It’s 2 months into the new year and despite your firm resolution in January that “this year is going to be different. I’m going to get fit!”, your enthusiasm has waned and you’ve stopped your weekly jogs just 4 weeks after you started.
Is this a familiar scenario? If this has ever happened to you, know that there are many others like you who get stuck in a ‘start-stop-wish’ cycle – giving up when body fat doesn’t melt away immediately or when running after the bus remains a struggle.
One of the keys to achieving your fitness and health goals is to take a step back and realise that transformation requires more than just jogging around a track and it takes time. But it is easier than you think. You don’t need some crazy diet or huge overhaul. You just need to make simple habit and lifestyle changes so that your great intentions can form into good actions and habits; that then combine so that you see the changes you want.
So here are 10 easy things you can do immediately to get you on the path to getting fit and healthy:
Move more
#1 Walk more
Use the stairs. Walk up the escalator. Get up from your desk every few hours and go for a quick walk or do some squats in the stairwell. Is home 2 bus stops away? Save the fare and enjoy a relaxing brisk walk home. It’s easy – just move more.
#2 Exercise effectively with a proper workout plan
If you stick to a proper workout plan with consistency and commitment then you will start to feel, then see a change; and all that will motivate you to keep going for more.
Eat sensibly and in moderation
#3 Eat more greens and switch to brown rice
Try adding this to your next shopping list.
#4 Use smaller plates
Not only is what you eat important, how much you eat is critical too if you want results. Learn more by downloading Active8me’s FREE Calorie Counting Cheat Sheet. We’ll show you how you can use either your hand or your plate as a guide to portion control and eating the right amounts.
#5 Reduce the fat you consume
Reduce the fat you consume from the obvious (fried food) to the hidden (oil-laden salad dressings). You can make big changes to your calorie intake just from some simple changes.
#6 Be consciously careful of sugar
Switch sweets for fresh fruit and avoid foods with added or hidden sugar (e.g. store-bought coffee, sweetened dried fruit or cereal). Added sugars (like sucrose and high fructose corn syrup) contain a lot of calories with NO essential nutrients (which is why they are called “empty” calories). So be conscious of this in your diet.
#7 Reduce junk
Are you easily tempted by junk food which has little nutrition value? Don’t just put them out of reach, remove them from your home or at your desk at work. Out of sight, out of mind! If you need some snacks, why not have some nuts or carrot sticks?
#8 Switch to home-cooked meals
This not only saves your waist and heart, it can save you money. You might even discover the master chef in you! You can cook delicious AND healthy meals.
Get motivated
#9 Don’t do it on your own
Scheduling your workouts in your calendar with reminder alerts and getting an accountability partner will help keep you on track. A workout buddy can do wonders as exercising can be more fun and enjoyable with a friend. Check out our great partner workout here.
#10 Celebrate success
Break up your main goal into smaller, more achievable sub-goals. Then reward yourself along the way when you achieve those smaller sub-goals. This will help you enjoy the journey and give you even more motivation to keep going and achieve your next sub-goal. And before you know it, you will look back and be surprised and proud of how far you’ve come.
Now start implementing this list, one tip at a time, right after you read this article. If you don’t know what a proper workout plan is or are at a loss when it comes to home-cooking, Active8me’s comprehensive programs can help – with workout programs, exercise videos, reminder alerts, delicious and healthy recipes and meal plans from dietician experts, motivation and more!
