A healthy and fit body is what most of us aim for! Ask anybody, and 9 out of 10 will say “I’m trying,” or “I’m on a diet,” or “I’d like to lose a few pounds.”We all know what we need to do to get fit: more vegetables, more movement, less junk food, fewer calories on average, and a healthy exercise routine. A lot of people talk about how they want to get in shape. They prepare diet plans in excruciating detail. They make New Year’s resolutions and start exercising for a couple of hours every day. And yet, despite all this planning, they fail or struggle hard to get in better shape.
Fitness starts at home. What you eat is what you will look, just as what you sow is what you reap. Eat good food: eat fruits, vegetables, healthy grains, and don’t go for sweet and trite food.
Not following a proper sleep routine: Staying up too late makes weight loss and weight maintenance difficult. Many hormones are affected by sleep and it could affect your appetite – you eat but don’t feel full or satisfied, Ultimately affecting your metabolism.
Be consistent with your workout routine: It’s not about how perfect your plan is or whether you do yoga, strength training, etc. Half the work to getting in shape is to just show up each and every day. Whether it is for five minutes or an hour, just set aside the time each day and be there.
Workout mistakes: Skipping your warm-up may cause you to fatigue early, preventing you from realizing your potential. Furthermore, leaning on the stair climber or elliptical trainer may allow you to stay on longer, but it drastically reduces the challenge to your lower body as well as the number of calories you burn.
Exercising too much: If you exercise too much, the body sometimes responds by decreasing the number of calories you burn during the rest of your day. Try to take rest between the hardcore exercises; If you don’t rest enough between hard cardio or strength workouts, you’ll stop making progress and may even lose some of the fitness you’ve gained.
You follow the same workout every day: If you do the same routine over and over, your muscles will simply adapt; you’re likely to hit a plateau because each exercise stimulates only a limited number of muscle fibers. Try something completely different at least one day a week. Anything new can jumpstart your body into weight loss.
Incorporate strength training into your workout routine: A proper exercise plan includes cardio and strength training. If you’re just doing cardio, then you will be burning calories and strengthen your cardiovascular system. You need strength training to change your body composition by building more muscle.
You are not working hard enough: In order to get results from exercise, you have to regularly push yourself beyond your fitness comfort zone. Whether you increase the frequency, intensity, or duration of your workouts, you have to switch it up.
Too much sitting: Sitting all day and staying relaxed can be bad for our health and our waistlines—even if you exercise during the day. Sure, you work out regularly, but what you do the rest of the day matters, too!
Proper eating: Proper nutrition fuels your workouts, but eat too much and you could gain weight (or hurt your weight-loss efforts), and eat too little, and you won’t have enough energy to exercise. Our body requires everything in proportion – protein, fats, and carbs. It’s very important to eat foods that would get you the required calorie to maintain your weight(BMR- Basal metabolic rate)
Find a healthy balance: Instead of cutting out foods you enjoy, try watching your portion sizes. You shouldn’t punish yourself by cutting out foods you enjoy just because you’d like to lose weight …enjoying delicious food is one of the pleasures in life. The trick is to plan your indulgences so that you can have some fun while staying on track with your weight loss goals. Like, If you want pizza or your favorite ice cream, eat a lighter lunch and maybe do a little more activity. That way you can really enjoy your favorite treats.
Too much sugar: Eating too much sugar is linked to weight gain and various diseases like obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. If you want to stay fit and optimize your health, you should do your best to avoid foods that contain added sugars. But how much is too much? The maximum amount of added sugars you should eat in a day:
- Men: 150 calories per day (37.5 grams or 9 teaspoons)
- Women: 100 calories per day (25 grams or 6 teaspoons)
Not enough protein: A high protein intake boosts metabolism, reduces appetite and changes several weight-regulating hormones. It helps in burning more calories. Eating plenty of protein can help prevent muscle loss when you lose weight. When it comes to getting a fit and better looking body, protein is the king of nutrients.
