Today’s guest blogger is the gorgeous Bess, from Bess Be Fit. Bess’ blog is awesome because she’s a personal trainer who lives a realistic life that’s healthy but relatable all at the same time. She played Division I soccer (Ryan is seriously impressed!) and clearly knows a thing or two about fitness. I hope you enjoy her guest post as much as I enjoy reading her blog!
Guest Post: Bess Be Fit
Hi Everyone! I’m Bess and I blog over at Bess Be Fit. I am SO EXCITED to be guest blogging for Peanut Butter Fingers (its one of my favorite blogs of all time so this is a fun day for me 
). Like most healthy living blogs, I strive to live a healthy, active life, and similar to Julie, I MUST have my treats in there, too! I definitely don’t believe in deprivation, and that is why it was so important for me to realize that small lifestyle changes can make a big difference in the long run!
Here are some lifestyle changes and additions that I like to practice to help me stay healthy while I can still enjoy the indulgences of life!
- Not everyone has time to get to the gym to get in a long strength training session to help keep up the tone and strength of their muscles. Go to Target or Walmart and get some dumbbells to use around the house when you have a few extra minutes. During commercial breaks of a TV show do some bicep curls, shoulder presses, lunges, squats, sit-ups…anything!
- I know we’ve all heard it a million times, but TAKE THE STAIRS! But not just once, if you have time, walk up and down that same flight of stairs a couple of times if you have some time to spare. It won’t take much time to get those legs burning! And take 2 steps at a time! Even more challenging!
- Take a walk after meals. Again, I know time constraints can play a factor in this but if you can, take even a short walk after meals. I love taking a walk after dinner especially if I feel like I ate a little too much! It will help with digestion and burn a few extra calories.
- Like a lot of people, I like to snack throughout the day. Sometimes, however, I find that I’m not actually hungry and I’m doing it out of boredom! When this happens, I always put a piece of gum in my mouth. It makes me realize I wasn’t actually hungry and I enjoy the minty taste J. Sometimes I will also put Crest Whitestrips on my teeth so I’m making my teeth pearly white (and you can’t snack with those babies on!) to keep myself from excessive snacking when I am not truly hungry. Or just brush your teeth!
- Play mind tricks with yourself. I’m not sure where I saw or heard this but I heard that if you tell yourself you’ve already had one serving of something you want, that you are more likely to eat less of it. So next time you want an extra slice of chocolate cake, pretend you’re already eating your second slice. I’m not sure why it works but it really does for me!
- Make healthy substitutions when baking or cooking if you are trying to watch your calories. FitSugar has a great list of substitutions you can swap for a healthier option.
- Drink water!! I carry around my Tervis Tumbler and refill that thing at least 4 times a day. I also like to drink an entire glass of water first thing in the morning to jumpstart my metabolism.
- Get enough sleep! When I don’t get at least 7-8 hours a night I don’t function well and find that I will end up eating more because I feel like I need more energy, when really I just need more sleep!
- Balance out the days. If you are a little more indulgent one day don’t beat yourself up! Just try to be better about eating more lean proteins and veggies the next day.
I hope these tips I follow can help other people find balance in life!! Life is just way more fun without restrictive deprivation.
Thanks Julie and Peanut Butter Fingers readers for sharing some time with me today!
Question from Bess
- What are some of your favorite small changes to make to your lifestyle?
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Have at least half of your plate be made up of fruits or veggies!!! It’ll change your life 🙂
When I want something carbonated, I like to drink sparkling water with a splash of juice instead of soda. When eating out, I still allow myself to get what I want, but I make small modifications such as “hold the cheese” or “no mayo” and maybe get a salad for a side instead of fries.
I put on my gym clothes immediately afterwork, or first thing in the morning if I want to workout early. If I already have my gym clothes on I am much more likely to get there, like today!
Thanks for a great guest post, glad that now I have a new blog to follow :0)
Love the tip of using the Crest white strips!! 😀 Those things are really awesome- reminds me that I should probably pick some up, since I’ve been out for a while.
I eat dessert every.single.night. Some nights it’s a bowl of icecream, others its a piece of cake, and some is a bowl of fruit. But I only eat one serving. It’s helped me to not gorge on sweets “only on the weekends.” I read somewhere that our taste buds are satisfied with something after 3-4 bites.
