1. COMMIT YOURSELF
"Write down your intentions. For example, 'I intend to be healthy and fit.' Then, write something that will help you do it: 'I intend to take at least 15 minutes for myself four days a week so that I can work on my fitness.' If you miss a week or two, it's easy to just throw up your hands and say, 'I give up until the kids move away to college.' Instead, reread your intentions and get clear on them. You don't have to be perfect, but you need to be taking baby steps towards your goal. If it were easy, everybody would be walking around with perfect bodies."
2. BE PREPARED
"In order to eat right, you need to set yourself up to win. Make it easier on yourself by throwing the bad stuff out of the house. Instead, have fresh fruits and vegetables available and some lean-protein sources.
It really comes down to planning. I start the night before, when I'm making dinner. If I'm cooking chicken, I'll make an extra chicken breast so I can have it on my salad tomorrow. While the chicken's in the oven, I'll wash grapes or section a grapefruit. So the next day you're running out the door with a lunch packed and some snacks so that you're not leaving your nutrition to chance. In the beginning it takes more effort, but it truly gets easier because it becomes your habit. You'll notice that you're starting to lose weight, but more likely, first you'll notice that you start to feel better, have more energy, and feel more balanced."
3. START SMART
"Always eat breakfast. I know we've heard it before, but for some reason women still skip breakfast. You're more likely to be overweight if you skip breakfast because you end up making up for those calories later in the day.
It's supereasy to start your day with half a grapefruit and some low-fat yogurt. If that's too hard for you, go for a glass of grapefruit juice and a handful of almonds as you're running out the door. The main thing is to get some nutrient-dense foods in you. You want those vitamins; you want those minerals; and you're going to get that from your fruits and vegetables and some sort of protein and fat combination."
4. SNEAK IT IN
"Moms know what moms say: 'Eat your fruits and vegetables.' There's a reason that that's a cliché. I want people to eat more fruits and vegetables because they're going to get the most nutritional bang for their buck. They're going to get a lot of vitamins and minerals and fiber for a very low calorie tradeoff.
If I make a salad, I'll toss it with pomegranate seeds, or I'll chop grapefruit and avocado into a salsa, or I'll add spinach to my eggs, or I'll add broccoli to pasta. At every opportunity, sneak in an extra fruit or vegetable."
5. GET MOVING
"If you can only [work out for] 15 minutes, four times a week to start, then do it through strength training. You can get the most bang from your time if you set up a circuit and focus on working your big muscles.
If you have more time you can do so much in 30 minutes. I would do a full-body strength workout [head-to-toe doing resistance based exercises] for 30 minutes, and then the next day, 30 minutes of interval-style cardio. It doesn't really matter what you choose for the cardio. With exercise, you need to [say], 'This is my time and I'm going to do it.'"
