Most people will set losing weight goals, map out an exercise plan and create the ideal diet to support their desires to be a healthier and fitter version of themselves. Despite all the good intentions and starting off well, somewhere along the way they lose motivation and before they know it procrastination has sieved in and they are no longer following their fitness plan, and shortly after they go back to square one. If this is you or you don't want this to be you, here are five health and fitness tips we have identified that will ensure the weighing scale is showing the numbers that match your ideal weight.
1. Lose the excuses
Until you eliminate remove excuses from your vocabulary then you will remain defeated before you even begin. Remember the tongue has the power to curse or bless. When you complain all you do is remain the same and you spend your days watching those you admire live the life you desire.
2. Love who you are now
Strip naked in front of the mirror, admire all of you and as you do so, stop your face from having a disgusted look. As hard as it may be I encourage you to stand there and tell yourself you are beautiful and wonderfully made. Spend time complimenting yourself on your beauty by beginning with an area that you like about yourself and for those areas you don't state that you are beginning to love them too. Tell yourself you love yourself and spend time admiring who you are. When you love yourself as you are now then you naturally endeavour to give yourself the best, therefore making the right choices is undoubtedly easier.
Do this every day without fail and each time you dress, pick an outfit that makes you feel revived, sexy and confident. Change your attitude to be full of gratitude, in order to release happy endorphins and good energy to your body which scientifically is a good recipe for getting rid of weight for when we are stressed our bodies tend to retain weight.
Lastly if you don't learn to love yourself as you are now you will not be able to love yourself even when you become the change you desire. So put in the self-work to deal with your internal makeup because as you change externally this must be reflective of who you also are internally.
3. Decipher the WHY to tolerate the HOW
No set goal equals no sense of direction. When you haven't figured out why you want to adopt a healthier lifestyle, nothing you do will come to full fruition and you will find yourself having inconsistent motivation which never leads to a successful outcome.
Everything you enjoy in life was born through pain and suffering. Take someone who wants to get a high grade in their exams the only way to get that is through tirelessly working and revising every chance possible. Time spent doing this increases their chances of succeeding and they will more than likely get the grade they are after. However, to stay motivated they have to keep in mind always what this grade will mean for their future endeavours.
The same analogy applies to exercise too, I urge you to identify the reasons "why" you are in pursuit of achieving your set health goals because once you do you will have the resilience to endure the challenges faced by the "how" this being the process you will take to achieve your desired outcome.
4. Make a plan
It is important that you set a plan because when on a healthy journey you will come across people who don't value exercise or healthy eating, you will find yourself in situations where fried foods, fizzy drinks, sugary desserts and salty foods are in near sight, if you're not careful they will destruct you from your health plan. So the best way to counteract this is by occasionally including treat days or treat meals, where you can enjoy them in moderation.
Ideas for creating a workout plan are identifying what you need to do each day and listing them down either against the days in the calendar or creating a timetable. Mark off each day once exercise and/or an adapted new way of eating has been achieved. This is a good way of staying encouraged and motivated, as it adds purpose to one's day.
5. Your body is a temple
God gave us our bodies so we, therefore, have the responsibility to treat them with kindness and love. In the Bible, it states that the body should be a temple, and if so then respecting it needs to be of the utmost priority. The Lord's prayer asks us daily to not be led into temptation and to seek deliverance.
We wish you all the best in your journey of getting fitter and healthier. What will matter in the end to get you the results you desire is making small changes daily. Consistency is key!