Focus on your goal – What is your goal? Create a goal that is both specific and measurable and then set a time-scale of when you are going to do it by. Why is this goal important to you? Where are you now in relation to that goal? What would you gain from achieving it? Write it all down including when you are going to do it, for example, I want to drop a dress size in one month. By writing it down, you are more likely to achieve it.
Eat healthier – this is an important one. Changing your eating habits is more important than exercise in terms of achieving your goal. No amount of exercise will get results if your diet is poor. Go for meat, fish, eggs, nuts, fruit & veg and ditch sugar and starchy carbohydrates to control insulin production and prevent sharp spikes in blood sugar. You will get enough carbs from the fruit & veg and the increase in protein will make you fuller for longer.
Measure your progress – either take regular photos or use a measuring tape as much as standing on scales to measure improvements. You will start to notice a difference and this can motivate you to get better results each time. Another good marker is a pair of jeans or trousers that are currently too tight. Try them on each week and you’ll begin to notice how much looser they feel.
Drink less alcohol – we all know alcohol is fattening but it’s not just that pint, vodka or glass of wine that puts the weight on. The damage is usually done by the crisps and the chips that usually follow it. Either cut out alcohol for a few weeks or go for a small glass of red wine and have a glass of water with it. This reduces the effects of alcohol on your system but will also stop you snacking.
Sleep more – It is important to get around 8 hours sleep each night. It has been proven that broken or partial sleep can lead to weight gain. Not enough sleep leads to a reduction in testosterone and an increase in the stress hormone, cortisol which in turn, tells the body to store fat. Particularly round the waistline……
Strength and Stretchability – while the first port of call when starting an exercise regime is usually doing more cardiovascular training, resistance training and flexibility work should also play a big part. Stronger muscles will increase your metabolism and in turn burn more fat. While muscle weighs heavier than fat, it takes up a fraction of the space. Good flexibility is important for the function of your body as a whole.
Intervals – The best way to get results. These workouts not only burn calories during the session, your body will continue to burn calories long after the workout has finished. Performing short bursts of high intensity exercise followed by a period of rest will burn a huge amount of calories in a short space of time. My favourite session is to do 20secs work, 10secs recovery x 8 sets.
Commit to get fit – A key thing here. You must be prepared to make a commitment to changing your lifestyle to get the results you want. This means making time in your diary, similar to a business appointment, to exercise. It takes 21 days to make a habit so plan the changes in advance and they will become easier to adapt to.
Clear those hurdles – It is worth taking time to consider anything that will likely crop up or get in the way of your progress. If you’ve tried to make changes before and were unsuccessful, what stopped you from getting results? If you travel a lot, consider training at home or reduce the length of your workouts. The main thing is that it all fits in with your life.
Rest – A very important factor here. While it’s important to exercise regularly, it’s also important to allow your body to rest as that’s when all the changes happen. Begin by exercising every 2nd day then move on to adjusting your exercise to make sure you are not over-training
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