5 Ways to Live a Fit Life

3. Brush Your Teeth After Dinner

This may seem like a silly tip, but if you brush your teeth after dinner, chances are good (since you'll have that clean taste in your mouth) that you won't be as tempted to eat a late-night snack.

While that late-night snack may be tasty and filling, it also goes right to your hips, stomach, thighs and love handles—or wherever you happen to store excess fat.

More: 6 Ways to Avoid the Snack Attack

4. Set a Measurable and Attainable Goal

There are two kinds of goals—those that can be measured and those that cannot.

Here's an example of the wrong type of goal: I want to run a half marathon.

So do a lot of people, but when and how fast?

A better goal would be: I want to run the New York Half Marathon this year in a time under 2 1/2 hours.

Now that's a goal that you can work to achieve in a specific amount of time, at a specific place in time. Not only is this measurable, but it can also be attainable. For instance, for some runners a goal might be to win the Boston Marathon.

While that's an admirable goal, you have to ask yourself if it is attainable. An unattainable goal, such as winning the Boston Marathon, will only lead to heartbreak and frustration. So unless your name happens to be Paula Radcliffe, perhaps setting a more realistic goal is a better way to lead a fit life.

More: Easy Steps to Attain Big Fitness Goals

5. Find Some Fit Friends or Fit Family Members

Chances are very real that you'll eat many of the same things, and spend your free time doing the same stuff, as your friends and family. So if you want to live a fit life, find some fit friends to take along on your journey.

This is a difficult tip because we certainly don't choose our friends, and we can't choose our family based on their 10K times. But you can join a running group, triathlon club or even a health club that promotes a fit life.

Look at it this way—if you plan on exercising at least an hour per day, it really helps to have a friend join you on that run around the neighborhood.

More: 5 Running Workouts to Do With a Partner

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About the Author

Roman Mica

Roman Mica is an amateur Clydesdale triathlete who lives and races in Boulder, Colorado. He is the managing editor of www.EverymanTri.com and author of My Training Begins Tomorrow: The Everyman's Guide to IRONFIT Swimming, Cycling & Running.

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