Apr 9 2010
Don’t give up on that New Year’s resolution yet!
Well it’s usually about this time of year that I see people give up on their New Year’s resolution to finally get in shape. It seems to me that it always comes down to one, or a combination of the same things:
1. You were losing weight when you first started your workout routine, but then you stopped making progress as time went on.
2. You got bored with the same old routine day in and day out
3. You got sick, went on vacation, etc. then never got back into your routine.
4. You never got results from the beginning.
I know there are many more than what I listed here, but these are the most common that come up all the time when I talk to people who have given up on their workout routine.
Don’t give up yet. I have some tips to get you through this tough period and keep you pushing on.
First off, just think of the reason why you decided to get in shape in the first place. Was it lack of energy?, Was it not fitting into your clothes anymore?, or maybe it was health problems or concerns. No matter what the motivation to get started, it should be your motivation to keep going. Believe me, I know from experience that it’s a lot harder to get in shape than it is to stay in shape.
Here are some tips that might help you stay the course:
1. Get a personal trainer to help motivate you and keep you accountable. If you can’t afford a personal trainer, find a friend that will workout with you. Studies have shown that people who do not work out alone are more likely to stick to a fitness program.
2. Do NOT do the same workout over and over again. Your body adapts rapidly to the same routine, so change up your exercises, weight, reps, and rest, frequently to avoid hitting plateaus.
3. Keep a daily food log. Proper nutrition is equally, or in reality, of greater importance than your workout routine. Writing down what you eat every day will help to keep you accountable about what you eat.
4. Stop taking advice from people who do not represent what you would call a healthy fitness lifestyle. Chances are if they new what they were talking about, they would be in great shape too.
5. If your main goal is to lose body fat and gain lean muscle, please do NOT go to the gym or your basement and run on a treadmill for an hour a day. If you do, you will not get the results you are looking for. You MUST do a combination of strength training with some cardio to burn fat. The type of cardio you should be doing is HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) which will burn more fat and you will workout for less time.
Well, I hope this might have helped someone get back in the routine. There is so much to be gained by living a healthy fitness lifestyle, don’t give up.
