Tired of the on again off again routine of weight loss and fitness? Do you feel like you take 2 steps forward and 3 back when it comes to getting in shape? Have you already given up on the latest New Year's resolution?
Well I'm here to try and help you get on track and stay there, with some tips that got me out of the destined to fail routine and into healthy habit forming.
These are basic steps and I've put them in somewhat of an order, but everyone is different so tweak as needed.
1. Skip the fads.
Fad diets and exercises are worthless for long term sustainability. If it was as easy as taking a pill or "20 minutes a day, 3 times a week" to get ripped, we'd all be hard bodies.
The all lettuce, no carb diet will certainly drop some pounds off of you (and the heavier you are, the more you'll see at first), but you can't live like that and the risk of binge eating goes up when those cravings come on extra strong.
2. Stop drinking soft drinks.
Soda pop is a no brainer, but even all those "iced tea" drinks and juices are loaded with sugars. Diet pop has artificial sweeteners that can trick your body into craving more bad-for-you substances. Even some bottled waters have sugary additives. Energy drinks are loaded with bad stuff.
A guy at my work lost 25 pounds just from kicking his 6 can a day Coke habit.
3. No more fast food.
Yes it's cheap. Yes it's convenient. Yes those fries are delicious. But you've got to stop eating that crap. Even the "healthy" items, like salads, have additives to make you crave more. Plus, now you're right there with temptation in your face, and let's be honest, if you're going to McDs for a salad, you're doing it wrong.
Does this mean you can't ever have that super double cheeseburger you love so much? No, but you can't be having it 3 times a week. I occasionally have a Big Mac Attack too, but I keep it to a couple times a year. Once you're rid of it, you won't miss it so much. Those burgers on the grill at home are 1,000 times tastier anyways.
4. Prepare your own meals.
Stop eating out for lunch everyday (I'll give you a better way to spend your lunch hour in a minute). Bring your lunch to work. The more control you have over your diet, the more control you have over your body.
I spend Sunday evening preparing a big batch of food for my son and I for our lunches for the week. Something that can be stored in bulk and wrapped up in a whole grain tortilla. A piece of fruit rounds it out nicely. Easy and good for you.
Pressed for time? A protein shake in the morning is better than grabbing McBreakfast on the way to work, or those doughnuts at the office.
5. Exercise, exercise, exercise.
No brainer, right? But this can be the hardest habit to stick with.
I DO NOT recommend joining a 24 hour big box gym that you will never go to. And when you do make it there, you'll walk around on the treadmill for 20 minutes and call it good, because all the good equipment has a line and the "trainers" are awful.
DO join a small gym that offers classes. Even better, get a personal trainer. Trainers can be expensive (but you're saving a ton of money now not eating out everyday, right?), but they will come up with a plan and keep you motivated. Invest in yourself.
Some people like to work out in the morning, some people go right after work, but for me, it's the lunch hour. I'm not too motivated in the mornings and it's really easy to blow it off at the end of a long work day. But whenever you decide to do it, stick with that time and make it a routine. It's OK to start slow, but try to make it everyday (or every weekday). It's probably better to do a lighter workout everyday than a hard core one 3 days a week. It'll help to create that good habit if you can do it everyday.
6. Set a goal.
This doesn't have to be to "lose x amount of pounds by summer", or "this many inches off my waist". It can be anything, just make it attainable.
For me it was entering a race that was a few months away and training for it. It gave me something to look forward to and keep me on track. After that race my goal became to do better at my next one. Then it was to cut my body fat down to where I could see my abs that had been in hiding since I was 18.
I like my goals to be somewhat open ended. If I put a definite time on them, it can frustrate me. I don't have a "single digit body fat % by November 1st 2013" goal. As long as I'm working toward it and seeing progress, that's enough for me.
Be realistic. You're not going to get mega ripped in 6 months.
7. Cut out the cans and boxes.
So you're bringing your own lunch now, but is it healthy? Time to ditch those cans of soup and microwave meals. Focus on your food prep and get to where you are preparing the vast majority of your meals from scratch. It's better for you and tastes a hell of a lot better too.
8. Increase the intensity.
By now your body should be getting into the rhythm and habit of daily (or mostly daily) exercise. Time to step it up a bit to hit those goals harder and faster.
Here things will differ for people, depending on their goals. You might want to do more endurance, or more cardio, or more strength, or all of the above. Talk with your trainer and start pushing to that next level.
9. Cut out alcohol.
This is a tough one for me. I do like to have a drink. For others, it's really easy.
Alcohol dehydrates your body, weakens your mind, and saps motivation.
If you can't drop it completely (like me), you can at least drink smarter. Cut out the cola and other sweet mixers. Drink low calorie beer. Or just plain drink less.
10. Dial it in.
Now that you're in a solid routine and living healthy and exercising regularly, experiment. Try some supplements and different vitamins and see if you like them. Or maybe go the all natural route.
Try some different types of exercises. Get some new hobbies that will keep you physical outside of the gym too. Tweak your diet a bit. Mix it up. Compete.
Wash, rinse, repeat.
So, what do we really have here? It's pretty simple really. Diet, exercise, lifestyle change. You've heard it all before and for good reason. It just plain works. If you can control your input and your output, you will get the results you're looking for.
You have to stop looking for the easy way out to make this work. If it was easy, we'd all be super models and elite athletes. Anything worth doing, is worth doing well. Hard work pays the biggest dividends. Etc., etc., etc.
Your time and money would be better spent preparing your own food, rather than eating some crappy meal out of a weight watchers box 3 times a day (and you'll be happier too).
The money spent on a $1000+ piece of home gym equipment would be better spent on 15-20 sessions with a personal trainer. That gym in the strip mall is only $20 a month for a reason.
I didn't buy the cheapest car I could, because I want my car to perform. Why should I skimp on my body?
Take your time with this, especially if you've never been big on fitness before. It takes time to get results. You may get frustrated, but you must never quit. You will have bad days and good days, but keep at it even (especially) when you really don't want to and you'll see the change.
How long is this going to take, you might ask?
Forever. Because you've made a lifestyle choice. You don't get to a goal and stop. You keep going. This is the new you, living a new fit and healthy life. This isn't a fad. It's you. As a friend of mine once said, "Never let your best days be behind you.".
