As a Nutrition Coach for over nine years, I know what it
takes to adopt a new health plan into your lifestyle and actually make it
stick. Whether you are new to Venice
Nutrition or need a kick start for 2012, the following tips will help you to
simplify your plan and achieve your goals faster!
1. Start with Stage 1
of your Guide Tab. And please don't skip
any steps! We’ve designed it so each
step in your checklist walks you through the major parts of your software. This
will help you to best understand and incorporate your plan into your life. Skipping steps may lead to confusion…and who
needs that when starting a healthy lifestyle?
After Stage 1, make sure to move on to Stage 2…you’ll learn
how to stay prepared, bust through plateaus, keep things fresh and more!
2. Embrace the
process! Remember that beginning a new
nutrition and fitness program takes time, patience and education. Our most
successful members take the time to learn how their bodies really work. They also embrace every little step of the
journey including the most mundane steps like packing meals and weighing
foods. Why? Because it’s all part of the learning process
and ultimately leads to long term success.
3. Stay engaged! Visit your Education tab and take advantage
of the Webinars, Blogs and Articles written by Mark Macdonald and our team of
coaches. Each article and webinar hits
on points we discuss regularly with our consulting clients and are designed to
increase your skill set and make your life easier. And don't forget to reach out with all
questions on the Forum or at support@venicenutrition.com. Our team is here to help!
And lastly a few practical tips to help you as you get
started with your personal plan:
4. Plan out your
Sample Day (see Sample Day Meal Plan under your Help Support Tab), especially
if you are new to the plan. It always helps to have a game plan to follow so
you know which meals will work best for you at different times throughout the
day.
5. Pack your meals
the night before for the next day….always (mornings are just too hectic!)
6. Cook a few high
quality food items in bulk for the week like our Everyday Chicken, Individual
Turkey Meatloaves (so good!) a big colorful
salad or brown rice so you always have quick high quality options on hand.
7. Stay motivated and
accountable with your online journal. I
still journal from time to time. Why do
I do it? It keeps me on track and shows me where I’m “off”. Plus I seem to be a little pickier with my
choices when I know I have to record everything I ate (no one likes copping to
an unplanned brownie sundae that you ate out of boredom!)
8. Add workouts to
your schedule like an appointment so you stick to them. I know, I know! You’ve heard this one a million times. The reason you keep hearing it is because it
works. Ask anyone who works out
regularly and they will tell you that exercise to them is as necessary as air
or brushing their teeth. But these same
people who seem to love to workout had to start somewhere and they started by
making their exercise a commitment. Eventually
it became a regular part of their day…like brushing their teeth.
9. Remember how important a good night’s sleep is to your
success! When I’m tired or I’ve tossed
and turned all night, by the morning I crave sugar and my desire to workout is
right up there with “clean out my closet”. When I’m rested, I have a lot more
willpower. Take the necessary steps to
get a good night sleep whether it be to create downtime before bed (turn off
the TV!) or invest in a better sleeping environment (I just bought a brand new,
quality mattress and box spring to keep my body in alignment for a better night’s
sleep). For more sleep tips, check out
your Member Handbook in your Education Tab.
There you have it…seemingly small, simple tips that make a
WORLD of difference to your success. Got
some helpful hints of your own? Please
share with us on Facebook or make a comment on our blog page!
Welcome to Venice Nutrition and Happy New Year!
My best,
Valerie Cogswell
Lead Nutrition Coach and Head Chef