As a personal fitness trainer in Fort Collins, I see plenty of well-intentioned folks take the right steps toward achieving their fitness and weight loss goals. Some start biking to work, join a gym or find a new more physically challenging hobby. Others avoid fried foods, lay off the sugar, or even make big life changes like quitting smoking. However, when it comes to “revamping” their lives to help their fitness and weight loss goals, I see my personal training clients ignore one area more than any other—their kitchen! It’s true. Don’t let your surroundings sabotage your fitness and weight loss goals. Instead, stock your kitchen with the right equipment so that nothing stands in the way between you and your personal health and weight loss goals.
Protein Consumption for Your Fitness and Weight Loss Goals
Goal 1: Maintain and Enhance Your Growing Muscles! To do this, you’ll need to stock up on lean meat, fish, and soy. Plenty of my clients pass the fish section in their Fort Collins grocer of choice, but hardly one prepares fish in their home kitchen. Stop! By substituting fish for beef or pork just twice a week, you’ll get valuable omega-3s and cut calories. And what about the kitchen? Invest in extra-virgin olive oil, a silicone spatula designed for flipping even the most finicky fish, and a great but simple seafood cookbook.
Environmentally Conscious
Goal 2: Keep Green While You Get Lean! It really is possible to steer clear of potentially toxic nonstick pans. Go with cast iron frying pans instead (and get a little boost of iron in the process). Or invest in an eco-friendly nontoxic pan from a specialty store. Either way, you can stir-fry, scramble eggs, and flip veggie burgers with a clear conscience and a clean bill of health knowing you are taking positive steps to achieve your fitness and weight loss goals.
Cooking At Home
Goal 3: Say Yes to Being Your Own Chef (and Say No to Takeout!) Sometimes the truth is just simple. Preparing and cooking your own food is always the smartest way to get fit and healthy. It’s just a fact. Even the healthy restaurants in Fort Collins, likely serve generous portion sizes and have higher fat content than fare made at home. When I ask my personal training clients why they continue to eat out, the number one response is time. So if this is an issue for you, outfit your kitchen with equipment that helps you prep healthy food faster so you don’t sabotage your fitness and weight loss goals. For instance, when you need some fiber, why wait an hour for healthy grains to cook? Purchase a dual steamer and grain cooker and get the job done in 30 minutes.
Simple Soups for Your Fitness and Weight Loss Goals
Goal 4: Keep It Simple Stupid! So many of my personal training clients in Fort Collins love soup but they’re too intimidated to make it themselves and instead opt for high-salt canned versions. Next time try simmering vegetables (like carrots, onions, and potatoes) with chicken broth and ginger (or another of your favorite spices). Then use an immersion blender to puree the mixture into a creamy, delicious version of its former self. Not only will you avoid consuming a lot of sodium, but you will also take another positive step toward achieving your fitness and weight loss goals.
Conclusion
Finally, remember that you are not alone and powerless. Fitness trainers like myself make helping you fine-tune your life (and sometimes that means your kitchen too) a living.