Fitness Philosophy: Easy Steps to Reach Your Goals

Step 1. Stop "Dieting"! Start Fueling!

Almost all of us have been there. Looking in the mirror with a frown, eyes scanning our body critically and feeling less than satisfied at our own reflection, and then the thought that usually comes next is: "I need to go on a diet".

But do you? No!

If we consider for a moment, the term "diet" we can see where the struggle to get fit initially begins for most of us. Let's examine the effectiveness of a "diet".

According to the Boston Medical Center, "an estimated 45 million Americans go on a 'diet' each year". That's roughly 13% of the entire American population.

Further, the BMC reported that "...Americans spend $33 billion each year on weight loss products. Yet, nearly two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese."

So why do so many Americans spend so much cash on faulty diet hacks, products, and systems just to fail?

At the root of the issue, it is mostly likely the desire to be able to simply purchase "thinness" without putting in the necessary effort. But that's only half the problem.

Most "diet" labeled foods such as microwavable low calorie meals, snack bars, and shakes do not contain the right amount of nutrition your body needs. These meals are only made for convenience and to be "low calorie". But in reality, many consumers still feel hungry directly after eating these types of meals and are either miserable till next meal time or eat more of the same diet food to no avail or relief. Before they know it, they've blown their daily caloric intake without even realizing it, or they've just quit the diet entirely.

The reality is this: You cannot go on a diet and then go back to your eating habits before, and crash dieting has been proven to be ineffective. So put away your money and put back the diet pills, because your body needs nutrition and without it, your weight loss will only be temporary, or at the very least, it will kill your metabolism into the netherworld and this is where you will face the ever-hated plateau.

You cannot diet. You must change your lifestyle. But this should come to you as a relief! You do not have to starve yourself! You do not have to tell yourself that you can "never have a Reese Cup again until I lose X pounds" or even skip the birthday cake at your friend's birthday party. Having "self-control" in these situations is key. Understanding these foods are empty calories and are purely treats, meant to only be eaten rarely, is the first step.

Your body needs basic staples of nutrition like lean proteins, fiber, complex carbohydrates, and varied fruits and vegetables. Each person's necessary nutritional portfolio will be different and will depend on numerous factors including your age, sex, height, weight, daily activity level, allergies and even your ethnic background. But don't let that overwhelm you.

Although I cannot give you a customized diet plan, I can say that generally speaking with some fluctuation, a healthy diet should consist of:

Healthy fats in small portions such as: coconut oil, avocado, nuts, seeds, and fish.

Fibrous foods such as: pears, strawberries, apples, carrots, beets, broccoli, and kale.

Complex carbohydrates such as: oatmeal (not instant), sweet potatoes, brown or wild rice, corn, and quinoa.

Leaner proteins such as: flank steak, chicken breast, turkey breast, white-flesh fish, plain Greek yogurt, lentils, cottage cheese, and 90% lean ground beef.

The specific amounts in grams (or macros) you should consume, again, vary. However, you should not experience intense cravings. If you are, your nutritional profile is most likely off, and you need to re-evaluate your portions and nutritional intake. For example, most women trying to lose weight, do not eat enough protein nor enough fiber, so keep this in mind as you move forward.

If you consistently feel tired, lethargic, or starving, try to up your protein or fiber, or give yourself a healthy carb containing or healthy fat containing snack like granola, yogurt, or nuts.

As a tip, when you encounter a strong craving, give yourself a small healthful snack and a full glass of water, wait twenty minutes, and re-evaluate again if you are still feeling cravings. If you are, eat another healthful snack and drink another half glass of water. Continue this cycle.

Remember, caloric intake may be important for weight loss, yes, but your nutritional choices matter even more. Do not be disappointed in yourself if you go over your caloric goals as you begin, as long as all your choices were healthy and you feel balanced! Creating the habit of choosing healthy foods is a difficult transition, so be kind to yourself. Which leads us to step 2.

Step 2. Gain Control Over Your Relationship with Food...by Loving Yourself!

Have your ever experienced a feeling of shame, guilt, or remorse after eating or while looking in the mirror?

This will not develop or foster a healthy relationship with food down the road, and no matter how much you may "punish" yourself or feel these negative feelings around certain foods, it will only continue to worsen your emotions around meal-time.

Then there is the infamous "cheat day".

I have fantastic news for you, you don't need a "cheat day" and your cheat day is actually holding you back, so drop it!

Like we've said in Step 1. You don't need a quick "diet", so you don't need a "cheat day". "Cheat days" are not a long-term plan for maintaining a healthy weight. Free office lunches, weddings, birthdays, family dinners, etc. will not always magically fall on your decided "cheat day", and they create stress and an obsession with food. What you need, is a better relationship with food for the long-haul.

Food should never be used as a reward. Inversely, healthy food should not ever be used as a punishment. What you are doing by having these habits, is training your brain to hate healthy food and crave sugary, greasy, fattening foods instead. Your brain is associating the chocolate bar (for example) with reward and making it taste all the sweeter.

