Discover What Sustains You
Whether your goal is to lose weight or change your overall lifestyle, you can start by making simple, positive changes to improve your health, better the environment and even save money. Here are some tips to help you get started!
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BOB'S tips
Tip 1: The key element to a better workout is quickly replacing the fluids you lose when you exercise. Just think about the difference water makes for your body when you need it most. It staves off exhaustion, helps you rebound from a tough night at the gym and leads to better sleep. It’s a key ingredient in your game plan for maintaining a healthy workout regimen.
Tip 2: When food shopping, try to buy local and/or organic ingredients whenever possible.
Tip 3: Make sure you eat every four hours and never skip meals. This not only offsets hunger, but keeps you away from triggers that cause overeating or unnecessary snacking.
Tip 4: It’s just as important to warm your body before working out as it is to quiet and cool down your body after working out with some stretching and breathing. This not only helps your body to relax and rest after an intense workout but also enables your mind to come to a peaceful place.
Tip 5: If you food shop once a week, take time before you head to the store to plan out most of your meals for the upcoming week. Planning what your meals will consist of will help you manage any nervousness that you may feel as you begin to change your diet to be more nutritious, and it will help you save money if you go in with a clearly defined list of what you do and do not need.
Tip 6: Review your accomplishments at least once a week. It’s always important to keep in mind that small milestones have the ability to grow in significance. For example, recognizing that previously you were only able to jog for 5 minutes, and now you are up to jogging for 15 minutes. These reviews will not just add to your confidence, but will reinforce your commitment to taking charge of your life as well.
Tip 7: Build more muscle to burn more fat. Keep in mind that as you integrate exercise into your life, specifically strength training, you’ll gain muscle mass, and muscle weighs more than fat. So a plateau on the scale may be an indication that you are losing fat and gaining muscle, which is not a bad thing. In fact, the more muscular you are, the more fat you burn!
Tip 8: You can always intensify your workout in three ways: increase the number of repetitions, increase the weight, or lengthen the time.
Tip 9: Make sure you set aside time for yourself every day. You will need this time to exercise, relax, and become more in tune with your body and what it needs. When you set aside time to do anything for yourself, you are making a conscious choice to take care of yourself. Suggestions to help you relax: do yoga, take a walk, read a book, meditate, build something with your hands, or garden.
Tip 10: Set realistic goals and stay positive. Achieving any goal takes time and patience, and always remember your over-arching goal: to lose weight, get in shape, and be the best person you can be.
