Every day there’s some new media post about health. Fitness trainers discuss exercises that will help you lose fat and gain muscles, dieticians create new recipes, and Youtubers do a mixture of both. Based on my experiences with health education, as well as receiving advice from my trainer, here are my top tips for making a smooth healthy transition.
1.) Journal
Why? When you decide to improve your health, there’s going to be some sacrificing and dedication. I remember crying over the unhealthy food I had to give up, especially the donuts. Also, exercise became more integrated into my daily routine. With that being said, I had to mentally prepare myself for the decisions I was about to make. Therefore, make sure you write about your feelings during this transition because you can’t navigate through a life-changing era and feel lost. If your brain isn’t in the game, you’re bound to quit the game or lose it.
2.) Talk to a Health Professional
Although the media provides insight on health, it can be difficult at times to determine who’s providing factual, safe information. I have tried the keto diet, the military diet, and the apple cider vinegar detox method. However, I quit these diets because they weren’t effective. Instead, I started talking to my fitness trainer about the proper way to lose weight, and she told me that weight loss depends on your nutrition.
3.) Drink Water
Water! It is an important part of weight loss due to the amount of exercise and other strenuous activities we do. I used to drink a gallon of water a day because my trainer recommended it, but going to the bathroom frequently is irritating. Therefore, I’m going to be drinking half a gallon of water per day. Another reason for drinking water is because it’s helpful to have for a workout. When you’re sweating during a workout, water weight is coming off. You should drink more water after to stay hydrated. Water cleanses you out!
4.) Schedule Time to Eat
Since nutrition plays a large role in this journey, the type and amount of food you eat is imperative. But most importantly, make sure to have a gap window of when to eat. I like to eat between 10 am-7 pm because I’m allowing the food to digest, and I’m not consuming too many calories.
5.) Switch Up Your Workouts
Working out is awesome for the body; however, doing the same daily routine can be frustrating at times. My work consists of resistance, cardio, core, and strength, which takes about an hour. I do this workout twice a week: Mondays and Fridays. On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, I do yoga and glute workouts. Switching up allows the body to target different muscles that haven’t been used before.
