One of the biggest mistakes I see from the people that start their workout program in San Antonio, Texas is that people tend to make getting fit too complicated. It doesn’t have to be. Sure, there’s a lot to remember and a lot to do, but achieving your health goals requires that you make an effort to start! Overthinking the training or waiting until you know everything about fitness means you may never start. The easiest thing to do is just start moving, whether it’s taking a walk or doing a few exercises at your desk.
Set a SMART goal.
SMART is an Acronym for specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time frame. Know what you want. Just saying you want to be fit doesn’t say much. A more specific goal is deciding to lose weight. Make that goal measurable, by adding the number of pounds you want to lose, such as 20 pounds. Is your goal attainable? Losing twenty pounds probably is attainable, but changing your shoe size or height isn’t. Is it realistic? Realistic is losing twenty pounds in two and a half months, not two and a half weeks. The key is to set a time frame, so you’ll know when you should reach your goal. Setting a goal makes creating a path to your destination far easier and less confusing.
Don’t be overwhelmed by a big goal.
Even if you have to lose over a hundred pounds, don’t let it overwhelm you. Break those huge goals down into smaller goals and keep it simple. You only have to lose a pound or two a week or eight to ten a month. Those are achievable in a short time period, so you’ll see success on the way to keep you motivated and won’t be discouraged.
Make simple dietary changes one at a time until they become a habit.
You don’t have to change everything at once. You can start small and work from there. Maybe you have a candy bar every day on the way home from work. Plan ahead and take an apple with you as a snack. Switch that soft drink for water or unsweetened tea. One of my clients lost about five pounds in a month because she switched to water. She drank sweet tea and sodas several times a day before the switch. Cut out processed food. You can start small by simply changing one meal to whole foods until it’s part of your lifestyle.
- Cutting out sugar and white flour products is a good start for a healthy lifestyle, but also a tough one. You’ll be surprised at how many there are when you start identifying all the foods that contain these two ingredients.
- Don’t worry about doing the absolute best workout, just do one! No matter what exercises you choose, you’ll get more benefit from them than you would sitting and not doing them! Just get started. You can always change it later.
- Carry water with you everywhere you go and hydrate frequently. Drink a few glasses of water about a half hour before a meal. It will fill you up so you’ll eat less. If it’s cold, it will burn a few extra calories to warm it to body temperature, boosting your metabolism in the process.
- Track your progress and keep notes. If you vowed to get more exercise to improve your fitness. Do something every day to make that goal happen and make a note of what you did. Winners keep score.