Keys To a Successful Fitness Program
Often people ask me what's the quickest way to lose weight. Well, unfortunately there is no shortcut or easy way to lose weight or tackle the problem areas, despite what most gimmicky products lead us to believe. But there are three keys that must be adhered to if you ultimately want to achieve success in your health & fitness program. Whether you're trying to lose weight, train for a 10K run, or just feel better.
These three components include: commitment, consistency and accountability. First and foremost, you have to be committed to your goals. To be completely committed you must to be willing to make lifestyle changes. Exercising at high intensities, multiple times each week is important but equally important is eating a sensible diet. Following a structured meal plan is imperative and has proven effective to meet the desired goal. Counter measures will lead to frustration, discouragement, and ultimately resignation from any program.
To really begin to start feeling and looking better you must exercise consistently. At the very minimum you have to workout at least twice a week - preferably three or four times. Consistency doesn't mean skipping workouts on a regular basis. If you plan on working out three times a week but miss a workout once every two weeks, that accounts for 26 missed workouts in a year. That's almost a whole month of not exercising!
Finally, you have to be accountable. Being accountable can include monitoring your diet by keeping a food log everyday (not once in a while), drinking plenty of water, and exercising regularly. Too often people think that since they worked out today they are "allowed" to eat an extra serving of dessert or have a bigger portion of lunch or dinner. By doing this you're adding back the calories you burned during your workout. This is not going to help you lose those extra pounds that you work so hard to burn. This is something to keep in mind being in the holiday season.
Accountability in Your Fitness Regimen
-Keep active. If you cannot meet
your trainer or get to the gym, use that treadmill at home with the clothes
draped all over it. If you do not have a piece of cardio equipt, try going for a
walk.
-Keep motivated. Think about the goals that you have set for your fitness
program and how being unproductive during the holiday season could hinder the
progress that has been made towards those goals.
-Keep a dietary journal/log. During the holidays, eating can get out of hand.
Try using a journal and write down what you have eaten and try to stay within a
good target caloric intake.
-Eat in moderation. Eating sweets and large meals can be killer, but make an
extra effort to try to eat in moderation. Remember, portion control!