I often get people coming up to me asking if I can help them to get into shape.  I thought I would try and put down on paper some key components to getting into the kind of shape that you want to be in.

1.       Track your daily activities – Take a notebook and write down everything you did for the last week from the time that you woke up to the time you went to bed. Make sure you right down the approximate time that you did each event and label each activity in order of importance.  This is a significant step because you are going to need to eliminate something in order to get a daily workout in.  Be honest with yourself. If you spend 2 hours a night flipping through channels trying to find something to watch, then maybe that is the time you could be working out.  Try and be consistent with your schedule so that you know that is the time you are going to workout. Never scramble to get your workout in. It won’t be enjoyable and probably not as beneficial for you.

2.       Purge the pantry – If you were eating nothing but healthy foods all the time, you probably wouldn’t be in the predicament you are in. Go through your fridge, pantry, and cupboards, and get rid of everything that wouldn’t be considered “healthy”.  We all know what that stuff is: soda, candy, chips, ice cream, etc.  Don’t worry, you won’t be cut off from it completely but if it’s around the house, chances are you will be tempted to eat it. Replace those items with fruit, vegetables, yogurt, etc.  Over time, your body will get used to not eating high sugared items and you will crave it less.

3.       Works out Buddies – There are only a few people that I can work out with. My fiancée is one of them and my buddy Tony is another (although he has his days).  For most people starting out they need that extra person to help motivate them to continue down the right path; someone to hold them accountable for their actions. I know it easy to sneak a snack or skip a workout when you think that no one is looking. Get that workout buddy and it will make it that much harder. If you don’t have a workout buddy to help, send me an email and I can help coach and motivate.

4.       Get a journal – The best and easiest way to lose weight and get in shape is to track what you are eating.  There are several tools online that can help facilitate this for you. Dailyplate.com and gyminee.com are two that come to mind immediately. Along with tracking your daily intake of calories, fat, protein, and carbs , you will also want to track the workouts that you do. It’s easy to forget from day to day what you exercises you did last time, for how long you worked out or how much weight you lifted. A simple notebook or online tool can help you keep track of this so that you are always improving.

5.       Track your progress – Take a picture of yourself with as little clothes on as you feel comfortable. Then take a picture every few weeks so you can see the progress that you are making.

6.       Trash the scale – Simple fact: scales lie. Muscle weighs more than fat and a lot of the time, your weight will fluctuate. I find the best way to measure results is to find a pair of clothes that you can’t quite fit into right now.  Use that as your measure of success and leave the scale in the closet.

7.         Give yourself a cheat day – Allow yourself one day a week where you can relax a little and loosen up (but only if you were good the previous 6 days). This should be a day where you are not working out and you are treating yourself to some ice cream, cookies, or whatever else tickles your fancy. After all, you are human and if you deny yourself all the food that you previously ate, you might be more likely to binge on it later. If you allow yourself one day a week to relax, you are more likely to be good the other 6 days.

The steps above can definitely help you to get on your way to Start Being Fit!  Have a question about something that I have not discussed? Drop me a comment or send me an email.

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