The RIGHT Way to Get Fit

Your body changes over time, and your body DOES get used to the things you do to stay fit if you don’t change it up sometimes. You should change your workout routine every 3 weeks at least. Here’s everything to know on how to lose weight properly, and why most things you try, don’t work!

Cutting out foods

To start off, remember, you don’t need to cut out specific foods!! Your body needs a certain amount of sugar per day. You also should NOT use cheat days, because you will just gain the weight back that you’re trying to lose. Your body also won’t have complete satisfaction if you don’t listen to your cravings.

From Google:

Men should consume no more than 9 teaspoons (36 grams or 150 calories) of sugar per day.

For women, the number is lower: 6 teaspoons (25 grams or 100 calories) of sugar per day.

The only reason you should cut out foods is if it affects your health, like diabetes. Don’t get me wrong though, yes, you are allowed to eat the foods you want and you should not cut anything out for dieting. However, you still should stick to healthy foods to keep bad things out of your body.

Body types

Now, everyone has their own body type. Some people are MADE to have extra skin! Bodies are supposed to have fat, and not all the time will that area go down. That is because fat turns into muscle! And with fat turning into muscle, you won’t always end up losing weight. That fat can turn straight into muscle, just making your body more toned. That’s EXACTLY what working out is supposed to be used for. Not getting skinny/a flat stomach, but to get toned.

For women in specific, let me point out a massive insecurity we have. You notice how the lower half of your stomach sticks out with a little bump? That’s the area of your uterus. Your uterus needs that space of fat in order to expand during pregnancy/bloating during your period, and that extra fat is used to protect it!

Where to start

The main thing you need to do is figure out your main goal. Are you looking to specifically lose weight? Gain weight? Gain muscle? Don’t make the decision of, say, wanting to have a flat stomach but a big butt. You either gain or you lose, it’s nearly impossible to do both. Especially at the same time. And remember, if you’re trying to lose weight you still need to eat, and the foods you eat will not change how you look. Once you decide on this, move on to the next part of the list.

Workouts To Do

. Start off with researching basic stretching, like the ones you do before the start of gym class in school. Maybe even run for 20 minutes, or walk to destinations more often.

. The first legit workouts you should consider doing are weight lifts, like curls, to at least figure out where you stand on how many pounds your body can handle.

. After that, look into exercises for whole-body slim training. Don’t focus on a specific body part until you know you’re comfortable with these workouts. And sometimes, you won’t need to switch to specific-body workouts if you are satisfied with the result this one gives you.

. When you get to the body parts you want to work with, keep in mind whether you want to lose or gain in that area. Don’t go right into a random workout until you know which one it affects. And remember, if you’re trying to gain, you MUST eat foods. Continuing to eat will not make you gain that weight back if you stay consistent with your food schedule.

Foods to eat

. Eat whatever foods you desire, like mentioned previously. Keep reminding yourself that your body still needs sugar.

. Calculate your calorie intake and only cut off PART of it. Not half, maybe ⅓ MAXIMUM.

. There is also no actual need for protein foods, drinks, or powders unless your protein count is low.

. Cheat days SHOULD NOT exist! It can throw you off track and bring you back to the beginning, also throwing off your body with the random enormous amount of carb/sugars intake you have.

. Still continue to eat healthy, and have half of your food intake be fruits and vegetables as the food pyramids suggest. This is where proportions come in (Also something we learned back in 6th grade, so we really shouldn’t have to relearn it).

Proportioning

This is not only if you’re trying to lose weight, but it is also used to be healthy in general. All you have to do is take the daily food intakes we need and proportion them properly. Start off with a calorie deficit to lose weight, but DON'T make losing weight the goal! Make the goal to be fit!

Protein intake should be the side of a deck of cards - The only time you need to have a protein drink is if you’re not getting enough protein in your system. You don't need protein within 30 minutes after a workout.

Dairy intake should be one serving per day.

Carb proportions should be 7-10 servings a day.

Fruits and veggies should take up half of your calorie count.

Calorie Deficit

A calorie deficit is when you eat less calories than your body normally consumes. The average calorie deficit of 500 calories per day is effective for healthy and sustainable weight loss, but make sure to calculate your own to get the proper measurement.

Changing routines

Be different to stay consistent. This is what a lot of people don’t realize when trying to get a flat stomach. You workout to get fit/toned, not to lose weight. Losing weight is really just a side effect to working out. But like I said before, your body WILL get used to what you do, so you have to change up your routines/take breaks once in a while if you want to stay where you are.

The American Heart Association recommends 75-150 minutes of physical activity, and on average of twice a week. Assuming the strength training sessions last roughly 20 minutes each, that breaks down to about three hours of exercise for the week. You don’t need to work out everyday.

In my introduction, I stated at the very least you should change up your routine every three weeks. Most physical trainers recommend changing it up every 6-8 weeks to allow for appropriate physiological adaptations.

Prioritize goals

As it’s more common for teenagers to be the ones trying to get skinny, you are the ones more likely to get tricked into a diet. Please remember, eat what you want, but if you feel like looking good is an absolute must, working out will get you toned enough to satisfaction. Please do not pay attention to diets. Working out only makes you fit, not skinny! Losing weight is just a side effect.

Reminders

One mistake people countlessly make when trying to lose weight - is checking their weight. You can still be the same amount of weight at any time, but your body can still look different if you look in a mirror rather than looking at the scale.

The fat in your body doesn’t always disappear when you workout, it turns into muscle, which keeps your weight the same while your body could look drastically different. Rather than looking at a scale every few weeks, look at progress pictures for better satisfaction!

One last thing to remind you, cheat days are bad. If you’re trying to stay low on calories but then one day eat double your normal count, that will really throw off not only your body, but also your routine and process. That one cheat day could make you enjoy the foods you cut out, you may not want to go back to the healthy diet you were doing before. This is why you must stay consistent and not cut out your favorite sweets, just be healthy about it.

Once again, working out only makes you fit, not skinny! This is the one problem majority of people have when trying to lose weight. Do it to be healthy, do it for your confidence. Nothing else, no one else.

RESOURCES

Sugar intake - https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/sugar/how-much-sugar-is-too-much

Proportions - https://www.realbuzz.com/articles-interests/nutrition/article/the-perfect-plate-your-guide-to-portion-size/

Calorie deficit - https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/calorie-deficit

Workout timeline - https://www.planetfitness.com/community/articles/beginner-how-long-should-i-work-out

https://www.mensjournal.com/health-fitness/when-should-i-change-my-workouts/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CGenerally%2C%20you%20should%20change%20your,Garcia%2C%20E%20at%20Equinox%20Manager.