The rapidly approaching warm weather is the perfect excuse, says Cassandra Corum, to get your body where you want it.
"Clean out the junk in your kitchen, get yourself on a plan. Use it as an excuse for that fresh start," she said.
Corum, 26, is the president & CEO of Athen LLC and Sustainable Living. She is a competitive runner, cyclist and swimmer, and is also an accomplished equestrian.
And a wellness coach, a title she created to best describe herself, "as I work on all areas of health with my clients," she said. "I'm a trainer, a chef and I also coordinate my network of health professionals including internists, trainers, mental health professionals, nutritionists, allergists, just to name a few ... around my clients' health needs and goals to set them on the right track.
"I believe that health and wellness aren't just one of these things; it's everything."
Corum, who is based in Southern California and is openly gay, said fitness goals are attainable—as long as they are reasonable.
"My best advice is to get with a health professional, like your doctor, to find out what is a reasonable goal. That way, [the goals are] doable and appropriate," she said.
They are, even if you've already broken your New Year's fitness resolution.
"There's nothing stopping you from picking up where you left off," Corum said. "Life doesn't always operate in the pattern that we expect, so don't beat yourself up for falling off the wagon. Tie your shoes and keep walking."
Do this, even if changes are slow.
"Nothing happens overnight. It takes time for our body to react, change and get on board with our new lifestyle," she said. "Where's your diet at? Has it changed with your exercise, [too]? Science says that if you move and eat the proper amount of calories for your body type, you will lose weight if there is weight to be lost."
Corum has certainly seen that first-hand. One of her clients, Lisa, lost 150 pounds in under a year.
So, yes, proper nutrition and eating properly run hand-in-hand with proper fitness.
"What you put in [your body], in terms of your food, is directly correlated to the work you will be able to put out, your quality of exercise," Corum said. "Eating well, clean, and the proper calorie intake will really make or break the quality of your fitness.
"It's never too late to learn how to cook simple things. There are tons of resources out there to get even the worst cook moving in the right direction."
Corum said the biggest health and fitness misconception is: Fat spot reduction.
"You can't do sit-ups to lose layers off your stomach, leg lifts to get rid of hips," she said. "It's all about calorie-burning activity. These exercises are great for toning, but you'll be doing crunchies until the end of time if it's all you plan on doing to get a flat stomach."
Top five fitness tips:
1. Work out with a certified trainer. PE class [in school] doesn't teach you everything.
2. Schedule it in like work. Make it a part of your regular day, not an extra add on.
3. Get the right shoes. Every city has more than one athletic shoe store that will fit you for the right shoes. Make the investment.
4. Establish a reasonable goal. Don't go into a fitness plan blind.
5. Get on the scale no more than once a week. Our body fluctuates so much from day to day. Pick a day and do it when you first wake up in the morning before you do anything.
Top five nutrition tips:
1. Cut out the trans fat.
2. If it doesn't go bad, don't eat it.
3. If it has the same name in more than 2 languages, don't eat it. Example: Cheetos.
4. Drink tons of water.
5. Veggies count as zero in terms of calories; make them your No. 1 food item.
