By: Tiffany Maruniak, Kickboxing Instructor
You've all heard that diet and exercise is the key to weight loss and good health. But, what you don't hear is how to continue the program long enough to reach your goals. Here are some helpful hints I've learned from my experiences with diet, exercise and pregnancy and how they all fit into a balanced life.

Establish a routine. The hardest part of embarking on any new endeavor and sticking with it is establishing a routine. How many times have you made the resolution to lose weight only to quit after two or three days? I've done it MANY times. You go out and buy new workout clothes or shoes, join a gym, start a new fitness program, try the latest fad diet, etc. But, despite your best efforts, you quit or lose interest before reaching your goals. This is because exercise is not a part of your daily routine. You brush your teeth every day. It's part of your morning and nightly routines. Exercise should be the same way. It doesn't matter if you allot time in the morning, afternoon or evening to workout. The point is, ALLOT TIME each day for exercise.

Vibrancy through Variety. I confess. I have exercise ADD. I get bored doing the same form of exercise all the time. I've been working out consistently for years. It's a part of my routine, but I am also constantly looking for new and exciting ways to exercise. I try to do four or five different types of exercises per week. My week may consist of kickboxing (my passion - if I'm not teaching it, I'm taking it!), strength training/weight lifting, running, yoga, and muay Thai (my martial art of choice). Experiment with a variety of exercise styles and find the ones that you enjoy the most. Doing a variety of workouts keeps your body guessing, which will improve calorie burning and weight loss, and keeps the mind interested, which will keep you coming back for more.

Diet for Weight Loss, Healthy Eating for Maintenance. I'm a far cry from a nutritionist. Before I got pregnant my motto was "I workout so I can eat whatever I want." And that was true because I was in a weight maintenance point in my life. Now that I'm post partum (and trust me, I've got the belly pooch to prove it), I have to put more emphasis on my diet so that I can lose the pregnancy weight. Diets are NOT a lifestyle; they are temporary plans to help you lose weight. You cannot live on the food restrictions diets require. Many weight loss plans that are popular now, like South Beach Diet, Jenny Craig, or Weight Watchers, not only contain a diet phase but also give you meals for after you reach your weight loss goals so you can continue eating healthy without dieting. Diets are temporary, healthy eating is a lifestyle.

Everything in moderation. This is one of my favorite life mottos because it can be applied to all areas of life: food, exercise, work, play, etc. In regards to food, it is important to allow yourself small indulgences when dieting or eating healthy. This satisfies your cravings and prevents binge eating. Keep in mind these indulgences should be small and fairly infrequent, but it is OK to have a few French fries or some ice cream every once in a while. Just as you should limit your indulgences, you should keep your dieting in check. Don't obsess about the food you eat. Just eat small portions of healthy food until you are satisfied. I always say exercise is probably one of the best addictions you can have, but you still have to allow for rest days. Likewise, incorporate stretching or yoga into your exercise routine to give yourself a non-impact workout day where you're still burning calories, but you're also allowing your body to recover.

Stop the excuses. Eating something unhealthy or missing a workout does NOT give you allowance for giving up on your health or weight loss goals. Get right back on track at the next meal or the next workout. No excuses. Don't use life's ups and downs as an excuse to not workout. There will always be something more urgent or more appealing to do than working out. But ask yourself "Is this more important than my health?" Make yourself and your health a priority. No excuses. If workouts were meant to be easy, they wouldn't be called WORKouts. You should have one or two workouts a week that are challenging enough that you have to push yourself to complete it. Make your body work for you. Don't use "it's too hard" or "I'm too weak" as an excuse not to do a workout or exercise. Challenge yourself or find a trainer who will challenge you and you'll be surprised at what you can accomplish. No excuses.

Exercise and healthy eating have to be incorporated into your life. The degree to which you do one or the other or both is up to you and will differ for each person. But, the point is to experiment and find what works for you and make that part of your daily life.
Balance life with moderation, enjoy life to the fullest.