If you could bottle your self-discipline and put it on the market, what would it look like? Well, this is what you need to do to make your fitness a habit. If you want to make both a positive and permanent change in your healthy lifestyle, persistence will prevent you from turning back. But, so many are confused about what to do first.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s look at a basic fact – as you get older, your metabolism slows down and you\u2019ll generally slowly gain weight, about a pound per year or more. During this same time your metabolism will slow as well, but that\u2019s another story. Thus, your slow weight gain is not immediately noticeable until one day you cannot quite squeeze into those tight jeans or your body no longer looks like it should in your new bikini. How did this happen? Not to me; it happens to everyone else! How wrong you are. It\u2019s now time to put your combat gear on and get to work.
\nSteps to Better Fitness:<\/p>\n
STEP 1<\/strong> This step includes watching out for fad diets. Why? Fad diets do not change eating habits; they are short term and temporary. You must mentally and physically adjust your eating habits. You can find out all about this on this website under the nutrition section. First learn something about basic nutrition by reading this website, magazines, talking to others who are more knowledgeable, and forming a plan about how to proceed. Within that plan, cut out all sugar for the first two weeks. You\u2019ll lose at least 10 pounds from this simple step, if not more. Why are we suggesting starting with your nutrition first? The answer is simple \u2013 if you do not change your eating habits, working out may not be able to help you lose the weight you want to lose without spending great amounts of time in the gym. And face it, most people have a difficult time just getting to the gym, let alone spending hours there to burn off fat they built up from eating a poor diet. Thus, address your nutrition first. Start eating healthy foods and on Sunday, before that busy work week, take the time to make foods for breakfast that are readily available for those days you know you will be on the go. After you get a handle on your nutrition, you\u2019re ready for step 2.<\/p>\n Advertisement: Amazon (click on photo for more info)<\/em> STEP 2<\/strong> The drawback here is that doing too much at first will generally increase soreness drastically since you may have been inactive for a while. I\u2019ll tell you a short story. I had a friend who begged me to let him come work out with me and I continually invited him. He got news of an upcoming high-school reunion and it motivated him to finally showed up with his son. I wrote them a list of several exercises to do that they know how to perform. One of the exercises was a bench press. They both were told to specifically not lift heavy since they had not been to a gym for several years. However, they saw me benching 405 pounds and their immediate reaction was to complete. I scolded them lightly, but they didn\u2019t listen. Long story short, about two-days later, they were both so sore they could hardly move as they had also competed in back squats. The moral of the story is you do not need to compete with anyone except yourself. The gym is always there when you\u2019re ready to go thus, begin slowly and as you get into better shape you can pick up the pace without the number-one drawback to working out of becoming too sore. So many do this and don\u2019t go back to the gym again. Be persistent and do not be one of those people. On to the next step.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Advertisement: 24Hour Fitness (click\u00a0 on photo for more info)<\/em><\/p>\n STEP 3<\/strong> Once you set your goals, tell your friends, tell people at the gym, post it on your Facebook, Twitter, or other social media site. Why? Because if you do this, it will put pressure on you to perform and others will be counting on you. It will help you become more persistent. Before you realize it, the nutrition change, getting started in your fitness program and setting a goal will be rewarded with renewed drive and energy as you see the pounds begin to melt slowly away and you start to develop the kind of body you\u2019ve been wanting.<\/p>\n Make the Changes Permanent<\/strong>
\nThe first thing you need to do is change your eating habits, not to a drastic diet or anything, but to simply eat healthy without all the fried, fatty foods or sugar. Watch your portion size and, while you should not be a calorie counter, you need to at least know basically how many calories you need based on your activity and how many you\u2019re eating each day. You cannot go back to eating foods that made you gain weight in the first place. Remember the basic rule of how many calories you need daily \u2013 multiply your body weight times 10 then, add 200 calories. This does not include a daily exercise routine so, if you want to weigh 125 pounds you would need 1,450 calories per day.<\/p>\n
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\nThis is a simple step \u2013 start on your fitness training. Do not think of looking like Mrs. or Mr. Universe initially. The first goal is just to begin. And, surprisingly there are only 3 small steps: (1) pick a time that works for you to exercise; (2) choose simple exercises at first that you know how to do \u2013 I suggest walking, jogging, biking, swimming \u2013 something that just gets you going; from as simple as a 1-2 mile walk around the park to 30 minutes on the treadmill; and (3) slowly increase your intensity, which means to slowly increase the amount of weight you are lifting or reduce the amount of time spent on the same distance ran, walked, or jogged.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.myhealthandfitness.com\/US\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/24HrFitness-300x200.jpg\")
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\nJust like with your nutrition, learn all you can. Set a goal for your fitness. For example, plan to jog 2 miles in 14 minutes, run a half marathon, maybe you want to bench press your body weight, compete in a CrossFit challenge, or enter a fitness and figure contest. There are so many goals you could set.<\/p>\n
\nYou must make these three steps a habit. Be relentless in your pursuit. You have taken your career, job, and life seriously. Now, it is time to take your fitness seriously. You should not think of it as a drag but, an adventure. Choose foods and exercises you enjoy. Get rid of the majority of sugars and carbohydrates and begin detoxing after years of poor nutrition. While diet is a huge part of the process it\u2019s not about the diet, it\u2019s about healthy eating. Try growing your own herbs and or small garden to get you more motivated and help you relieve stress. Pay attention to the calories you need and how many you take in, but do not be a calorie counter or scale watcher. What matters most is how you feel about yourself and the way you look. Also, listen to your body \u2013 it will tell you when you\u2019re full so, stop; it will tell you when it\u2019s so sore or fatigued that the exercise you\u2019re doing is aggravating a joint or muscle so, stop that exercise and do something else. Just don\u2019t be a dietary killjoy. When on the go and eating out, make sensible choices \u2013 no fat fried foods and no sugar drinks!<\/p>\n
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