Cynthia Clayton: 5 Healthy Lifestyle Tips

2.02.2012

5 Healthy Lifestyle Tips

Get over the guilt. Realize that exercise is a stress reliever. You will actually be a better person and parent for taking the time to take care of yourself. Take an hour out of each day, at least 3 days per week. Be a positive example for those around you. Your body will thank you, and your friends and family will too.
Stop picking. Chew gum or drink something (water!) while cooking dinner. This will help eliminate the desire to nibble while cooking. Also, stay away from the kids plates. If you are finished with your meal, get up from the table and let the kids finish theirs. To eliminate wasted food, put the kids’ leftovers in a container and store it so that they can eat the leftovers tomorrow.
Stop looking at the numbers on the scale. Most people don’t realize that muscle weighs more than fat. So don’t go by a number on the scale – go by how you feel, how you look, how your clothes fit, these are key indicators that you are doing things right. The only number I feel concerned about is the body fat percentage and even that one isn’t always accurate.
Say no to food-pushing relatives, friends and co-workers. Sick and tired of friends and family pushing food on you that you don’t want to put in your body? It’s okay to politely say, no thanks. If they insist, simply explain it is not your lifestyle and you don’t wish to have anything. Our society is centered around food and get togethers, so if you know you are attending something where there is bound to be lots of food, take healthier options along with you. It’s ok to enjoy yourself, just keep things in moderation.
Plan meals in advance. Take that extra 10 minutes to be prepared and you will save time in the long run and feel better by being prepared. Cook extra at dinner to have the next day or prepare things in bulk over the weekend if you work. The key is being prepared and the more you do it the easier it gets and the less stressed you will be.

Client Testimonials

Charlotte, age 52, Carrollton, Georgia
- At a recent reunion, I over heard a comment, ... "she looks better now than she did in high school..." I concentrated harder to hear who the little group was talking about. Oh my God... it was me. How can a 52 year old grandmother look better than they did in high school? Two words. Cynthia Clayton.

While I've typically been considered "active" and had various exercise routines and diets over the years, my involvement with Cynthia has brought my understanding and appreciation of sound nutrition, strength training, and cardiovascular exercise to a whole new level. In the past year my body fat level has dropped from 24.7 to 20.4, I no longer worry about a number on a scale, and I eat about six times a day! Any time I can hoist a 40 pound bag of dog food or potting soil into a shopping cart and not think a thing about it - that's a good day! My biggest accomplishment? I can do a pull up all by myself. Imagine how good that feels at 52!!! A recent physical confirmed how good I feel by providing great results on my bone density, blood pressure, and cholesterol tests.

What got me to this point? An eating plan that gave my body what it needed to operate efficiently and an exercise plan that included weight training. Cynthia provided a wealth of knowledge in both areas. Nutritional tips so I did not feel deprived (how can one feel deprived while eating six times a day?), a tool that helped me create a customized eating plan, and a creative exercise plan that focused on different muscle groups each day kept me from getting bored with the program. Cynthia even made me take time off (which I was really bummed about) until I came back stronger than before. As time went on, I better understood her wisdom to the point that I no longer do things the way I used to -- nor do I want to.

Let's face it. You will know some people a lifetime who have little impact on how you live. But then you may know some people a very short time who have a tremendous impact on the standards you set for yourself. Cynthia is definitely the latter of the two.

Becca, age 23

- One day at work (Cynthia and I work together), I overheard some other co-workers of mine talking about Cynthia and her upcoming bodybuilding competition. (her first one ever) I became intrigued and wanted to know more. I didn’t know Cynthia at the time, so I persuaded my co-worker to walk down to her office with me so that I could ask her about it. I was so interested! That conversation that we had that day forever changed my life... Cynthia told me that I could workout with her over at our school’s gym anytime, and to just ask her! So, I did. That first day was brutal, I tell you, brutal. We did legs that day. I remember it quite clearly... doing squats on the smith machine, and lunges with weights. But, she wouldn’t let me stop. She pushed me and told me that if it were easy, “everyone would be doing it.” So, I continued… and in 3 months I went from a size 10 to a 4, and had lost nearly 30 lbs. I was convinced that the baby weight was never going to come off of me, but boy did my mind change after a few months. Cynthia helped me with my nutrition, making me realize that life (and eating) is all about moderation. The phrase, “eat to live, not live to eat” has stuck with me, and I think about it daily. She taught me that our body is a machine, and we need food to fuel it just as we would a car or a plane. She taught me that this is a LIFESTYLE, not a diet or a fad that you do for a few weeks, and then stop. It has to be something that you incorporate into your daily life. What I love most about her is that she is not only a trainer, she is a friend. She understands that life has its ups and its downs and that everyone’s situations are different. She knows that some people have children, some people are in their 50’s, some are in their 30’s, some in their 20’s, some are married, some are divorced, some don’t have children, some do, etc… and to me that is so valuable. Knowing that it’s not realistic for me to work out at certain times of the day because I have a 3 year old is what makes Cynthia, Cynthia. She helped me come up with a realistic workout plan that would fit my schedule, not hers or someone else’s. All in all, Cynthia truly has changed my life forever, and I will never go back to that lazy, unfit person that I was. She has opened my eyes to the way that we need to treat our bodies in order to live long, prosperous and most importantly, HEALTHY lives. She is a beautiful mother, wife, and friend, and I hope that I can touch others the way that she has touched me.

Cynthia Clayton

2.02.2012

5 Healthy Lifestyle Tips

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