1. Change within
I find that one of the most popular reasons why people are unsuccessful with their health and fitness goals is because they do not want to change their habits. Eating clean and exercising can be very challenging, especially if you have been doing the opposite your entire life.
However, in order to really achieve your goals, you have to change those old habits. You cannot “half it” and expect to see significant changes. You cannot go to the gym one week and expect to see a drastic change. You have to stay consistent, and this is where a lot of people tend to fall off because their regimens lack consistency.
When you are feeling discouraged, visualize the person you want to be. If you want six-pack abs, visualize yourself with them and keep pushing to do whatever it takes to get them.
2. Plan ahead
Whether you are a student or a professor, we all face chaotic schedules. One of the most popular excuses I hear among clients and friends is the old “I just don’t have time.”
If getting in shape is something you truly want to do, then it should be a top priority. Think about it. You have to eat, right? In most cases where we are unprepared, we strive for convenience rather than what is actually good for us.
Suppose you prepared all of your meals, or at least your lunch, ahead of time on a Sunday night. That way, all you would have to do is grab a meal and go. No mid-week, tiresome cooking. No fast food restaurants that lack healthy options. You can have exactly what you need in your immediate possession, no matter where you are.
Did you know working out for one hour is only four percent of your day? Consider scheduling when you can go to the gym a week in advance and stick to it. Plan out exactly what you are going to do for each day. For example, Monday may be your leg day. Say that you will do X sets of X amount of squats. On Wednesday, you may plan a routine for arms. The most important part is that you go through with what you said you were going to do and stay consistent. Plan ahead and make the time. Treat it as another class that you have to go to or else you will fail. It is just a part of your schedule. Soon it will seem second nature.
3. Eat clean
Getting in shape is about 20 percent of what you put in at the gym, and 80 percent of what you put into your stomach. When a majority, if not all, of my clients started seeing immediate progression, it was because they had started eating clean. Eating clean goes beyond staying away from white bread and high-fat foods. More importantly, it is not a “diet” but a lifestyle. There are an ample amount of clean recipes for what may be a lot of your favorite foods. There is even dessert. These recipes can be found online at eatcleandiet.com along with recipe books and magazines.
4. Kick the gimmicks
Somewhere in time, our society has gotten wrapped up in the idea that getting in shape and losing weight cannot be done naturally. The body wraps, the weight loss pills, stuff we sprinkle on our food – what are the long-term effects of using that stuff? More importantly, how much are we investing in it? How do those numbers compare to just going for a brisk walk around the corner? What is the likelihood that those products will actually work without possibly harming you? http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/09/health/oxyelite-pro-liver-damage/Sure, using certain products may provide speedy results, but at what cost? Last time I checked, a little hard work could not kill anyone.