Fall is the time for sweaters, hot chocolate, and cold weather. It is the time for cuffing, self-love, and fall festivities. But Fall is also the time to get fit. Girl, you might be trying to work on your summer body for the spring so it is essential to plan in advance. A lot of women will try quick diets or juice cleanses to lose a few pounds but if you are trying to make a drastic change, START NOW. The reason being that it is unhealthy to try to lose more than 2-3 pounds a week because your body is not used to a drastic change, it needs to be gradual. The CDC even stated that “But evidence shows that people who lose weight gradually and steadily (about 1 to 2 pounds per week) are more successful at keeping weight off.” Quick juice cleanses and crazy diet will not keep the weight off, these are temporary fixes. If you start in the fall you can gradually change your diet and lifestyle and have that body ready by spring. Here are a few things to understand when you are starting your weight journey and how to implement a healthy lifestyle.
1. Start small
If your body is not used to excessive exercise or a decrease in calorie intake, the effects will be suffering to your body. Start with small exercises and work your way up. Keep track of the amount of reps, sets, and ran miles each week so you can assess your progress. For example, here are a few fun apps to use when you are starting to workout but not sure how. The 30 Day Fitness Challenge is a good app to use because it is free and you have the option of choosing whether you are a beginner, intermediate, or advanced. Each day you are given a set of different workouts and it tracks how long it took you to do the entire set. The other app is the Nike Fitness app that gives you different options of workouts you can do by watching experts right on your screen. Both of these apps are great for having a pre-planned workout without the planning. Last, if you are trying to start running instead of calisthenics you can use the MapMyRun app that actually tracks where you run so you know the exact distance of your run and where you will be going. All three of these apps will be extremely useful for workout starters.
2. Goals
Set a goal for how much you want to weigh or what certain size you would like to be by a certain date. Giving yourself a deadline and a goal to reach creates a motivation initiative for you. First, you want to decide the weight and/or size you want to be. Next, decide how much weight you would like to lose each work or each month. Remember that the healthy amount is about 2 pounds a week. This goes the same for those trying to gain weight as well. So for example, if I wanted to lose 20 pounds, by losing at most 2 pounds a week it would take me about 10 weeks to lose the entire 20 pounds. From here you will have your final weight goal date. Make sure to be tracking your progress of weight loss or gain in a journal or an app. MyFitnessPal is a great app to use when tracking your weight progress and it also includes options to track your food and water intake, as well as your exercise.
3. Consistency
Consistency is key. Slacking off on workouts and proper nutrition will not create the results you want. If you really want to feel better about yourself or look a certain way you need to work for it. YOU NEED TO EARN IT. I can personally attest to this. So make sure you are keeping up with your tracker and nutrition intake. But consistency requires motivation so to keep your motivation high, find things that will keep you going on your weight loss journey. Keep a pair of jeans you can’t fit into anything longer to make a goal to be able to fit into them. Or maybe hang up that bikini you want to wear as a reminder to keep going. Have something that is personal and influential to you that will help you, because ultimately it is mind over matter. You have to get your mind right and believe in yourself and your body will follow.
4. Nutrition
Have you ever heard about the 80/20 rule? Well, the rule is that you need to focus on 80% of nutrition and 20% of fitness. Nutrition is extremely important because you are putting things into your body that can affect your health. I know it’s difficult especially being a college student but GROCERIES ARE YOUR FRIEND. Instead of buying cheap pizza and takeout, try to invest in grocery shopping because it is better for you and grocery shopping is cheaper than fast food. Fast food overall is terrible for your body so be good to you body and save some money as well. Look at weekly deals and coupons to save on food and there are good apps to use that can help as well such as Flipp. Flipp is an app that shows weekly deals and coupons from surrounding stores such as Publix and Walgreens. And also, if you have a Publix or Walgreens card you can upload your card to the app and add the coupons onto your card so when you are ready to check out your coupons will automatically be included into your total when you swipe you card.
5. Love the skin you’re in NOW
This is the most important one because if you don’t accept the way your body looks now, you will not want to treat it right and give it the care it deserves. Love every flaw and every pound because the love for yourself is your greatest motivator for you to want to be a stronger and healthier you. If you don’t love your body, it is less likely for you to want to keep going on our journey… so accept who you are now, reward your progress, and enjoy your life because you are amazing sweety!
HCXO!