Drink enough water: How much water you should be actually drinking? About one-half of your body weight in ounces every day, especially if you’re exercising. If you eat more of fibrous food, Increase your water intake- adding 8 to 16 ounces. Else, it may cause constipation.
Try to stress less: Stress and weight gain, or lack of weight loss go hand in hand. Excessive stress causes fat to be stored in the abdominal area, where weight is harder to lose, slows down your metabolic activity, alters your appetite(increased craving for junk foods or carbs)
Be careful before joining any fitness plan or training: There are nutrition and fitness experts out there who truly want to help you. But there are also salesmen out there that just want to take your money. One cares about your health, nutrition, and physique; the other doesn’t. It’s wise to do a proper research, and make sure you’re buying professional help and quality products/training, not quackery.
Medical conditions: Some health problems and common medications can cause weight gain or weight loss- altering your fitness goal:
- Thyroid conditions
- Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
- Diabetes medications
- Corticosteroids
- Some antidepressants(Depression medications)
- Certain medications for High blood pressure
- Hormonal change.
- Birth control pills.
If you’ve been struggling to reach your fitness goals despite following a proper diet, workout and healthy routine, maybe it is time to get yourself checked for some health conditions that could derail your best efforts.
Fitness is a complex process involving a variety of factors we control, such as diet, exercise, activity levels, stress and sleep habits and some we can’t control, such as genes, gender, hormones, age and body type. We should learn to accept our body and be positive of the efforts we put in. Staying active and maintaining a healthy lifestyle can benefit in different other ways than just getting the desired body. Being optimistic and motivated can help us go a long way!
I would really appreciate your suggestions and views on my post. Have an awesome life and stay happy!
That was truely an inspirational article….i have some more fitness related posts…
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Great important tips, thank you for sharing ^_^
Thanks for stopping by..
Reblogged this on .
Great and inspiring tips…
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Thanks for this helpful post! I always encourage friends and family to get out of their comfort zone if they want to achieve their fitness goals and ideal body.
I know! Even I was like that but one learns through the experience.. i am really happy that you liked my post..thanks..
Reblogged this on wellbeinghealthtips.
it really helpful and informative post dear
Thank you
You are welcome. stay connect with me.
great information you have shared.. we all dream of having a perfect toned body but fail inspite of all the efforts.. thanks for highlighting those useful facts.. great help
Loved reading your article as I am in the process of making some changes in my lifestyle and diet. Thank you for keeping my motivation up. Sending positive vibes your way 🙂
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Great advice, I never really thought about lack of sleep and stress affecting fitness goals!
I know! But it does effect on our fitness goal and health..ofcourse!
With how tough schedules are made nowadays, one does not even get to think about fitness amidst all the stress!So glad to have online helpers to ease the process and motivating us to get fit. The suggestions will be fruitful!
There is a saying that ” you are what you eat” Weight loss success comes down to the 70/30 rule. 70% of weight loss is due to making fundamental dietary changes and 30% comes from exercise. Although most of us are aware on these, but it’s hard to keep up the phase. Been feeling that my multivitamins and omega 3’s intake plays a big part why I ate so much lately LOL.
Thank you so much for sharing this new perspective related to fitness and weightloss… really something new to know..
Great advice, really concrete. I have recently started a fitness plan and a healthier diet. It’s been working out really well, but I need to plan for the long run, so this is very helpful.
Thank you
Thanks… I am really happy that this post was of some help to you.. 😊
You made some very valid points. I read your article right after finishing a workout and I am extra motivated to stick to my body transformation process by following all your advice.
Thank you so much for your kind words… 😊
All points are spot on. Most people who are “trying” to get in shape or lose weight really aren’t trying hard enough. I’m guilty myself of skipping workouts or not pushing hard enough and eating too much sugar.
Thank you so much .😊
Veggies, veggies, veggies. That’s what I keep telling myself when I go to reach for the birthday cake that’s left over from this weekend.. So far it’s working, lol.
