It's a new year and with the new year brings new resolutions and promises to ourselves that we will get fit and healthy this year. This is easier for some people rather than others, and being a mom or dad can completely complicate this goal since you're in great demand and that leaves very little time for you to focus on yourself. Rest assured no matter how many children you have or how old they are you can get fit this year and stay that way for years to come.
Set Realistic Goals
It's not logical to say you want to lose 30 pounds in the next 2 months. Sure it probably could be done but it's not healthy and it's not practical. Set your first goal for the 6 month mark, and then your next goal should be for the 1 year mark. Though you'll start to see results after only a month or two, your body will take a full 6 months or so to really fall into a new pattern with metabolism, weight and muscle tone. If you've never been rail thin don't make that your goal now. Shoot to lose a few pounds and tighten everything up. Just improving your muscle strength will impact the way you look and feel.
Make a Meal Plan
There are so many bogus diets on the market now and most of them aren't going to work. If they do they usually aren't easy to keep up with longterm. Basically your new diet plan has to consist of common sense and self control. Never over eat. If you learn to do this you'll be able to enjoy the foods you want more often. Eating one slice of pizza with a side salad is a lot different than eating half of a pizza with a side of chicken wings drenched in blue cheese. Treat yourself but balance out the meal and don't eat too much. During the week when you're in the heart of your routine and schedule make your meals part of that. Have a list of your meal options and if you're in a pinch pick something easy on the list. If you have a couple extra minutes make a breakfast burrito that's packed with veggies and protein. Make enough so you can have the leftovers a couple more times that week. It might sound like a lot of work but sautéing veggies, throwing in some turkey sausage and scrambling in a couple eggs can take as little as 10 minutes. You can even share with your kids and you'll all being eating healthy.
Keep lunches healthy like salads with lean protein, include whole grains and keep refined sugars low. Dinners should be a well rounded meal that includes a variety of veggies and protein. Make extra to use for lunches. Instead of cooking up 3 chicken breasts, make an entire club pack and save the rest for either other dinners that week, lunches or snacks.
Have go-to snacks ready on hand for when the munchies strike. Never starve yourself. If your body says it's hungry, feed it. Just don't fill up on empty calories like soda, candy, potato chips or fast food. Apples, bananas, granola bars, a small bowl of cereal, cheese and crackers, cottage cheese and hummus are all filling and extremely healthy.
Stick post it notes in your pantry, on your fridge and at your desk at work to remind yourself what your goals are and to keep yourself in check. Accept that you no longer can indulge frequently on take out, donuts, candy, fatty foods and ice cream. These can all be treats occasionally but none of these things are good for you anyway in excess.
Also don't forget that eating at home is always healthier. Making your own food ensures that you're not eating over processed food that is too high in sugars, fats and calories. While its possible to eat out and choose a relatively healthy meal it's extremely difficult, it's costly and you have really no idea what exactly is going into that food. A chicken breast can be healthy but not if it's cooked in too much butter and oil and an enormous serving of pasta coated in heavy cream sauce is not healthy just because it contains broccoli.
It might take some time for you to adjust to eating more fruits and veggies but over time your body will get used to these foods and your old comfort foods won't even taste appealing anymore. Remember that while food can be an enjoyment, it's meant to keep us alive and healthy. It's not recreation.
Exercise
To achieve a level of fitness that you'll be happy with you have to exercise to some extent. For some people this means 6 days a week and for others you can get the job done with 2-3 days per week. Your diet plays a large role in how much you'll need to head to the gym and your goals also determine this. If you want to increase muscle mass you'll need to hit the gym a little more than the person who just wants to burn some extra calories each week.
Decide what time of day and what days work best for you and make the gym a part of your schedule. If you have a job you don't really have the choice to not go so do the same with the gym. You may be surprised that when you get into a routine and work out frequently, you'll actually feel more energetic, happy and healthy.
Don't forget that as a parent, running around outside after your little ones is exercise as well as is cleaning the house and running errands. Depending on your day though, you may need to add some additional working out in there to achieve your goals.
If you feel you want to utilize a trainer feel free but keep in mind they're costly and really they're not doing anything for you that you can't do yourself. It might be a good idea to work with a trainer once or twice to get an idea of how certain equipment works or to set up a routine that will work towards your goals but feel free to keep up on your routine yourself.
Support
Make sure you have a support network behind you. Let everyone know you're trying to lose weight and get healthy and you would appreciate people not passing along sweet treats or fattening foods. Your spouse can keep you motivated by telling you how great you look as you start to get in shape and your family can make sure you stick to your schedule and meal plan. Speak with your primary physician to make sure you know what kind of workout your body can handle, especially if you have a health condition that could effect how your body will react to a diet or activity level change.
Reward Yourself
Don't forget to treat yourself occasionally if you've been following the rules you've set for yourself. Allow yourself to have a bowl of ice cream as dessert one night. Just remember it's not acceptable to eat half the container along with chocolate syrup, whipped cream and candy on top. When you start to lose weight, take yourself shopping for a few new articles of clothing that make you feel confident and good about yourself. This will help motivate yourself as well to keep up the good work.
We all have setbacks but it's important to stay on track and work toward your ultimate goal. It takes more than one lifestyle change to get fit. It takes a new diet, a new exercise regimen and a new attitude to truly lose the weight, keep it off, and be healthy.
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