Live healthy Backup plans: stick to your goals

By Sara Reistad-long
WebMD feature

You have been stuck with your food and exercise plan for a while--and feel confident with it. Then, bam! There is an office birthday party or bumper-to-bumper traffic and your dinner plans or gym time is derailed. The best way to combat unexpected temptations is to have a solid backup strategy that can work in all situations.

Here are tips from five leading health experts, you can use anywhere, anytime, to stay the course to good health.

"If it is to survive a stressful day or to ' just say no ' to the candy jar in the Office is calling out, magnesium helps you avoid pitfalls and stay at the health plan," says nutritionist Ashley Koff:, co-author of MOM power: A Simple Plan to live fully.

Why? Magnesium may lower levels of stress and anxiety. And when we are calmer, we tend to make less abrupt and more considered decision. Get your magnesium supplement, or for a dinner treat, that a 1-ounce serving of almonds: about 23.

"Most people tell you to schedule your training that you would make an unbreakable meeting with your boss or largest customer. Although it is good advice, if you are not a master of illusion, you will not perceive them with similar importance and will skip the workout when time is tight, says personal trainer Adam Rosante, founder of the people's Bootcamp.

Days when your regular plan falls apart, suggests Rosante pick five whole body moves and do them back to back as hard as you can in 30 seconds with no rest. If you don't know how to do these, talk to a trainer first to make sure you know how to do them safely.

High knees running in place, move your arms as if you're joggingSquat jump: squats, jump up with your hands up over your head, and land softly back into a squat.Lunges with a back row: lunge-step with your right foot and back with the left, bending until your right knee is above your right ankle. Start with your arms down, then row the elbows back, squeezing your shoulder blades together. If you are near the weights, you can hold an 8-pound one in each hand.Standing wood chop: stand with your left foot slightly forward. Hold a medicine ball, raise both arms over his head and leans to the left. Move your arms across your body and down toward your right ankle, keeping your knees gently bent. Keep your body upright and head straight forward.

While you will have exercised for only 2.5 minutes, according to research that these rapid, high-intensity bursts of exercise comes with health benefits ranging from calorie-burn to muscle building. Rest for 30 seconds and repeat as many times as you can handle, or time permitting.

Be aware that reach health goals

Magic pills, liquid diets, obsessively exercising ... sounds familiar? Many people who want to lose weight are often tempted by the latest fad. The problem is, the weight lost with these "quick fixes" can be expensive and often do not last. Instead, get results with something you already have — your mind!

OK, that may sound a little new-agey. But the truth is that mindfulness can be the key to your weight loss success. Being mindful means simply to give your full attention to your surroundings, thoughts, behaviors and experiences.

"When you bring awareness to your internal and external environments--and to do so without judgment--you also have the opportunity to become more aware of your choices," says Jan Chozen bays, MD, author of conscious eating.

Here are six tactics you can start today.

Before each meal, pause and ask yourself: how hungry I am? Then, rate your hunger with a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is ravenously hungry and 10 is completely full. To be really honest. When you take a moment to listen to your body, you may find that you only on a 6.

"Even if we are not very hungry, our tendency is to go on automatic, we pull into a drive-through and order # 4 combo meal because that's what we always get," says Megrette Fletcher, a nutritionist and eat what you love, love what you eat with Diabetes.

The truth is, you may just need a snack to feel satisfied. Experts say that you don't want to eat until you're stuffed. About three quarters full, which is between 7 and 8.

Drift surfing is a technology that keeps you from succumbing to spontaneous and unhealthy urges or cravings. As all thoughts, urges not to last forever. They come and go like a wave. Tend to be less than 30 minutes.

When you ask the surf, you learn how to "surf your request." This means that you note the desire. You accept it for what it is. But you don't respond to it.

However, notice how your body feels when the urge strikes. Then pay attention to how its intensity changes with every breath you take.

Recognize cravings makes it weaker. And if you stay in this conscious state, you can ride it till your cravings are gone.

Ever notice how the first bite or two always seem to taste better? That's because after the first forkful taste buds (which you have thousands) stop firing.

"If you check in and and really notice how level entertainment is changing, you might realize that you've had enough far sooner than you would if you're shoveling down your food," says Jean l. Kristeller, PhD, developer of Mindfulness based eating awareness (MB-eating) training program.