These posts are going to involve a wide range of topics to help motivate myself and hopefully help to motivate some of you to live a little healthier. I'll be posting recipes, exercises and even about how to achieve a healthier state of mind, which is something I really need to work on as well!
So for today's blog post I thought I would put some helpful tips down which I have learnt from previously attempting this! (I did last a good 6 months before, but then uni started and with that so did stress eating!)
1. Don't feel the need to dive right into it.
I know it's January and most people set new years resolutions and want to start becoming fit and healthy straight away, but personally I think you should wait. More than likely you still have loads of Christmas treats left and they will make motivation harder and it's just a waste of perfectly good chocolate to me! So I think a good time to fully start is February when the temptations have gone. Though I do think it's a good idea to slowly work up to February by eating healthier meals and maybe getting into a nice gentle workout routine. Just don't feel guilty about enjoying the sweet treats!
2. As mentioned in the previous tip, start a gentle workout.
Sometimes I find if you throw yourself into the deep end it can actually demotivate you as you just feel unfit, tired and ache like hell, which is why I think most people hate working out! I like to start off with doing some gentle yoga which helps to strengthen muscles, or even just taking nice long walks can help increase your fitness!
3. Another point on not diving straight into it is to do with eating, and this is a mistake I make every time!
More than likely your body is not use to eating loads of fruit, vegetables and fiber, so if you increase this very quickly into your diet you may end up like me with a severe bloating issue and stomach discomfort (my stomach was a whole 6 inches bigger due to bloating and it was very demotivating! - sorry for TMI!). So start of slowly by adding an extra portion per meal and working up from there. Though if you do dive into like me then don't worry to much about the bloating, it will go down but it may take a while (it may even take a couple of weeks), just drink plenty of water and I've heard drinking probiotic drinks help too!
4. Start by using what you have in your home!
If you go out and buy loads of expensive equipment and food items then they may just end up hidden somewhere after a few months. So wait and see how well you are sticking to it and find out what you enjoy and then start to invest. There are loads of workouts you can do without any equipment, and don't be fooled into buying all the expensive superfoods until you know you will actually use them! (Wine bottles make excellent beginner weights btw!)
5. Drink more water!
We all know this is important but most of us fail in it. Drinking water can help you lose some weight as most of our bodies hold onto water creating water weight. I always make sure to have a glass of water beside me, and carry a water bottle wherever I go.
6. Remember to take time for yourself and don't feel guilty about it.
At least once a week take some time to do what you want to do. Have a bath, watch a film and eat that chocolate bar you've been craving. You deserve it, and it will help with your mental health!
7. Do it for health and happiness not for weight loss.
Sometimes I think people get too involved in weight loss and forget the importance of doing it because in the end you will feel so much better. Personally I would keep away from the scales especially in the first few weeks because like I said you may bloat and gain a bit of weight at first. So I would suggest using a tape measure and measuring progress once a month like that. I think weight fluctuates too much, and plus once you start losing weight and gaining muscle weight may increase. Just remember do this for happiness and healthiness, and weight isn't important!
Sorry this was such a long post, but I hope it has helped! I also hope you enjoy reading further blog posts about this too!
If you have any other helpful tips comment them below!
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