Food and Exercise
Simple ways to improve your diet and exercise
Food
• Eat lean proteins
• At least two fruits a day
• Lots of green veggies
• Eat three balanced meals a day, 3
healthy snacks if needed
• Keep the fat low
• Don’t eat 2 hours before bedtime
Food Substitutes
• Milk chocolate Dark chocolate
• White bread Whole Grain Bread
• Soda Tea or Water
• Diet soda Water
• Regular yogurt Low fat/fat free yogurt
• Bag of potato chips Slices of apple
Food Servings
• Meat, Chicken, Fish should be the size of your
palm
• Cheese should be the size of the tip of your
thumb
• Nuts should be the size of a small handful
• Grains or Pasta should be the size of one fist
• Cereal should be the size of two fists
• Fruits and Vegetables should be the size of
one fist or more
Exercise
• Workout 5-6 days a week if possible
• Start out small and then get big
– Ex. Start out with 15 min cardio then advance
to 30 min cardio
• Workout with a partner
• Create nonfood rewards
• Do things manually
Sample Exercises-Abs
• The Hundred -- Put a folded towel between your knees and lift legs
45 degrees off the floor. Raise head and pulse arms up and down by
hips. Inhale as you do 5 arm pulses (up and down equals one
pulse), then exhale as you do 5. Repeat 8 times.
• Roll-Up -- Sit with knees bent and hands behind them for support.
Round upper back; lean back 45 degrees. Contract your abs to sit
upright, but don’t use your arms to help. Repeat 4 times.
• Flutter Kick -- Lean on elbows with hands by hips and feet just off
the floor. Use lower legs to lightly kick 50 times total.
• Leg Lift -- Lean on elbows. Keeping both knees bent, lift left leg 90
degrees and lift right foot up 2 inches. Lift right leg up to 90 degrees
as you lower left foot to 2 inches off floor. Repeat 10 times.
• Slow Crunch -- Lying on your back, cross arms on chest or hold
head lightly in hands. Contract abs, lifting chest for 3 seconds until
shoulders and shoulder blades are slightly raised. If your hands are
supporting your head, make sure you use your abs, not your arms,
to pull yourself up. Hold 3 seconds, then take 4 seconds to lower
down. Repeat 4 times.
• Twisting Crunch -- With hands behind head and legs 6 inches off
the floor, bring left elbow to right knee. Keep left leg straight. Move
right elbow to left knee; keep right leg straight. Do this 20 times total;
hold for 2 seconds each time.
Sample Exercises-Legs
• Invisi-bike -- Life with your legs up. Pump your legs like
bike pedals for 30 seconds. Cycle in the reverse
direction for 30 seconds. Do this 2 times each.
• Butt Lifter -- Sit down with your arms slightly behind you
and your knees bent. Lift your butt so your torso is
parallel with the floor. Do 3 sets of 10 reps.
• Fly Girl -- Lie on your stomach with your arms out in
front of you. Life legs and torso off the floor. Do 3 sets of
10.
• Push Pop -- Get in a push-up position with your arms
and legs straight. Bend arms, look right and lift left leg.
Do 3 sets of 4 on each leg.
More Exercises
• Walk -- Walk everyday. Try and keep
same pace.
• Stationary Bicycle -- Ride stationary
bicycle for 15 or more minutes a day. Try
and keep a somewhat fast pace.
• Ab-Lounger -- Do 25 crunches. Then 15
on each side. Focus on keeping abs
contracted throughout work out.
• Gym -- Go to a local gym or YMCA and
use their equipment there
Reminders
• Love Your Body -- Having a good body image helps you
feel and look good.
• Avoid Hunger -- Skipping meals signals your brain to seek
out food, especially the high-fat, high-cal kind. Instead eat
small amounts every two to three hours to keep your blood
sugar steady and your stomach from growling.
• Feel Satisfied -- To enjoy meals more, even when serving
are smaller, eat the right variety of foods. Combining
different flavors and textures wards off cravings longer.
When you eat, try to have a pit of protein, fat, and
carbohydrates. Aim for half your meal to be fruits and
vegetable, one-fourth lean protein, and one-fourth whole
grains.
• Boost Your Energy -- People who are really active
actually feel less tired. One of the easiest ways to get more
exercise is to simply walk more. To stay fit, you should take
10,000 steps a day.
• Stay Motivated -- People who have a workout partner lose
more weight because they stick to the program longer.
Having someone by your side provides that extra support
when you’re not feeling so inspired.