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Congratulations! You’ve made the decision to commit to a healthier lifestyle. But where do you start? There is a lot great and useful information online, but it can be a bit overwhelming. Well, that is exactly how I felt when I began my fitness journey 15 years ago. So I would like to offer some basic tips that were helpful for me that you can begin doing today.
Eat Healthier Foods
A healthy diet is the foundation for weight loss. A diet composed of mostly unhealthy foods (e.g. processed meats, fast food, foods with trans fats, foods with refined flour sugar) makes it impossible to lose weight. My downfall was pasta, bread, and french fries! Instead you want to incorporate lean meats, fruits and vegetables, healthy carbs, and whole grains.
Drink water
Put down the soda and drink water instead. An average can of soda has 10 teaspoons of sugar, 150 calories, 30 to 55 mg of caffeine, artificial food colors and sulphites. Therefore, if you want to lose weight, these need to be limited. The recommendation is to drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day.
Begin a fitness program
The partner to a healthy diet is a good fitness program. Strive for a minimum of 30 minutes of activity for 5 days a week. There are many different exercises that you can choose including cycling, spinning, walking, swimming, running, biking, Zumba, yoga, weight training – the list goes on and on. The key is to find something that you enjoy and will stick to! If you have not worked out in awhile or just beginning, start out slow and build up as you get stronger.
Build a support network
Trying to lose weight on your own is difficult. It takes commitment, dedication, and motivation. But there will be times when you will not feel like working out and tempted to go back to your old eating habits. So find a family member, friend, or local support group to hold you accountable. Nowadays we can also use our online communities as a resource as well.
Reward yourself occasionally
Are you eating healthy most days and working out regularly? Great, reward yourself on occasion. Just don’t over do it. I personally allow myself an 80/20 rule. I am on track 80% of the time and allow 20% for error J However, in reality, I do a little better than this now.
I hope you find these tips helpful!
– Wishing you continued success in your fitness journey!
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