Proper hydration is so important during this time of the year. Daily tasks such as getting groceries, going for a walk or commuting to work can take a lot of out you in the spring and summer months. Even just sitting in the sun at the beach or in your back yard can cause your body to need more fluids. Pay attention to your body and drink water often – by the time you feel thirsty you are already in need of fluid. Make it a point to keep water on hand and make sure you have access to drinking water during the day, whether that means keeping a refillable water bottle with you or buying bottled water throughout the day or refilling your glass at work or at home from the sink or water cooler.

Staying hydrated during exercise is crucial, so make sure you are drinking water before, during and after a workout, especially in the warm weather. Drink a glass or a bottle of water 15 minutes before you exercise, make sure to drink as much as you need during your workout, and always rehydrate after. Being dehydrated during exercise can cause your performance to decrease and can even put strain on your heart – keeping the body hydrated helps the heart pump blood more easily through the blood vessels to the muscles and helps your muscles work efficiently. It also helps you regulate your body temperature in the heat and cool down after activity.

Though we may want to reach for juice, sports drinks or soda in the summer heat or during exercise, make sure you are drinking plenty of water. Juices and sports drinks may offer vitamins and electrolytes, but they also come with sugar and carbs. If you’re looking for something flavored and refreshing, try adding fruit or vegetables to your water for a tasty way to stay hydrated.

It may take some extra thought and care, but keeping yourself hydrated in the next few months is extremely important. It can help with your weight loss by decreasing your hunger before meals on top of being essential to a healthy lifestyle. Drink up!

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

Sometimes all it takes is a little visual reminder of what you are working towards and all the good you are doing. Check our Facebook page for daily motivational posts that can keep you in the right mindset. If you have a specific event you are looking forward to such as a wedding, bar mitzvah or vacation, use a calendar or the clothes you plan to wear to keep you motivated. One of the hardest parts of weight loss is that results take time, so visuals are a helpful way of picturing what you are working towards when you need a reminder.

It’s also important to remember the benefits you are going to experience beyond weight loss. Losing weight can lower your risk of heart attack and stroke, and it can also help you lower your blood pressure to help keep you from heart disease. Weight loss is also known to reduce your cholesterol and your risk of Diabetes and other chronic disease. Getting healthy will also benefit your skin: Vitamin C, which is found in oranges, berries, peppers, tomatoes, melons, broccoli and more, is essential to building healthy tissue and skin. Broccoli as well as spinach, carrots and kale are also high in Vitamin A which has huge benefits for your skin. You may also experience benefits in your digestive system. After all, if you put good food in your belly it’s going to feel good! Eating clean can also help you boost your energy levels. Eating heavy meals will make you feel exactly that – heavy. Avoiding foods that make you feel sluggish and give you short term sugar highs will help keep you focused all day. Because of this, weight loss is also known to boost your mood. When you feel better physically, you have a more positive outlook and have the ability to reduce stress and accomplish more during the day. Proper nutrition also gives your body the vitamins and good bacteria that can kill germs, help fight diseases and boost the immune system.

If you find your motivation fading during the day, maybe it’s your environment. If you’re stressed and looking for comfort food or just feeling burnt out, find a way to step away and re-energize yourself. That can be going for a walk or working out if you exercise. It can also be anything that makes you happy that doesn’t have to do with food – listening to upbeat music, chatting with a friend, read a book or work on a hobby. You will feel so much better doing something productive and rewarding yourself with something other than food. You can also do something relaxing such as meditation or listening to soothing music to reduce stress and prevent yourself from emotional eating. We all have times in the day when we get antsy and are vulnerable to weak moments of intense cravings – know when this time is for you and be prepared to redirect your attention and focus on something positive.

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

You have to start by committing to a goal. It may seem unnecessary, but making your goal something specific and attainable can help you form habits to get you there. Once you pick something, break it down in to smaller steps that you can work on each week and each day. For example, if you want to make a certain amount of progress by a certain date, break it down week by week to help you stay motivated. Seeing yourself lose each week will make you want to try even harder the next week and soon you will feel really good about your healthy habits when you see how they are working for you.

As much as we try, it is inevitable that there will be bumps in the road. When you have a craving, think it through. 10 minutes from now do you want to feel guilty or proud? Think about the benefits and the downsides and make your choice with logic and a clear head. None of us are perfect, but you do have a choice when something doesn’t happen the way we want it to: give up or learn from it. Understanding the real reason why you can’t stick to your habits or why you haven’t been able to make it work in the past can help you find success this time. Move forward with new understanding but don’t be hard on yourself. Making a major change in your life can require constant effort and be quite exhausting, but the new habits you form from hard work and dedication will help you reach your goals and sustain a healthy lifestyle. Slowly, it will become easier and easier to make the healthy choices until they become habit.

