5 Ways To Get You Motivated About A Healthy Lifestyle

It's that time of the year when people vow to make changes. Maybe it's time to quit smoking, learn another language or take that kickboxing class you've been putting off all of last year. Regardless of what it is, you want to improve yourself in one way or another. One of the most common resolutions that people make is to get in better shape. It's no coincidence that January is the month when gyms rack up the most enrollments. How many of these new members will you see still see there in April? If you really want to make changes, do it in a way that will set you up for long term success. Don't flip a switch and decide that you're all of a sudden a fitness enthusiast. That's a recipe for failure. Here are five ways that you can make your new venture a successful one.

Create a Plan

Plan your day from beginning to end. From the time you wake up to the time you plan to retire for the night. Plan the day and times for laundry, grocery shopping and so on. Once you've done that, pick three days that you cleared your schedule to exercise for 45 minutes. It can be at home or at a gym so plan commute time accordingly. If waking up early before work is your best option, plan to get to bed earlier so you can wake up ready to go. If you plan to go after work, bring a gym bag to work so that you don't have to stop home afterwards. Once you consistently go three times a week, try adding a fourth day to the mix.

Make Gradual Changes

Bad habits didn't develop overnight and they can't be undone in that manner either. These toxins that we rely on have addictive properties that are hard to shake. The probability of quitting smoking by going from three packs a day to none at all is highly unlikely. Just like with everything else, it takes time and a consistent effort. The same goes with eating sugars, drinking coffee and a sedentary lifestyle. Take small steps in the right direction. Start with reducing the amounts of sugars you eat. Make a goal every week to eat less and less sugar. From drinks to foods, gradually phase them out of your diet. While doing this, try to sneak some exercise into your routine. If three times a week seems extreme, try two times, maybe for thirty minutes to start. Then lengthen your workouts and up your weekly visits as you get more accustomed to that lifestyle.

Set Goals For Yourself

Set goals to eliminate bad foods from your diet, to get to the gym and to improve your current fitness level. Allow yourself 50 grams (if you consume more than that) of sugar for the week and 2 gym visits. Practice pushups until failure. If you can do 6 repetitions at the moment, set a goal for to reach 10 repetitions in three weeks for example. Keep setting new challenges and new goals that will build on your previous results. Not only will it keep you more engaged in your workouts, it will let you track your progress.

Challenge Friends

You held a plank for one minute for your first time. You're excited, now challenge a friend or coworker to do the same. You did it, now see how long it takes them to do it. Maybe a weight loss challenge, who can do the most pushups or hold the longest plank. The more people engaged, the easier it becomes. You may even find a gym partner, which is the best way to push yourself through those rough days that you probably wouldn't make it. You can't let your gym partner go alone, they need you!

Don't Listen To Bad Advice

If you seek advice or nutrition counseling, go to a professional and disregard what anyone else has to say. Follow their advice and see where it leads you over a three month period. Don't give up after a week because you aren't seeing results. Only take advice from one person at a time. If you hired a personal trainer or dietician, take their advice and their advice only. The more people you ask for advice, the more contradictory information you will receive. Everyone has their own opinion or some silly fad diet that worked for them or how to build muscle or lose weight. Don't look for shortcuts or a quick and easy fix because there aren't any. Pace yourself throughout the journey and enjoy each step you take.


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12 Simple Lifestyle Changes to Lose Weight

You can lose a few pounds by making small shifts in your eating habits, changes to your daily routine, and supporting these changes with emotional healing to prevent emotional eating.

1. Keep a food log: Write down how much food you have eaten, and this will help you watch your portions.

2. Exercise during commercial breaks: Use commercial breaks as a chance to get active during your favorite shows. Whether its dancing, running in place, doing squats, get your heart rate up and you could burn an extra 270 calories a day.

3. Eliminate these high fat foods: Cookies, candy, ice-cream, potato chips and fries. Start with cutting out one a week, until you only consume atlas one or two a week. Replace these high fat/high calorie foods with healthier options like fruit and veggies.

4. Do at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day: 30 minutes of physical activity a day should help you burn off about 120 extra calories a day or 12.5 pounds a year.

5. Take the stairs: Try to take the stairs over the elevator. Taking 2 to 3 flights of stairs a day, can burn enough calories to eliminate the average American's annual weight gain of 1 - 2 pounds a year. Start with just a few flights a day.

6. Start using a pedometer: When you start to measure how many steps you take, you tend to walk more. Research shows that people who use pedometers tend to take around 2500 more steps a day which is about 100 calories. Over a year that is enough to burn off 10 pounds.

7. Only use the car if the journey is over 1 mile: Burn calories instead of gas. Walk briskly when running errands or travelling distances less than 1 mile. Anything more and you can drive.

8. Eat fruits don't drink them: Eating fruit gives you more fiber than drinking it. It also fills you up for longer. Also chewing creates saliva which tells the brain that your gut needs to get ready for digestion.

9. Sleep: Sleep earlier and you will see weight loss within a week.

10. Use smaller plates: Less space to fill up food, so you will take smaller portions and thus ingest less.

11. Eat slower: Give your body a chance to feel full by eating slower. Also eating slower means you chew more which means that the food is already well broken down before it reaches your gut making it easier for your body to digest it.

12. Skip soda and juice: Soda and juice are just empty calories. Instead of taking in juice, drink water to help cut back on these empty calories


Some Extra Quick Tips

.Skip the elevator at work and always take the stairs.
.Park as far from the store or your office as you can.
.Don't call your colleagues. Instead, walk to their offices if you need to talk.
.If you use public transportation, get off one stop early and walk the rest of the way.
.Take your dog for a walk.
.If you have a stationary bike or treadmill you're not using, move it out of that dark corner and put it right in your living room, perhaps in front of the TV. Walk or bike while your favorite show is on.
.Use a kitchen timer at work and make sure it goes off every 60 minutes. When it does, get up and walk for three minutes around the office. By doing so, you can walk an extra 24 minutes every day.


Do you have any tips of your own? Let us know.


To find out more, check out our list of "33 Natural Weight Loss Remedies"

Remy Mboku is an author on naturalweightlossremedieshq.com, a website dedicated to providing information and resources on all remedies, tips, and all the advice you need to help you complement your exercise and dieting routine.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Remy_Mboku/2194226