Haha…I know😁😀
This article really strikes me. I’m so guilty that I can’t really make the goals that I want, but thanks to this beacause it encourages me and help me find some idea to make me fit! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much…I am really happy that my post has helped you in some means..
I am guilty of many of these no-no’s including not sleeping enough and sitting down too much. I have to make more of an effort to take the small steps toward my fitness goals and eventually I will get there.
I know! But Atleast you could try to have a proper sleep.. not good for health..
Such an interesting post. All points are totally valid, really cleared up a lot of misconceptions I had about exercising and staying healthy!
Thank you so much..
Such an interesting article, really cleared up a lot of misconceptions I had about exercising and staying healthy!
Thank you..I’m glad that my post was of some help to you..it means a lot
About to start my fitness journey, this was super informative. Than you 🙂
Thanks for presenting such a detailed, common sense list and explanation of why we fail at reaching fitness goals. I know I can relate to many of them, including inconsistency and sitting too much. I also have a thyroid condition and arthritis (and 60 years old!), so I have to figure out how to truly accomplish my fitness goals.
This is such a great post, but brutally honest advice. If ‘nothing is working’, then in most cases, you simply aren’t doing something right. I’ve been struggling for years, but deep down know that something is amiss and I just have to pinpoint it or stay consistent enough to find it. Thanks for sharing.
Great post! You have a very comprehensive list of points to remember when it comes to fitness, weight loss, and overall health. I believe being fit is a lifestyle choice; it doesn’t come from fad diets or exclusive workouts. You just have to make it a part of your life. 🙂 Having said that – it’s easier said than done, and I can attest to that! Hah.
These tips are so helpful thank you! I find myself not warming up properly resulting in early fatigue. I will try to warm up properly next time!
nice and useful informative blog, and thanks for sharing as its main goal, I will try to go with this all…nice efforts …
It’s good to have these guidance and not just like shooting in the dark. Good list, makes me want to keep going.
Nice information
Very comprehensive post.
Everything you wrote in this article is very true! It took me 5 months to reach my short term goal and a full year to reach my long term weight goal. We also have to realize that not everyday during our fitness routine are we going to be perfect and follow everything. When we slack off, we can’t be too hard on ourselves, because that too can be bad. The key is to have a nice balance and start up again the next day.
This is an excellent and thorough article, Rachna. I’ve just started (yet another) healthy eating / weight loss journey and there are still so many points in this article that I’m nowhere near reaching. I know… One step at a time 😀
Sugar is a huge problem for me. I honestly believe it’s a drug.
the way to reduce sugar intake is by snacking on healthy food and you are less likely to want your ‘drug’ as you will feel full.I eat a banana it doea the trick for me.
Yes absolutely! All points are valid. Nicely composed with useful tips for everyone.
Very nicely written.
Thank you so much
Nice tips loved it… healthy lifestyle…great concept n beautiful blog💐
Thank you so much 😊
My pleasure 🌻
Perfectly outlined and suggestive in nature. I am sure a whole lot of us will get help in correcting the most ignored aspects.
Thank you so much
Reblogged this on Tugsoo’s blog.
Awesome tips!
Thank you so much
Thank you
very helpful suggestion indeed. Always the hardest for me is to maintain healthy diet and exercise while being stressed.
Love these!
Thank you
All great tips. Thanks!
Thanks 😊
Great post 👌 thanks for sharing 👍😊
Thanks for liking my post..
My pleasure 😊
Helpful suggestions and informative post dear! 😊
Thank you so much..😊
yea it is
😊
Really great tips!
Helpful tips… Now we know “What not to do” matters a lot.
Thanks for appreciating..
Great health tips 🙂
Thank you
Great post!
Thank you
I guess you covered all major Points,Informative & Well Written
Thank you so much..you really sweet 😊
Great tips 💕
Thank you