6 Tips to Stay "On Track" Over the Weekend

You probably already know by know that we aren't super strict, we strongly believe that you should enjoy life and let loose sometimes. However, this is a LIFESTYLE for us though so we don't let weekends or holidays get completely out of control either. We try to treat weekends just like a normal day. Use these tips to stay "on track" over the weekend.

RELATED: 5 Things We Have Done to Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle for 5+ Years

6 Tips to Stay "On Track" Over the Weekend

1. Don't Skip Meals
   
   A BIG mistake people make is skipping meals. It seems to be an even bigger issue over the holidays and weekends. Whether it's intentional (thinking that you will "save" calories) or if you just get busy and forget to eat, skipping meals will lead you to over-indulging in the long run. Stick to your normal eating schedule and don't let yourself get too hungry. Pack your food or at least take protein bars or protein powder packets with you while you are out. Going to a party? Take something with you to share!
    
2. Make Time for Food Prep
   
   Take a little time to prep food or buy foods that don't take much prep time. We usually do a smaller food prep on Thursday or Friday that lasts us over the weekend. It's very easy to just brown meat to have on hand with some vegetables or rice. Things like canned tuna and eggs are very easy for quick weekend meals as well.
   RELATED: Weekend Food Prep
    
3. Sleep
   
   Sounds easy and amazing, right?! Well, why do most of us overlook this very important aspect of living a healthy lifestyle then? Just like with not skipping meals, don't let your sleep suffer over the weekend. Try to get 7.5-9 hours of quality sleep. Your body will thank you!
    
4. Schedule "Me" Time
   
   It's important to rest and relax on the weekend so that you feel refreshed. You don't need an entire day to yourself, although that would be nice, even just 10 minutes will work wonders for you mentally and physically. Activities to consider include walking, reading, taking a bath, getting a message, or just enjoying your coffee or tea in silence.
    
5. Stay Active
   
   Include at least one active activity each weekend. If you don't want to go to the gym on the weekend that's fine! Take the weekend as your rest day(s) but still try to stay active while having fun. Things like hiking, biking, playing in sports leagues, etc. are ways to have fun and also get a workout in. Again, even just 15 minutes of activity is better than nothing.
   RELATED: 5 Reasons Why You Need a Fitness Plan
    
6. Don't have an "all or nothing" attitude.
   
   You aren't perfect. We aren't perfect. No one is perfect. If you want to eat a hamburger, fries, and a milkshake and you do it - move on at your next meal. One "bad" meal isn't going to hurt you. You must start having a better relationship with food or you are going to always be stuck in the cycle where you start your new diet each Monday.

Continuing to eat junk food all weekend because of one choice is like slashing all of your tires because you had one flat tire. Keep it simple! All you have to do is make healthy choices the majority of the time and splurge on things that are worth it, not just because they are placed in front of you. Easy swaps like grilled chicken instead of fried chicken, vegetables instead of fries, water instead of soft drinks really add up!

5 Tips to Get Back on Track After Vacation

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If you follow us on Snapchat (hesheeatclean) or our other social media accounts Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest, you probably know already that we just got back from a vacation in San Diego. Scott had to go to LA for work for a few days so I tagged along and met up with some of my friends and business partners in San Diego.

Related: Read about our travels here.

Workout wise we didn't lift weights (we usually take our vacations as lifting breaks) but we did a lot of hiking while we were there, although we couldn't do everything we wanted because of the weather.

Nutrition wise we try to keep our meals healthy while on vacation. In order to save money we rent an Airbnb property (email us at thegang@heandsheeatclean.com for more information on Airbnb) or a hotel room with a kitchenette. While it may seem more expensive each night, it definitely pays off being able to eat a few meals in the room. We enjoyed the food in San Diego eating tacos multiple times, donuts from the Donut Bar, and cookie ice cream sandwiches from the Baked Bear (yes, it was all just as good as it sounds). On the other hand, many of our meals consisted of the Whole Foods salad bar and eggs and toast or oats for breakfast and turkey sandwiches for lunch (made in our condo). Even though we only ate out once a day at the most, my body was definitely feeling the oils and sodium that it isn't used to.

Related: Tips to Eat Healthy and Save Money While Traveling

This is what we call vacation balance:

As I "reset" my body this past week I decided that I would share this information since many of you will probably be taking vacations soon too. These tips don't apply to just vacations though, these are tips to get back on track at anytime!