Many people commit this self-sabotage, millions of Americans in fact, and that's okay. Don't kick yourself in the pants or feel regret. Today is a new day, and now you simply need to re-train your brain and gain control of your relationship, and this starts with self-love.

No, you don't need to punish yourself for the slice of pizza you ate last night, and no you don't need to feel angry with yourself when you look in the mirror and the reflection isn't "perfect" by your own standards. You need to be kind to yourself.

Try this: Each morning or evening, when you look at yourself in the mirror, say aloud a positive affirmation or two. I know this may feel a little silly at first, but the psychology behind this is proven. If you put positivity all around this process, you are much more likely to succeed for the long-haul.

Some positive affirmations to try:

"I am beautiful and I am going to treat myself like I am beautiful. I am going to take care of this body today by giving it the nutrition it needs, and the attention it deserves, and I'm going to feel great about it."

"I am worth all the effort I put into taking care of myself today. Watching my body slowly change is evidence that I am strong and getting stronger! Eating healthy and exercising is going to get easier and easier, and I don't have to be perfect today because nobody is perfect! I just have to keep trying."

"I am so excited to take another step in my journey today. I'm going to treat my body the way it deserves to be treated, because I love myself. I am worth all the effort each day."

"I love my body because it let's me do amazing things, and I'm going to continue to do amazing things. I'm grateful for my ability to see, I'm grateful for my ability to hear, I'm grateful for my ability to walk and talk. I am stronger than yesterday, and I will be even stronger tomorrow. Every day will get easier!"

"I am strong enough to love myself, I am strong enough to care for myself, and I will be an example to my (spouse, kids, family, friends or self) on how to take care of your body and mental health."

Step 3: Re-Organize Your Workout Routine!

Another common mistake I see is an improper gym routine. You do not necessarily need a trainer, nor do you necessarily need a gym membership.

There are many exercise routines you can do from the comfort of your own home with a couple ten pound weights or resistance bands, or even nothing at all.

However, the mistake I see most often is committing to too much cardio. I've read countless accounts of women setting goals of running every morning, five day a week, for thirty minutes or even up to an hour. If this is a hobby and what you enjoy, that's great! But, if you are only doing this routine to lose weight and you just don't know what to do, you're committing self-sabotage again.

Here is the science behind your metabolism broken down into simplistic terms:

Fat and muscle content directly affect your metabolic rate, along with your activity level. The more fat and muscle you have, the more your metabolism has to work and consume to maintain your current figure.

If you want to lose weight, you normally go for a small caloric deficit. But as you lose weight, your metabolism may decrease. Why? Because you've lost fat. Your body does not need as many calories to sustain your body.

If you commit to rigorous amounts of cardio, you're burning not only fat, but at some point, you begin to burn muscle too.

Burning muscle is the opposite of what you want to do for long-term weight loss. You want to build muscle. Which is why it is important to not only eat enough protein as we discussed in step 1, but also you need to do strength-training exercises. No, this doesn't mean you need to get into a body building routine or anything to that extreme. It just means you need to incorporate some muscle-building exercises like squats, lunges, planks, working with resistance bands, lifting weights, or sit-ups.

There are countless strength-training home workouts available to watch for free on YouTube that you can easily incorporate in your routine with only fifteen to thirty minutes to spare.

These exercises will help you build up muscle if you follow a healthy diet with plenty of protein, and will kick-start your metabolism into a fat-burning machine even when you aren't exercising.

When deciding on a strength-training routine: remember that if your muscles are sore the next day (but not horribly painful), you've done a good job! Sore muscles means they are building strength and will need protein to heal. You should never work out the same muscle group two days in a row, so find some exercises you are comfortable with, and make up at least three days of different routines. One day for your legs and glutes, one day for your abs or core, and the third for your upper body and arms, just as an example.

As a side note, expect your metabolism to increase, and expect to gradually eat more per day in healthful foods, especially protein. If you have cravings, your body is trying to tell you it needs nutrition. So always replace what you are craving with a healthful nutritious alternative, your body needs it to heal!

If you struggle to find the passion or fun in beginning a strength-training routine, why not try a dance workout routine? Dancing is a great way to build muscle while having fun, and it makes the time go by all the faster. (Checkout the Popsugar link below if this interests you)

Below are links to some great resources to start trying out some different strength training routines from home, I am not affiliated with any of these individuals or channels, these are simply resources I believe are great for beginners!

Chloe Ting's Free Workout Programs has an amazing library of free workout challenges, if 15 or 30 day challenges are what motivate and excite you, this is the resource for you.

PopSugar's Fitness Channel on Youtube has amazing dance workouts that are guaranteed to make you sweat and build strength while still having fun!

Blogilates Channel on Youtube has pilates workouts that are fun and motivational for beginners!

FitnessBlender's Channel on Youtube has quick easy at-home workouts for women with very little time to spare.