QUICK THOUGHTS

Some quick thoughts and hopefully helpful advice.

1. If you workout at the YMCA, make it a habit to stop by PEDDLER JIM'S PRODUCE ( the fruit and vegetable stand on the first floor of the Grand Avenue ) EVERY TIME you come to the Y. The produce is great and the prices are the cheapest around. It's a simple way to always have vegetables and fruits for you.

2. Juice sucks...eat the fruit

3. If you can lift weights for over an hour you're not working hard enough.

4. The more you can replace breads, cereals and pastas with fruits and vegetables the far better you'll feel and look. NOTE that I didn't say to not eat carbs.

5. Eggs are good for you. Look for free range.

6. Take one hour a week to cook your meat for the week and freeze it.

7. Whenever you eat out, get in the habit of splitting your meal in two. With the size of most meals that should not cause you to starve! Take the other half home and have it for lunch the next day.

8. Eat till you barely "feel it", then stop. Overeating on a regular basis is a major problem.

9. If you don't know which foods are mainly "protein" or "complex carbs" or "good fat" or "processed carbs"...spend a half hour on google and find out. You need to have a basic understanding of foods in order to eat properly.

10. Get sufficient sleep. Sleep is more important than working out. DON'T lose two hours of sleep to get up early to workout. Better to go to sleep earlier or workout later.

11. Whenever possible eat food as close to its natural state as you can. For example: eat an orange instead of orange juice, strawberries instead of strawberry jelly, peanuts instead of peanut butter, etc. If you do that, you won't have to worry about your diet.

12. Eat breakfast ever day. Sorry, but few things are as consistently proven to be beneficial as eating breakfast. There's no other option. Just do it!

13. Cereals are overrated.

14. Follow the "7 Rules of Healthy Eating" in an earlier blog post.

15. Get rid of all the junk food in your kitchen, refrigerator and pantry. It shouldn't be in your house. I'm not saying never eat a little junk food but it should take you a LOT more effort to get it than simply walking into your kitchen.

16. Read labels. Pay particular attention to the amount of sugar and protein.

That's all for now. If you have any questions, let me know: mattbarberfitness@gmail.com