5 Tips to Get Back on Track After Vacation

1. Don't Beat Yourself Up - You don't need to get back from vacation and "work off" what you ate. You don't need to do two hour cardio sessions. You don't need to mentally abuse yourself with negative thoughts about how you should have done things differently. There is absolutely nothing positive that will come of this behavior. 
2. Don't Weigh Yourself - If you feel sluggish and/or bloated, you know it. The scale is only going to tell you the same thing but will more than likely put you in a bad mood and maybe even make your behavior spiral out of control and send you into a binge. You know how you feel and how your pants fit, weighing yourself only to find out you've "gained" five pounds on vacation will do no good. Speaking of, most of the "weight" you gain will be in the form of water weight. Related: Stories from my scale and why you need to ditch yours for good.
3. Increase Water Consumption and Avoid Alcohol - Increase your water consumption when you return from your trip. Try making the Jillian Michaels' Detox Water, Refreshing Apple Cider Vinegar Detox Drink, or one of our many other flavored waters for a little different twist on just plain water. Try to only drink water or unsweetened tea - no juice or soda. Also, try to avoid alcohol.
4. Start/Continue Your Workout Plan - Now is a great time to start a new workout plan or pick up where you left off on your previous plan. Going into the gym (or your home workout space) with a clear direction will help you get back into the habit and reach your goals much faster. We have 4, 6, and 12 week workout plans to choose from! Related: 5 Reasons why you need a fitness plan.
5. Do A Short Detox/Eat Real, Whole Unprocessed Foods - You might be thinking, why are they talking about a detox. Well, we don't believe in juice cleanses or crazy restrictive detoxes. But we do like to do a detox once a quarter or every 6 months. This is basically just a push for us to jump back into eating real, whole foods as quickly as possible. Although prepping food might be the last thing you want to do, your body will thank you! You can learn about our preferred detox here and also request more information on our 21-Day Challenge here.

5 Reasons Why You Need A Fitness Plan

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I've seen it over and over again in the gym, people (mainly females but some males) will walk in the door and either hop on the cardio machine for an extended period of time and maybe throw in some ab moves at the end or they will go up and down the rows of machines without a clear purpose.

Yes, I think it is magnificent that they made it to the gym and applaud them for taking the first step but failing to have a plan when entering the gym can result in burnout from lack of results. As a certified personal trainer, I do think it is a good idea to have a few sessions so that you can learn where everything is and build a working base of exercises. However, I do not think that every person needs a personal trainer. If you are training for something specific or you need that accountability to get to the gym, by all means, hire a trainer! Make sure you do your homework and find one that aligns with your vision.

RELATED: 5 Things We Have Done to Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle for 5+ Years

This isn't just limited to the gym though, I receive emails from people all the time that say they do workout videos at home or grab a random workout off the internet. Again, this is great but if you really want to see results you do need a workout plan to follow. Ever since I started living this lifestyle I've followed a plan, even as a trainer! I always follow one of our plans, switching it up along the way as I see fit. I had a trainer for about three months while I was preparing for a photo shoot but ever since then I've had my own set plans - which is ultimately why we released our first plan, the She Sweats 12-Week Transformation.

You may have even noticed that on our monthly challenges I state that you should also be following a workout plan, doing 5 push-ups per day or a 30 second plank isn't going to produce the results you are looking for without more substance.

So, below are my reasons why you need a plan to follow and I'm not even the "planning" personality.

5 Reasons Why You Need A Workout Plan

1. Helps Prevent Under or Over Training - This is one of the most important reasons for having a workout plan. If you are just trying piece together different workouts or wandering around the gym, you could be training the same body part too close together or not enough. You may also be working out too long and/or doing too much cardio for your goals, etc. There's so many factors that can go into under or over training.
2. Provides Structure - There's nothing worse than feeling like you are wasting time. Having a workout plan provides you with structure so that you aren't wondering what to do next or just reverting back to the ol' cardio equipment. Our workout plans tell you which exercise to do, how many reps, how many sets, etc. Everything is laid out for you.
3. Provides Goals - A workout plan with a set number of weeks (such as a 4, 6, or 12 week workout plan like we have) provides you with an automatic goal - to complete the workout plan! You can even break it down further and look at it as a daily or weekly goal to complete all of the workouts.
4. Provides a Checklist - If you are a person that loves to be able to "check" something off, you will LOVE a structured workout plan! It's like giving yourself a pat on the back each day you complete your workout.
5. Prevents Burnout - As I mentioned before, not having a plan can and will lead to burnout. Sure, you might be tired of working out or might not be feeling the gym for a few days but if you keep moving forward you will see results. A well-structured workout plan will help prevent burnout because it should be changing every few weeks.

I can't speak for all the workout plans out there but I know that ours produces results and is structured so it takes the planning out of it for you. You are optimally training each body part in the most efficient way possible. We don't live in the gym and don't think that you should either!

Guess which workout plan works? The one you complete! You can't just do a workout plan for a few days or even for a few weeks and expect immediate results. You have to actually do the work to see the results - there is no magic pill!