Great tips! I have begun asking myself if the food I want to eat is going to be respectful of my goals and my health. Its easier to decline sweets when you realize that they aren’t helping your wellness (as opposed to just your waistline)
Bess I LOVE all of your healthy suggestions! Especially having weights (or resistance bands) at home, talking walks after dinner, and finding healthy substitutes.
I also love making fitness a social affair with friends and family! 🙂
Have a great weekend! 🙂
I have been running consistently for over a month. And just making fitness and a healthy lifestyle a bigger priority has changed my life. I am currently training for a race in October, and I just ran my first 5K two days ago. Setting goals, running with friends and making it a priority has been a big thing for me. Awesome tips Bess!! 🙂
I find it disappointing that a personal trainer is advocating using white strips as a way to avoid eating. Recognize that a personal trainer has a more authoritative voice than the average person in providing tips on staying healthy… techniques such as using white strips and visualizing food instead of eating it are not healthy and instead scream of issues with body image. If this is how you choose to live your personal life that is fine, but to provide “professional” advice about unhealthy eating (or should I say noneating) habits is wrong and does not belong on a blog promoting a healthy lifestyle.
I’m going to have to say, I totally agree with this comment!
I wasn’t advocating it as a way to stop eating if you are hungry…what I said was I snack sometimes when I’m NOT hungry and crest whitestrips are a way to stop myself from that. When I’m hungry, I’ll eat! But I don’t want to do it out of boredom. I would never tell people to not eat if they were truly hungry. Sorry if that was misunderstood. If you ever read my blog you’ll know I’m a big fan of food!
I think a lot of people have problems overeating, so chewing gum might be a good tip for them.
People eat for a lot of other reasons besides being hungry/sustaining themselves!
I have to agree with Girl in the Pink. I completely understood what Bess was trying to say. Since I’ve been trying to practice more intuitive eating (rather than calorie counting), I often ask myself, “Am I hungry or am I bored?” If I’m hungry or truly feel the need for more “energy” in the form of food, I’ll eat. And believe me, I eat plenty! 🙂 But if I recognize that it’s just boredom and not hunger, I’ll get on the computer or call a friend.
Now it would be a completely different thing if you could hear your belly growling and you knew it was time to eat, but then you popped a breath-strip instead.
Thanks for understanding what I meant 🙂
My first thought after reading the ‘tips’ was the same as Reader’s unfortunately. Quite a few are very disordered!
I have to say I’m also disappointed with some of these tips.
Playing “mind games” to get yourself to stop eating (hungry or full) does not sound like a healthy relationship to have with food and reminds me of things I used to do when I had an eating disorder.
A personal trainer should have healthier tips than that…just sayin.
My biggest change was water…. it is so important to have enough water to flush out our systems!!!!
Great post! Any suggestions on how much weight you should start with as a small-armed almost-beginner? 5 lbs? 8 lbs?
I use both 5 and 8 at home and sometimes hold 2 in my hand at once if I want them to be heavier. Those are my personal preferences!
Good deal. Thanks!
I eat three small meals and 2-3 snacks a day and I make sure to drink about 100 oz of water a day. I fit in strength training at lunch three times a week and get up early Saturday mornings for a long run.
I also treat myself by baking healthy muffins, breads, or cookies every other week, usually getting my kids to help so we can have fun time in the kitchen together.
Great tips Bess, thanks for your guest post! I stay on my feet as much as possible – even standing is better than sitting 🙂
Awesome post, Bess. It really gets the brain wheels turing. I found that blogging helped me snack less…. Can’t type and munch at the same time, it get’s the keys sticky!
Great post, Bess! I swear by the whole brushing teeth after meals. It makes the snacking disappear! Plus it’s great for my teeth! 🙂
I agree with Ashley (comment #1) – I try to make fruits/veggies at least 1/2 of my meal. This isn’t to eat less calories, it is to eat more nutritious foods.
These are great tips! Thanks for sharing. 🙂 I do the gum trick allll the time.
I need to get a tervis tumbler!
Best tip for healthy eating I Have is to pack good snacks That are portion controlled! I always keep emergency snacks every where I go.
I love taking the stairs, parking further away, and eating tons of fruits and veggies at every meal. I always try and space my meals out as well so I don’t go TOO hungry during the day!
Thanks for sharing your tips, Bess! 🙂
I try to work out everyday for a minimum of thirty minutes – even if it’s just a walk and some yoga on some days! I also try to get some of my exercise outdoors! I feel so so much better when I have been moving and outside! AND, I try not to eat highly processed foods by keeping my kitchen stocked with healthier options!
