1. I'm going to burst your bubble here, there is no quick fix to weight loss or fitness. Both have to be maintained regularly for results. You see all those people starving themselves for 2 weeks on a soup diet in the hopes they will lost a stone? Well they sure will lose a stone. But the second they put a Domino's pizza to their lips on a Tuesday night or start eating their old diet, their body will radically put the weight back on. I don't mean its only going to take one pizza, but its the start of them losing control and soon enough they will be back where they started... which is sad really.
2. Muscle weighs more then fat. This is true. But muscle is our friend! Now I know no one wants to be one of those body builders with hunking muscles, in a bikini and an extremely questionable natural tan (google female body builders, scary stuff) but I don't mean go crazy on the weights. Muscle is actually your bestfriend when It comes to weight loss. Muscle itself burns 4-6 calories all on its own. The more muscle you have, the more FAT you will burrrrrrrrn. Plus all those dream stomachs you've seen on Pinterest or Instagram did not earn their status from just dieting. There is extreme toning done there my friend and that's why regular toning is important in fitness and weight loss.
3. Chocolate wont make you skinny, but you don't have to part ways. Now this is something that shall put a smile back on your pretty face. I'm not going to tell you to give up chocolate. What would life be like if you denied someone the human right to consume such sweet beautiful foods?! What I am going to tell you is you don't need to eat all of the chocolate bar (you know those big arse ones) or the entire packet of cookies or the whole cake. You my friend can have some but do it in moderation. By this I mean try not to eat loads of unhealthy food in the one day. You want a slice of cake? You can have it but don't order a takeaway later. You want a biscuit? Great! Just make sure you take a couple and put the packet back in the cupboard, DON'T consume the whole thing. Balance is your best friend, and to keep balance you need to indulge, plus life would suck without chocolate. There is no point in sacrifice when you can reach your goal without it.
4. Just eating salad all day wont make you sexy. When I say this I mean that just eating greens isn't good for your body. In my opinion to be sexy is to not just be skinny, or lean, or curvy but to also be toned and to be toned we need muscles in our life's and for muscles we need protein. Protein is easier to come by then you think, its in loads of foods such as lean meats such as chicken or turkey. Fish is also a really good source and so are eggs. Protein is really important for maintaining a good diet. Red meat is less friendly when it come to losing weight but it's always good for you to have some: just not the whole cow! A healthy meal is, ideally, made up of a plate with 1/2 greens/veggies/fruits, 1/4 grains such as rice and 1/4 protein. Making the change to having maybe two meals like this a week will make a real difference!
5. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and really should be the biggest. If you give it thought, breakfast for most people is around 7/8 and (unless you snack) has to keep you going till lunch at 12/1. That's a long time and one piece of toast is not going to cut it! If you have a busy day ahead (especially on work out days) then a big hearty breakfast is going to help you get through it. Protein is important in pre-work out meals so having something like eggs in the morning is really good for you. Maybe with a nice green salad? Greek yoghurt with fruit and nuts and always good and filling, keeping energy levels up. You can even have some breakfast biscuits and some fruit which is refreshing and keeps you going! But stay clear of sugary cereals, they will give you energy for a while but you'll soon be on a downer.
6. Water is your secret weapon. This is such a boring and repetitive piece of advice but it really is SO true that water is super good for you. It flushes out all the harsh and nasty things in our systems for a natural cleanse. It is also the best tool to aid your stomach. Our brains take 20 minutes to notify us that our stomach is full. Drinking a glass of water before you eat your main meal will allow your stomach to tell you its fuller earlier enabling you to stop yourself from over eating. Eating slower can also help but if your like me meals are gone in a flash so best get drinking that water!
7. Know what you're eating. Always read the labels when you buy food. You can be shocked by the contents of the most 'healthy' sounding foods. There is one big simple rule, buy as little packaged food as you can! The more organic the better. Never buy microwave meals from the supermarket when you can take 30mins out to cook a perfectly healthy meal from natural ingredients and freeze it for consumption later.
8. One bad meal won't make you fat, just like one good meal won't make you skinny. A McDonald's for tea is not the end of world. There is no reason to give up. There is always tomorrow and there is always another chance. We are not quitters.
9. Get moving. Your not going to reach your goal just by controlling your diet. I'm not telling you to go running on the treadmill for an hour or give me 100 push-ups (unless that's what your used to). With exercise you have to be careful not to exert yourself by over doing it. If your not very active its good to start simple. Going for a walk during the day, taking the stairs instead of the lift, or even cycling to work? When your ready you can build yourself up to things like a casual jog, little cardio and toning workouts. You don't need to go to the gym or pay a fancy membership! Everything these day can be found on the internet. Watch a workout video on YouTube and adapt it to what you can handle (but remember you have to work hard and you should really be feeling the burnnn for it to have an affect!!). Joining a fitness class is always a brilliant idea! Just an hour or two on a weekday maybe doing aerobics or zumba (there are SO many different classes, there is always one that will suit you!). Working out in a group is a good way to build confidence in you and a teacher can help you with advice and tips.
10. All you need is just a little patience. It's going to take time for you to notice the difference in your body and others even longer but don't let this dishearten you. Taking photos of yourself at the start and during your goal are good things to keep you motivated! I like (hate really) to look at photos of me from the last two years to remind myself why I'm doing it. It soon puts you in check!
Well I hope you enjoyed this blog post! If you apply any of these things to your lifestyle then I promise you will see results! I hope to be able to share my results with you over the coming months! What about you, any tips of your own? Chat soon.
justthatgirlvicky
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