Working out and getting in shape for health or for competitions can be a daunting process to say the least. Starting out in your fitness journey is probably the hardest time when you have to adapt to a new way of life, exercise and eating. Getting in shape is both challenging but extremely rewarding with a lot of ways you can start slowly and build your way up to your goals. Want to get started but not sure how? Check out these great weight loss and fitness tips so you can get started on the road to your goals today.
Starting Small
Starting off small when you’re working toward a fitness goal of any kind is important. You don’t want to go too full into it and stress yourself out. After all, the key to weight loss and fitness goals is prolonged and steady changes over a period of time, culiminating in a full lifestyle change. You often don’t get people going from eating take out and junk food with no exercise to being exercise gurus and health freaks overnight. Start small by eliminating one “bad” thing per week or month – desserts, alcohol, junk food etc. Take note of what you eliminate and the changes it has on your body. You might be surprised at the way your weight drops when you eliminate or reduce something you eat a lot of.
Avoid Fad Diets
Fad diets like the cabbage soup diet, keto and intermittent fasting have their places, but if you want prolonged and sustainable weight loss and fitness that will last for years, if not for life, you need to avoid the fads. Quick drops in weight are not sustainable. Instead try opting for different kinds of fitness meals to gain muscle instead of fat, helping you to tone up and slim down, leading you to a better, more healthy lifestyle overall. Many diets don’t work because people struggle with binging after periods of denying themselves different types of foods, but with fitness meals you get all the nutrients your body needs to power through your workouts.
Be Realistic
When it comes to fitness you need to be realistic. Whether your ultimate goal is to compete in different types of competitions or it’s to just lose weight and get back into shape, realistic goals will help keep you in check and motivated too. If you expect to lose twenty pounds in two weeks, that might be pushing it, but ten to fifteen a month is reasonable. Likewise, if you’re starting today, you might not make this years competition, but you will be in top condition for next year’s!
So whatever your reasoning for wanting to smash it at the gym and get healthy, hopefully these tips and ideas will go a ways toward helping you create a great exercise and healthy eating plan that suits your needs, goals and schedule. Keep in mind that not every goal needs to be smashed this week or even this month – slow and steady wins the race!