days following my poor food choice or extra late night.

1. Diet: I don't see this as a fad, all the different diets that are out there. The word "Diet" has a bad wrap. It really is just a certain way you choose to eat. "My diet consists of, blah blah blah." However that feeling you might get after you eat a big bowl of pasta and you just want to nap; yeah, that pasta DID make you sleepy. There are certain foods that will energize you. Change up your eating habits, you don't have to go cold turkey and cut out grains, do what works best for you.  
2. Irregular sleeping schedules: How often do you go to bed and wake up at the same time despite the fact that it's a Friday night? If you often switch up your bed and wake times, you'll be in for a tired week. Avoid caffeine at least six hours before bed, it's tempting you, but don't look at your iPhone, tablet or whatever Smart-object you have, the lighting messes with your brain (the light suppresses sleep-inducing hormone). 

If you're curious of your sleeping pattern, I enjoy the app, Sleep Time, it determines when you're awake and sleeping the deepest and more. It'll wake you up at just the right time so you feel rested during the day. 

Available in the App Store. "Sleep Time"
CC: screenshot

Fuel up before your next workout

It could be easy to think that not eating before a workout might help you loose weight more, or not eating at all is the common thought that is one of the main components of losing weight.

Think about it though. If you don't fuel your body, what will it burn? Yes, there may be some sugars and fats to burn, but fats take longer to burn. Fat goes away with consistent exercise and a healthy eating style. Healthy can be defined in so many different ways. But, my point is. Fueling your body before a workout will help you go longer, harder and faster. You'll be quicker and more agile.

My mom has told me throughout my life to eat something before I work out. On many occasions I have not eaten before a workout, and let me tell you, I feel weaker and don't workout as effectively.

Exercising on an empty stomach increasing the hormone, cortisol, which is a natural stress response your body gives off. Anyway, this can lead to some muscle tissue breakdown...Don't want that happening because of a workout right? Build that muscle! Tone up!

Get a good snack or small meal before your workout. Throw some protein in that meal or snack. Let your food digest to make sure that fuel is available to your muscles. It's ok to have some sugars and carbs after your workout, but just don't go reaching for that doughnut or candy bar.

Make your workout the best!

Sometimes exercising can be a drag, or something you don’t feel like doing, because you’re too comfortable watching your favorite TV show, or just don’t feel like it.

As much as it is a physical and diet challenge, it’s also a mental one. Mentally it can be harder to work out because of a myriad of reasons. Either, you’re not comfortable in the clothes you have to work out in, you don’t like the gym, or it’s been a long time since you’ve last worked out, or you’re just not in the mood. Whatever it may be, sometimes overcoming the mental challenge is the hardest part. Like my mom has told me before, putting your shoes on can be the toughest part of a workout.

So, to get past the putting your shoes on part, talk to yourself, psyche yourself out if you have to. Ask yourself, “how do I feel after I work out?” “Do I like how I feel about myself currently?” “How can I change this?” Even, ask yourself why do you eat certain foods that you know aren’t good for you?

Grab a friend or family member your feel comfortable with to make it more exciting, of even if you feel like it’s better to experience getting back into working out by yourself, that’s fine too. Pick some songs that will pump you up and get you back out there.

Making it Fun:

Sometimes playing sports is a great way to have fun and not think about working out. You won’t think about how long or far you’ve been running, or how many sets you have left to do, you’ll just be playing around. 

Of course, if you can, record the Olympics, get a motivational push! 

Attention! DON'T DIET!

Yes, please and thank you. Here's a tip of the day to boost your metabolism.

I'd love to boost my metabolism, get that fat burning and get fit fast! Right?

DON'T DIET *gasp* don't diet?!

• Well yes, not eating will help you lost weight, but you'll lose everything else too! Muscle, weight, and strength. You'll be unbelievably weak. That isn't a fun place to be in. and plus, your body isn't going to look or feel healthy. AND, you get visceral fat . or the dreaded... *drum roll please* ABDOMINAL FAT! yuck. 
• Don't take the literal meaning for diet  = not eating. Moderation, it's all about moderation...not moderation of fast food now, moderation of healthy, organic, vegetables, proteins etc. 

Make measurable goals

It's after the holidays and we all may be just getting out of that holiday stupor. Feeling a little sluggish and getting back into that weekly or daily workout routine is harder.

Feeling that in-shape self you were before the grand holidays my be buried somewhere in there.

Well, let's see here, it's still there! Instead of setting a goal of, "I want to be in better shape by summer" set something more measurable. what I'm trying to say is to start with a short-term goal to help get you to the "I want to be in better shape by summer."

1.) Make your goal specific - "I want to run two miles in 20 minutes by March 5" - that's a 10 minute mile, totally do-able. You can do it.

2.) Make a plan of how you'll achieve this goal - "Go to the gym three to four times a week and run on the treadmill."

3.) Look outside the box - if you want to be able to run two miles in 20 minutes, look at what may be slowing you down. Time? Diet? Too many commitments? Narrow down your focus and find out where you can squeeze in some time.

4.) Write it down - write down your goal and post it somewhere visible. keep checking back on your status and motivating yourself in whichever ways you can!

Just be positive, it can be difficult at times, but keep your head up high.

Paleo Diet

Paleo Diet... heard of it?
It's something that I had never heard of. But, interestingly enough, it's pretty awesome.

So to get into a bit more detail, The Paleo Diet Web site states that it is an approach like a low carb, high protein diet. It's based on a historical basis; what our ancestors ate.

Meaning, our ancestors ate less carbs, well pretty much none of the following: refined sugars, grains, bread, processed carbs. That pretty much covers the "western" diet.


The agricultural revolution brought in new and different cities and civilizations. Interesting because the agricultural revolution isn't spoken about much, but it did bring in chronic disease. although, it also introduced so many great things as well, everything has it's ups and downs.


So pretty much, the diet targets foods that our bodies have evolved to eat, which provide foods that promote health and optimum functioning.

exercise isn't the only solution

Only exercising isn't the final solution in losing weight..
Part of it also is your diet.
When I work out, I'm starving after, and it's so easy to pick up a nice lunch and eat it and think, oh I worked out, that's OK.

Truth is, even though you burned calories in your work out, you're just eating them back right after!

If you want to lose weight, you have to change your eating habits too, even if it's reluctantly. Just think about the postive outcomes if you do. : )

Reading Larry Krutka's Fitness blog on the everydayhealth Web Site, he says that an 16 oz sports drink can add on 40 percent of those calories you just burned off; looking at a 170lb person who burned 250 calories on an elliptical. Almost half of 250 calories burned, from a sports drink. WOW.

SOLUTION: WATER, it's probably the best bet to quinch your thirst and it also hydrates your body after sweating for 30 minutes.