An important part of making smart choices is having a plan and being prepared. If you want to eat clean, you have to have healthy food in your home or a plan when you eat out. Make a grocery list, check restaurant menus ahead of time, plan your meals and snacks – do whatever it takes to give yourself a helping hand.

The definition of a habit is an acquired behavior pattern regularly followed until it has become almost involuntary. You may feel nervous and impatient in the beginning, but even the smallest changes you make are setting you on the right path. The work you do day in and day out may feel tedious sometimes but you are rebuilding your lifestyle while also losing weight. It takes time and hard work but that’s what makes it worth it.

~ Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

Start with your kitchen. Keep all foods organized and separated. Many people can’t always get rid of unhealthy foods because of family or kids, so making healthy food accessible can often be the first step to making a smart choice. If your refrigerator or pantry is jammed with a mix of healthy and unhealthy foods, is hard to say what you will reach for in a moment of craving? Make healthy options easy to see and reach for. This will also help you keep track of your go-to foods so you never run out. 

Once you are stocked, prep your food. Some people like to prep meals ahead of time, but even just washing, cutting and preparing vegetables and fruits can be a big help. Separated all food into snack or meal-sized portions and keep them in an easily accessible space in your refrigerator. Make reaching for a healthy snack as easy as reaching for a cookie. You can even go a step further and combine foods like veggies and hummus or peanut butter and apple slices in the same container for a complete and quick snack. 

Making healthy food part of you routine will help you stay regular and stay on track. You don’t have to deprive yourself of your favorites – finding healthy alternatives to your staples can make the transition to clean eating easier. Switch milk or creamer for skim milk or almond milk. Like ice cream? Keep 40 calorie fudge pops in your freezer. Need a sweet or salty snack at night? Make sure you have portioned snacks of the approved foods you crave like popcorn and sweets and you don’t have to lose out when you need your fix. 

Even if you buy healthy foods they won’t make a difference if they just sit in your kitchen. Putting in the extra effort to plan and prepare will take the thinking out of making the right choice and simplify your day. Don’t let “I didn’t have a choice” become an excuse. Something as simple as packing your lunch, keeping healthy snacks in the car, or stocking your kitchen with healthy foods will help you get that much closer to your goals. 

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

Fiesta Lime Chicken (6 servings) 

Getting a little bored with the same old grilled chicken? This recipe for a delicious chicken marinade will give you some added flavor to keep things interesting. It will make enough marinade for 6 chicken breasts. You will need the juice from 3 limes blended with 1 jalapeño (cut and remove seeds), 5 garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, and 5 tablespoons of oil in a blender or food processor. Place the chicken in a Ziplock bag with the marinade and let it sit in the refrigerator before grilling or cooking. 

Quinoa Salad (4 servings) 

This next recipe combines flavorful vegetables with fresh and sweet fruit. The mix of flavors is a surprisingly tasty combination. To start, cook 2 cups of quinoa in 3 cups of water. Once it is cooked, sauté 1 sliced leek and 1 minced garlic clove in 1/2 tbsp of oil with salt and pepper for about 5 minutes. Add 1 bunch of chopped asparagus and continue to sauté for another 5-10 minutes (until asparagus is tender). Stir in 1 cup of diced strawberries, 3/4 cup of fresh or frozen peas and 1 cup of chopped parsley. Heat for a few more minutes then remove from heat. Whisk together 2 tablespoons of oil, 3 tbsp of lemon juice and 1/4 tsp of sea salt for a light and simple dressing. Mix together quinoa, veggies and dressing and enjoy!

Shrimp Lettuce Wraps (4 servings) 

This recipe is an exciting and tasty twist on regular chicken, turkey or tuna lettuce wraps. Take 1 lb of shrimp (peeled and deveined) and sprinkle with salt and pepper after rinsing and drying them. Add a drizzle of oil to a skillet and sauté the shrimp for 2 minutes on each side. Slice some veggies of your choice into thin matchsticks – cucumber and carrot are great options. Then you can make an optional dipping sauce by whisking 3/4 cup low fat sesame ginger salad dressing with 2 tbsp of creamy peanut butter. Assemble the lettuce wraps with a lettuce leaf of your choice, a couple strips each of vegetables and 2 shrimps. Drizzle with a small amount of peanut sauce and enjoy! 

Kale Smoothie (1 serving)  

A smoothie is a perfect healthy way to start your day packed with vegetables and protein. This delicious green smoothie is made from 1/2 cup of kale, 1/2 cup of spinach, 1/4 cup of pineapple, 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk, 1/2 cup of ice and 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder. This healthy breakfast is full of vitamins and minerals such as vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, iron, fiber and much more…and it tastes sweet and refreshing.

~ Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018