7 Tips to Success!
1. Have a support system Whether be friends, family, a fitness professional, or all of the above, if you surround yourself with people that are just as excited about your goal as you are, you will be able to utilize them when the going gets rough. Call on them, make them hold you accountable, and you will be glad you did in the long run.
2. Start keeping a food log You are what you eat, and how can you know what you are if you don’t keep track? That quick handful of M&M’s you had at 2pm when you were “crashing” can be easily forgotten the next day when you think back if you haven’t written it down! You can also use free online journal sites like the one at www.FitDay.com.
3. Keep your head in the right place Especially women. I don’t know what it is, but we tend to have a self destructive attitude. If you are constantly telling yourself that you look terrible, that you’ll never lose your fat butt, that this is never going to happen, then guess what??? I think you know where I’m going with this… From day one, you have to know without a doubt that you can do this, and that you will succeed!
4. Get a plan I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. If you fail to plan, you can plan to fail. Think ahead to what your day will bring the night before. Do you have a busy schedule? Prepare for your day nutritionally. Think about what you can pack so that you are prepared to make good nutritional choices? Even going as far as setting one day a week aside to do your grocery shopping and meal planning a week will work wonders for you.
Think about your workouts. They need to become a non-negotiable item on your schedule. We ask our clients to get on our schedule Monday for the coming week. If you have something scheduled, you are more likely to stick to it and make other things work around it, rather than having it be the variable, and fitting it if and/or when you can.
The more you have planned, the easier your new lifestyle will become, and the less likely you are to “fall off the nutritional wagon”.
5. Get enough sleep I can’t stress this one enough! If you don’t get enough sleep, your will be mentally un-equipped to make the best choices. Not to mention that lack of sleep is considered stressful to your system, causing your body to release hormones that make losing fat difficult. Making sure you get your 6-8 hours (for most of us it’s eight) will ensure that you’re allowing your body the time it needs to recover, repair and rejuvinate so that you can be at your very best for everything you set out to do!
6. Drink tons of the clear stuff Yes, I mean water. And Green tea as well. Aside from these two, don’t waste your money on anything else! If you don’t have enough energy during the day, chances are that there’s some bigger changes that should be made rather than looking to coffee or worse, some energy drink to boost you along. Are you eating enough of the right foods? Are you drinking enough water to keep yourself well hydrated and mentally alert? Are you getting enough sleep? Even if they’re sugar and calorie free, beverages other than green tea or water should be avoided.
7. Stop drinking What? I thought you just told me to drink water and green tea? Yes, I did. I mean stop drinking alcohol. Even red wine has adverse effects when it comes to fat loss. One of the primary reasons is that your liver is where your body metabolizes fat. So, if you’re having an adult beverage or two or more on a regular basis, guess what? You keep your liver busy with that, and your body is forced to store the fat instead of actively metabolize it. Not to mention the extra calories you could easily cut out by eliminating your beverage of choice.
I know this can be a difficult one for many people. You just have to be realistic. Even if it’s one drink every few nights, if you aren’t seeing the success you want, either you make some tough decisions to achieve your goals, or you decide that you are happy with where you are at.
There you have it! 7 tips to achieve your ideal body!
