Through consistent use of the following health and fitness tips, I hope I can help you, even a little, to stay on track with your health and fitness goals. Staying fit and healthy is never easy, but by using these tips, we hope you remain accountable to yourself.
We all know that when we set out on a path to regain our health, the path is fraught with detours and it is easy to get sidetracked. So to stay on track I recommend some sort of tracking system. I know recording your stats seems tedious, but if you don’t know where you’ve been, how do you know where you’re going?
In the past, I used a simple spreadsheet to record my daily weight, my exercise routine, and all the meals and calories I ate. Also, I added charts that used the data entered into the sheets to use as a visual aid to make sure I’m trending in the direction of my health and fitness goals. You can do this even if you don’t have a computer or don’t know how to make a spreadsheet. Just use a notebook and graph paper.
It’s amazing how a simple graph can reveal habits that might otherwise have gone unnoticed. For example, I found that I would without fail eat healthy meals at my target calorie allotment for 7-10 days and then binge and consume enough calories for 2 days in one sitting. After discovering this trend, it was easily corrected by increasing my daily calorie intake a bit, so I didn’t feel the need to “eat” once a week.
The next health and fitness tip is to set realistic goals and put them in writing. I think it is very important to put in writing what you would like to achieve. You should write your goal in your own handwriting and post it in at least 3 different places for you to see throughout the day. This serves as a gentle reminder and will help you discover if you have neglected your plan.
When you set your goal, start with a short schedule, hit that goal, and write the next one for a longer period. Your goal should be measurable and achievable. This is when you need to be honest with yourself and set realistic goals, but be careful not to go too easy on yourself.
The ultimate health and fitness tip is to avoid processed foods like the plague. Someone once said that staying fit is 90% nutrition and 10% exercise. Think about it for a second. Most people eat 3-4 times a day and when you compare that to the amount of exercise we get, it makes sense. So my advice is to make eating easier for yourself by simply staying away from packaged and processed foods. Choose healthy foods instead. Once you get into the habit of preparing your own meals with whole foods preferably organic, raised and grown naturally, you’ll find that it won’t take long. By eating these kinds of foods, you’ll probably be eating healthier than you usually do. Keep in mind that serving size matters too. In time, you wouldn’t even crave those bad foods.
Hopefully these few tips will help you stay on track with your plan. Good luck and be healthy.