The Key to Getting Fit
Have you failed at diets? Given up on your fitness plan? You wanted to lose weight and started running or biking only to give up in a matter of weeks. You stuck to a diet and lost the weight, but you got busy with life and you gained it back? There is one key to reaching your fitness goals. That key is CONSISTENCY.
Don’t take up a workout plan with an hour of cardio a day if you hate cardio. Don’t pick a diet that limits you to food you hate or worse cuts out an entire food group. Carbs fuel your muscles, fats fuel your brain, and proteins build the structures in your body. You need all of them.
When you are planning a workout or diet, start with something that is fairly easy for you to achieve. Add more as you go. Your first goal should be consistency. What can you consistency do? Everyone is different. Some people can start and keep a very aggressive diet or fitness regime, but for many they will burn out and give up.
When I started at the gym, I was 32 and weak. I knew I wanted to be stronger to protect my back and body. I started with a minimum 1 day a week workout. The goal was 2 days, but 1 was the minimum for me. Once I got used to that the minimum was 2 days with a goal of 3 days. One year in and my workouts are 4 days a week. Two upper body days and 2 lower body days. This schedule has become comfortable for me, and I can see myself maintaining it for quite some time. Because I gradually added more time in at the gym, I was able to make it part of my life. Time at the gym became part of my routine. When it is part of your routine, then it is a manageable lifestyle change.
Starting out with a goal you can’t maintain will leave you failing. When you fail you feel bad and give up. It may take some effort to establish the routine, but it is easier to start smaller and slowly add things in. Challenge yourself don’t overwhelm yourself. You challenge will look differently than someone else’s. It is important not to compare. You are only in a competition with yourself.