Making Your Resolution Happen- 5 Small Changes Wit
If a friend of yours constantly made promises but never fulfilled them, what would happen? You'd lose trust for her/him, right? The same thing happens to your trust in yourself when you constantly set goals without completing them. So, this year set a goal for improved health and fitness, and actually prove to yourself that you're as good as your word.
Here are 5 small changes you can make that will pay off in big results this new year:
1. Record everything. For some reason, this is the most resisted piece of advice I ever get. No one wants to keep a food journal. No one wants to record their workouts. Studies have shown that just writing down what you eat results in weight loss. Just that action alone! So, give it a try. Set a goal to record your calorie and fiber intake and your workouts for one month. You'll be thrilled with the result. The good news: MyFitnessTrainer.com makes recording your foods and calories easy. It also tracks your workouts and gives you a nice report to track your progress. All for free!
2. Exercise regularly. If you're new to exercise, even once a week will significantly improve your results. Even strength training pros can maintain fat loss with only 3 cardio workouts per week (running, elliptical, etc,) and 3 strength training workouts per week (like the two new daily exercises at MyFitnessTrainer.com). Cardio continues to burn extra calories for up to 3 hours after you stop working out. Strength training is even better- it burns extra calories for up to 3 days(!!!) as your muscles heal.
3. Get enough sleep. People are often surprised that I list this step in the top five in importance for weight loss. The reasons it works so well are twofold: it allows your muscles to heal and burn fat in the process, and it curbs excess cravings for sugar and fat. You'll be surprised at how much you feel better with those extra couple of hours of sleep, and your workouts will reflect the improvement. It'll also be much easier to turn down the third birthday cake of the week in your office.
4. Eat more fiber. The benefits of fiber to weight loss are endless. One of the best things fiber does is fill up your stomach. When you feel full, you crave less and naturally eat less. The great thing is that, unlike fat, fiber fills your stomach without calories. That's right, fiber is a "miracle food,"- it fills you up without fattening you up. Another benefit of fiber is that it cleans your colon and keeps your system moving. This allows your "fat-burning" machine to function well.
5. Eat small meals often. It may help to redefine "meal." Most Americans tend to eat three big meals per day and several snacks. A better goal is to eat 6 small "meals" each day. Those meals should be more like snacks- smaller than traditional meals, but very tasty. Eat healthier versions of your favorite foods. Never waste calories eating something you don't like! Every time you eat it fuels your metabolism, or your "fat-burning machine." That's right, just like working out, eating revs up your metabolism. So, you want to do it as often as possible without going over your daily calorie goal. (Speaking of your calorie goal, it's as important not to under eat as it is to not over eat. You can determine the perfect number of calories for your changing metabolism every week by following your free MyFitnessTrainer.com program.)
Follow these 5 simple steps and become your own best friend- and someone you can trust to take charge of your health and fitness!
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