What are "The Rules"?

When you start anything new, it's important to know the rules. New card game: "Which cards are wild?" New city to drive in: What's the speed limit?" New job: "Can I make 'That's what she said jokes'?" (The answer, by the way, is NO, at just about all jobs.)

But with this new "Whole Life" concept - what are my rules? 

The fact of the matter is that there is SO much, often conflicting, information out there about fitness that it's hard to know which rules you should adhere to. We all see people packing the gyms this time of year and ordering Ab-Flab-Blasters and Shake Weights on TV. And being active is great. But is it enough? 

Rule #1: I worked Dana O., a fabulous personal trainer, 14 years ago (before my wedding) and she always told me the 80/20 rule. Weight loss is 80% nutrition and 20% exercise. This morning, while recovering from a nasty chest cold, I've been surfing around and stumbled across this video, where Isabel reminded me of the 80/20 rule. 

My current trainer and friend, Ben Grojean, couples that with ANOTHER 80/20 rule. Sure, 80% of your weight loss is tied to the food you eat, but we're all human. We like pizza. We love ice cream (Ted & Wally's has pumpkin pie ice cream today!!). So, if we can follow our healthy food rules about 80% of the time, we'll end up ahead of the curve. So, I'm coining this the 80/80 Rule. I don't have to be perfect (and couldn't be if I tried), but it's good to have a guideline that I can follow.

Rule #2: Drink more water. Period. A hydrated body is more efficient and healthier.

Rule #3: Keep it real. If I can't pronounce it, I shouldn't eat it. Seems simple, but I know it's going to be easier said than done. I mean, I love food. But a lot of the food that I love isn't really food at all. It's a conglomeration of chemicals, artificial sweeteners, red dye #5 and goodness knows what else. It tastes good, but so does real food. So why not eat the stuff that is good for you? If you can't pronounce it, you're body probably doesn't know what to do with it, either.

All of this rule following is going to take one thing: PLANNING. Shopping for the real food that my body needs, taking the time to prepare whole foods, not resorting to things that are "convenience" or "diet" foods. It's going to be a challenge and a change. But one that I know my body will thank me for.

Plan of attack - starting small:
Carry a water bottle with me, everywhere.

Clean snacking. Snacks should have less than 5 ingredients, and I should be able to pronounce them all.  There are a ton of great ideas on Pinterest!

I think this is a good place to start. I'll let you know how it goes!

<3Jen