Here are some general tips:
Make time - Set aside the time, no matter how long or short. Make sure that 9:30-11:30 each day in my case or whatever you choose and can fit into your schedule is set and you treat it like an appointment that you won't miss.
Set goals - Set realistic goals for yourself. Examples could be losing a certain amount of body fat by a certain date. Mine is to loose 4% by the end of May (almost only one day left!) Or by a number of pounds, like losing 5lbs this week. Or even gaining weight, gaining 10lbs of muscle by the end of the month. Note that each of these goals has an end date. A date at which you see if you've achieved your goal and set a new one.
Get support - Having a strong support group is make or break for many people. Start hanging out with and talking to people who are encouraging of your fitness goals. People who already have body's you strive toward and who have the same or more knowledge in the area then you have. If they do have the same amount of knowledge make sure it is a person who is looking to find more knowledge like you are. If you have no friends like this and aren't good at meeting new people try a personal trainer. The benefits of a trainer are countless.
Inventory - Take stoke of what is in your house. You don't have to throw everything away but once you've eaten any unhealthy food DO NOT replace it. Never buy unhealthy food again. I'll mention it again later but if it has more then one ingredient, it is probably junk food.
Fitness test - Take a fitness test. Most gyms will do this with you for free as a trial session. Get a rough idea of where you are at physically and then do another one in three months and see how you've changed. If you've met those goals and improved or if you are on a downward spiral.
Health journal - Keeping a health journal is a great way many people keep track of how they are doing. This can be as simple or as complicated as you like. Believe it or not my journal is so simple it almost doesn't exist. But keeping track of results and how you got those results is very important. For me, once a week, at the same time each week (the morning of my cheat day) I measure my chest, waist, hips, arms, thighs, calves and take my weight, body fat percentage and water percentage. And I write those down. That is all I do for my journal, sometimes I will note if I took an extra cheat day that week or if I tried having an egg heavy week or something like that to see if it made any large difference. But your journal could be more in depth, including meal plans, what you ate each day, calorie break-downs and even how you feel about achieving certain goals or about eating an extra dessert.
Eat breakfast - This is the most important meal of the day. Your parents probably can't tell you why but I can. It's because your metabolism works the best in the morning just after you've woke up and slows down during the course of the day. This means in the morning your body uses most of the nutrients, protein and calories put into it instead of storing them as fat. So your biggest meal should be breakfast and smaller meals as the day goes on.
Eat protein every three hours - Any health specialist worth their weight will tell you to eat every three hours. Eat small meals instead of big ones. Again this keeps you metabolism going longer instead of sitting dormant. But what most people might not mention is to make sure each of those small meals has some protein in it. This protein makes sure that it's your muscles getting those nutrients and the calories get turned directly into energy and not just floating around your system.
Get 30 minutes of exercise a day minimum - This is sort of a general tip. I suggest more then this especially to people already at a decent fitness level. But everyone should be getting at least 30 minutes a day that pumps your heart rate up. This will keep your heart strong, your muscles in use and burn off a least some of those calories. I try to get 2 hours in every day, it doesn't always happen but it's one of my goals.
Veggies! - Eat as many veggies as you can. Veggies are the water of solids. You virtually cannot eat too many. And veggies will give you nutrients as well and stave off hunger.i
No sugar - This one is so obvious but so few people do it. Cutting sugars out of your diet will instantly make you feel better. I trained a man who literally lost over 100lbs just by cutting out pop and chips for six months. He did the same amount of exercise and ate the same amount of calories each day but just by getting rid of those two sugar sources he went from 330lbs to 224lbs! And he has kept going from there and feels better then ever.
More fruit - Fruit is a source of sugar so some people believe it is possible to go over board, while overs swear it is impossible. But there are two facts that are completely true, most of us do not eat enough fruit. And fruit will fill you up and in a healthy way. You can easily drink five juice boxes and still want more food, but try eating five apples and see if you are still hungry.
No calorie drinks, only tea and water - Even juice is bad for you, with only a small percent of the nutrient and none of the fiber of actual fruit (plus added chemical sweeteners or sugar) it's not nearly as healthy a choice as people believe. I know most people can't get away from their coffee addiction either but consider these points: caffeine IS NOT energy, calories are energy. Caffeine is a drug that tricks the mind into thinking it is more aware, when in fact it actually does not even raise awareness. Also good coffee will be harder to come by after the fall, easier to get rid of the addiction now while it is a choice.
