Putting a good tip into practice can go a long way in transforming your life.

Today, I’d like to share a few of my favorite exercise and nutrition tips. They’ve worked for me and I know they can work for you, too.

1. Don’t drink your calories. Most beverages are calorie bombs and often devoid of nutritional value. Save your calories for real food that nourishes your body with the nutrients it needs.
2. Instead of focusing on long workouts, focus on quality workouts. Unless you’re training for the Olympics, no one needs to spend two or three hours at the gym each day. Use strategies like high intensity interval training and supersets to make the most of your gym time. Be efficient at the gym; it’s quality and not quantity.
3. Eat carbs. Carbs get a bad rap but the truth is our bodies need them. Instead of eliminating carbs, focus on eating mostly complex carbs like those found in brown rice or whole wheat. Opt for products that list “whole wheat” in their ingredients.
4. Be consistent. The secret to transforming your body is to consistently combine exercise and nutrition. It’s the little steps - day after day - that add up into a huge change. Think of each workout as a single stone block that you’re using to build a pyramid.
5. Replace excuses with reasons. All of us can think of excuses to skip the gym or to avoid exercise (i.e., it’s too expensive, too busy, injuries, etc.). Excuses are the nails used to build a house of failure; they prevent us from achieving the results we want. Rather than sabotage your life with excuses, shift from a mindset of can’t to a mindset of can by thinking about the reasons to live a healthier lifestyle.
6. Buy healthy food. It’s really as simple as that. If you don’t stock your pantry with toxic, unhealthy foods, then they won’t be an option to eat. Out of sight, out of mind.
7. Make exercise fun. Think outside the weight or cardio room by taking class, going rock climbing or engaging in a sport. A healthy and active lifestyle is so much more than the elliptical or free weights - and if you enjoy it, you’re much more likely to keep with it.
8. Pay attention to ingredients - not packaging. Product packaging is strictly marketing - and words like “fat free” or “reduced calories” or even “multigrain” are extremely misleading. Pay attention to the nutrition information and especially the ingredients. In particular, stay away from foods with added sugar (or sugar in disguise).
9. Don’t just make goals, evaluate your progress against them. Having a specific goal is great, but routinely measuring your progress against it is even better. If you’re not making headway, change your approach.

What’s your favorite fitness tip? Share it with us in the comments below!