I love the dumbbell suggestion. I bought dumbbells a few months ago, and I’ll just pick them up and do a few reps during commercial breaks. It makes a surprising difference when you add it up!
I also really enjoy the “walk post-meal” suggestion. I try to walk my doggie after dinner 🙂 Another tip I have is invest in trashy magazines! They can be so distracting.. I lose myself in them.
I take a drink of water every time I go to the bathroom.
LOVE these tips! I try to incorporate random weight training while watching TV on days where I just couldn’t get to the gym – whatever works!!!
The “one serving” trick is one that I can only HOPE would work for me 😉
I make sure to bring plenty of healthy snacks to work, so that I’m not STARVING by the time I get home in the evening. Fruit, yogurt, granola bars, string cheese, and cocoa covered almonds all work really well for me.
I also eat a good sized breakfast every morning. I think it’s important to start the day off on the right foot!
Great post!
I love love love sour cream…but obviously it’s not the healthest thing. I’m so glad I found out about plain greek yogurt. Perfect substitution to a recipe or just to add to an already prepared dish! Lots of flavor for little calories!
I love the water tip. I drink at least 70-80 ounces a day and always down a large glass when I’m starting to feel “snacky”. It usually helps me decipher between boredom and real hunger.
I love this post! These small changes really can help. My favorite tip is every time that you think you are hungry drink a glass of water to make sure you aren’t just thirsty (as they are often confused) and if you are still hungry after, you know you truly are hungry and can eat something!
white strips are such a good idea!! I wonder if that would be weird at work… 😉
Great post with helpful tips! 🙂 Bess has a great blog, I love reading it! 🙂
I think easy changes for me have just been learning how to cook healthier versions of food I love that may not be so healthy. For example, making toca’s using corn tortillas and low fat cheese with ground turkey, making pizza with low fat cheese and ground turkey on a whole wheat crust, even replacing sugar with splenda to save on calories.
Awesome guest post!! Thanks for the tips! 😀
alarms on my computer to stand up or go for a walk. lots of gum–which is annoying, but at least i’m not snacking. telling myself to wait 15 minutes and THEN go back to the kitchen if i’m really hungry.
Great guest post! I agree, the little things add up!
The gum is a big thing for me. I’m a dental hygienist so this is a great thing to do not only to curb your hunger for a bit or if you are wanting to snack after boredom. It also helps to chew after dinner to get the saliva going and keep your teeth from getting cavities if you had any sweets after dinner. Nice Guest post Bess!
Nice tips! Well, I could add this one: Sometimes I force myself (or not ^^)to go to bed early when I have a long day coming or just to refill my batteries! Even though I don’t often fall asleep straight away, it is very relaxing for the body.
This is super cliche, but honestly making a commitment to take the stairs instead of the elevator is super important to me. Sometimes, I get lazy and really want to take the elevator, especially if my hands are full. Then, I realize that I want to be able to use stairs when I’m older so I need to stay in shape while I’m younger! For more tips that I follow check out my blog runningwithmascara.com 🙂
Great ideas! I make sure to take the stairs whenever possible, drink a lot of water, and get as much sleep as I can. The sleep part has been an issue for me this summer since I started working nights. Only 1 week left! Woo hoo! 🙂
Thanks for this post! I’m always looking for new ways to be fit & sleeping more is something I need to try lol
When I want a soda I drink black tea instead. My added sugar doesn’t help the sugar factor but it’s better in many other ways. : )
I love to cook and love being in the kitchen, but my freshman year of college I lost close to 120 lbs, and have kept it off the last four years, thus my passion for cooking Im in the kitchen alot but to keep from eating everything I make and am making, I chew alot of mint gum inorder to keep from eating all the time..
Also I love fresh fruit and veggies, so we get ALOT ALOT of fresh friut and vegtables from the local farmers markets but what I found was that if you bring them home and clean then RIGHT when you get home you will use them throughout the week. If you just bring home the produce and put it in the crisper you tend to get lazy and let them go to waste…those clean, chop, and bag up the items you want to use throughout the week!!!
Last, we love to snack so we have a bowl full of cleaned grapes and honey dew, and then a bowl of cut up apples and pears on the TOP shelf of the fridge so if you want a snack you can just grab and chow down on fruit so you dont grab chips or candy!
Great guest post!
I like this post a lot 🙂 Thanx!