Swap out habits - We all know the bad habits we have. But it is very hard to break bad habits cold turkey. Instead try to switch a bad habit for a good one, for instance whenever I got hungry out of boredom I would do crunches no matter where I was. This is a great thing for health but also in other aspects of life, when I feel the urge to crack my knuckles I go and brush my teeth instead. Eventually your body gets retrained so I no longer got hungry when I was bored, instead I felt the urge to do crunches.
One ingredient foods - A rule I try to stick to (especially during times when I am getting ready to do a show or in general want to be in top fitness level) is to only eat foods with one ingredient. If it has a list of ingredients I don't eat it simple as that. Our bodies were not designed with multi-ingredient foods in mind. The entire body works best when it is fed the simple things found in nature that it knows how to use.
No grains - Kind of playing off the last tip, the human body doesn't do well with grains. Bread, cereal, even many of the "healthy" brands of those are not good for our bodies. Most people are actually slightly allergic to grains and don't even know it. Try cutting 100% of grains out of your diet for a week and see how you feel at the end. This can be really hard because grains are in almost everything that is processed and sold in stores. I only eat grains on cheat days or if I'm trying to build muscle.
A lot of people also have issues because of time. Time is no excuse, if you want to be fit and healthy you will make the time. Get of the couch and go for a run. Or do butt squeezes on the bus to work or school, it's something small but it is at least doing something. Try these simple steps to help turn your workplace into a healthier environment:
- Walk. Just move around. Walk to the printer every time instead of letting it build up. Walk up the stairs. Walk around the building on your breaks. Walk to a co-workers desk instead of calling them.
- Stock the office fridge with fruits and veggies. Or bring your own mini-fridge if you are allowed.
- Bring healthy lunches instead of eating out (this will also save you money.)
- Keep some light weights in your desk drawer. Use them on your breaks.
- Try an exercise ball instead of a chair if you work in an office (just tell your boss you need it for your back, any doctor will gladly give you a note to this end as well to help increase your fitness level.)
- Plant a few motivational post-its around your desk to help remind you of your goals and boost positive thinking.
Now onto some more general tips that aren't coming from me but have been gathered from personal trainers:
• Never eat fast food again.
• Never order food from a phone or online again.
• Choose one junk food you will only eat once a week.
• Eat a big breakfast.
• Avoid anything from a package, if you didn’t make it don’t eat it.
• Limit or better yet avoid food products that have “natural or artificial flavoring”
• Avoid all processed foods. Stick to the outside edges of the store when shopping.
• In cereals look for at least 7gms of fiber per serving and make sure sugar is not one of the first four ingredients.
• Read food labels, if you cannot pronounce the ingredients don’t buy it. If there are dozens of listed ingredients chances are that food product is not healthy for you.
• In protein bars look for the fiber to carb count. Make sure there is at least 25% as much fiber as carbs. Also look for at least 25grams of protein, 32+ is ideal.
• Treat food as a fuel source for your body. Your body is not a garbage can. If you can't imagine the food helping your body, don't eat it.
• Water should be your main liquid, tea and coffee without sugar or cream is allowed.
• If you can buy organic, do it. You minimize toxins and chemicals your liver has to filter out. This puts less stress on your organs and hormonal system.
• When buying meat, organic free range is the best choice. Most of our meats are factory farmed. The animals are treated poorly, stand in their own feces, are injected with growth hormones and fed chemically altered, left over grain products.
• Buy a healthy cookbook. Learn how to prepare the food in a low calorie way that is tasty to you. Having a few easy to make recipes is vital to consistency in my plan. The Heart and Stroke Foundation has great recipes on their web site.
The CBC is currently running a program to help raise health awareness in Canadians but the knowledge is good anywhere.
One of the greatest health advice and personal trainers out there also has a blog and newsletter that are absolutely free. He also has a book that explains the simple truths about health and having a body that is a lean-mean-zombie killing machine.
Stay fit, may laziness never hold you back, and you have the resolve to do what is needed should you be so unfortunate, Mike D.
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