First of all, let me say that everything you are about the read is in my personal opinion. I am not a personal trainer, dietician, or health expert, but I do know that these things have worked for me in my path of being health conscious. All it takes is one step to get to where you are going. While we procrastinate a lot and tend to want to just put things off to the next day. In order to finish you have to start. Here are 10 things that you can do to get started on being healthier, so you can be around, and enjoy the fun things that your life has to offer.

Set Obtainable Goals

The best way to begin is to set a goal for yourself, but make sure that it's a realistic goal so that you can achieve it or at least attempt to. If you want to set your initial goal to walk a mile, then that is something you want to work towards. Maybe you want to walk some and then run the rest of the way. You can get it done if you focus on that.

Make A Plan

Decide if you want to attempt this on your own or consider getting a personal trainer who will be a great asset on dropping those 20,30 or more pounds. Many are very accomodating if you have any doubts or fears. The end goal is to see success in your life and to help you reach your target weight even if you don't initially know how much that is.

Track Your Progress often

Don't make it a project to continuously look at the scale. Take it from me this can really be a deterrence if you are watching it daily. However, keeping track of your progress and maybe checking the scale weekly or even bi-weekly could be beneficial enough. Sometimes the best progress report is how the clothes fit you after a few weeks compared to how they fit at the beginning of your journey.

Keep A Log

We tend to jot down important meetings and calls we have to make. We also remember important dates including birthdays and anniversaries. How about keeping a log of what you are taking into your body. That's right, take a look at the foods you are eating and the calories you intake, how much cardio you are doing, and even how much you are increasing your weight lifting compared to the beginning.

Try New Things to break the monotony

I know that you have heard this before, but this actually works. After we start to losing weight there are times when our weight will start to plateau. This generally means that we have basically lost all of the weight that we can lose using the same routine that we have been doing. If this happens it is time to switch it up, youtube new workouts, adjust your caloric intake, or if you have been doing this on your own. It may be time to go ahead and recruit that personal trainer. They specialize in doing this, and know-how to switch up the program from the insanity of doing the same things you've been doing.

Stay Motivated

If you feel like you are at your wit's end, then it is time to encourage yourself and stay inspired on your ultimate goal. If you are a parent, think about your spouse or kids and being around for them in the long run. If you are single, think about potentially meeting the love of your life. At the end of the day, you started this journey for yourself. Keep it up and the results will be flawless in the end.

Change your mindset on foods that you eat

When it comes to eating healthy look at its long-term goal. If you were to compare your body to a new or used car. Consider that regardless of the make and model, if you are only using bad gas in the vehicle it is not going to go too far. If you continue to put bad food into your body, eventually your body will give out. Again I reiterate that I am not a personal trainer or dietician, but I believe that having a small slice of cake or glass of wine during the office's Christmas party is not going to throw you off the wagon that bad. So keep that in mind when you are working on a better you.

Indulge a little

I may get in trouble for this one. But I am mentioning it because I do this in my life even while I am trying to continue losing weight. I love Chicken Wings and Pizza. I don't care what anyone says but these are 2 of my favorite things to eat. However, I have had to cut down my intake as I could literally eat both of them every day and all day at that. There is nothing wrong with indulging in some of your guilty pleasures. If you want to eat it, then do it. Just keep in mind what you ate and consider adding a few extra minutes and routines to your workout to burn those calories off. I feel like this motivates you more to keep going and it gives you something to look out for when you are able to partake in a few of your favorite things.

Tell your close circle about your new journey

It is always good to tell those friends of yours who you trust about what you are trying to do. They could be the ones to hold you accountable when you fall short. They may even take the ride with you and it is always better to work out when you have the support of your friends or loved ones.

Consider yourself a priority and love yourself unselfishly

Most of us begin working out because we are not truly happy with what we see in the mirror. We are not excited about the way our clothes fit, or Amusement park rides are not comfortable for us. It could be we may need a belt extension on planes. I have had to deal with all of this and believe me it is not fun at all. However, you can lose all of the weight you want and still not be happy with yourself. You can receive compliments after compliments and it will still never be enough. You have to find happiness within yourself. Once you are able to accomplish this, the rest will be the icing on the cake.

My final recommendation is to try and alleviate as much stress as possible. I have done workout after workout and altered my diet only to still keep on the same weight. Many of times because I wasn't sleeping enough because I was dealing with things in my mind that I couldn't control. Stress is called the silent killer for a reason and too much of it is not good for your body or for your mental. You will need all of this if you are planning on living a healthy life. Good luck on your journey and know that I am right there with you. I have lost weight and picked it up to lose it again. I know that it is not something that will happen overnight and I will continue to pursue the path of getting healthy because I am doing it for myself.

 

 

 

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