I Want to be Fit! Where do I Start?

I posted this quote to my Facebook page recently, “I have all the motivation to get fit, but have no idea where to start. I feel out of place at the gym and get overwhelmed trying to eat healthy all the time with my busy schedule.”  Many people could relate.  Here is my blog in response to this. 

1. Precontemplation- You do not even see (or care about) a need for change yet.

2. Contemplation- You start thinking you would like to change.

3. Preparation- You start trying to figure out what you need to do to get started. 

Sometimes it is hard to find your way in the fitness world.  There are so many options, opinions, and ways to lose weight.  Everybody is looking for the quick fix.

My goal for you is to get lean, strong, learn to eat healthy, and develop habits that last a lifetime.  No quick fix; a lifestyle change.

Take a good hard look at what you are putting into your mouth.  Fries, chips, cake, carb loaded meals, and fast food, etc. cannot make up the bulk of your diet if you wish to change.   Read this blog for a starter guide to changing the way you eat to make the most out of the work you will put in at the gym.   You are sabotaging yourself if you continue to eat junk.  Commit to trying the plan I suggest for one month and see how you feel.

If you have a lot of fat to lose, you need to start controlling it with how you eat, and you need to do cardio.  It doesn’t matter if you jog outside, run on a treadmill, use the elliptical, Stairmaster, bike, jump rope, etc.  Get your heart rate up for 60-120 minutes a week.   If you have to start slow, that is fine, but push yourself.  You are never going to change anything if you do what you already CAN do.  Push yourself.

Google the benefits of strength training if you are not convinced that this is what you need to do.  I will just say that it is beneficial for ALL people of ALL ages.  Strength training is the step that seems to be the most intimidating for people.  I have been there as well.  You will never get anywhere if you do not start.

My advice is to stop toying with the idea of strength training in your living room with 5lb weights and just join a gym.  There are many affordable gyms out there.  Many will give you a free training session to help you get started.  An easy place to start:  All gyms have basic machines that work each muscle group.   You could just start at the end of the row of machines and work your way down.  There are pictures on them to help you figure out what to do and what muscle they work.  Here is another blog I wrote about how to start strength training.

That being said, if working out at home is your only option, it is doable.  You can start with my 12 Week HOME Strength Training Plan or one of the many videos for sale.  Look for one that has you lifting weights. 

If you really do not want to mess around and you want to change your life, check out my 12 Week GYM Strength Training Plan or hire a personal trainer to teach you skills you can use forever.  Having a plan in hand or having somebody show you one on one what to do can be helpful if you are unsure of yourself.

Important:  Lift heavy.  Your purse is heavier than 5lbs!  You gain muscle by pushing your muscles to their limit.  If you are doing bicep curls for example, lift as heavy as you can without making your back bend all sorts of funky ways.  You want your bicep muscle to do all the work.  When doing a set of 12 repetitions, you should be challenged by rep #8.  If all 12 repetitions were easy, lift heavier next time.

Set goals for yourself for how you will eat, how you will go about your cardio, and how you will strength train. (Some short-term goals and some long-term goals)

Specific

Measurable

Achievable

Realistic

Timeframed

For example (short term):  This week, I will eat 6 small meals a day focused on protein and veggies for 5 days straight.  I will do 30 minutes of cardio intervals on the treadmill 4 times.  I will do a total body strength training workout twice.

For example (long term):  In 6 months, I would like to be in shape enough to compete in a Warrior Dash.

These goals are doable, not too far fetched, and you will get to your first Friday feeling proud and accomplished. 

Avoid making your goals solely focused on appearance.  Focus on making yourself stronger and healthier.  Learn to enjoy working out!  Your body, naturally, will fall in line.  Maybe it is your only time away from your kids.  Maybe it is your time to listen to your music.  Find whatever it is that keeps you going back.

We are all tempted to step on the scale to measure progress.  It is a good measuring tool when you are just starting out, but remember that muscle weighs more that fat, you will have good and bad weeks, and there is more to the number on the scale.  Keep moving onward.  I think a measuring tape around the waist is a pretty good measure of progress.  Also, take a picture of yourself in the mirror now.  You will thank me later!  It will be fun to look back in a few months to see how far you’ve come.

Buy a little spiral notebook and write down what you eat and what workouts you do everyday.  Write down how much weight you lift on each exercise.  I find that I am the most successful when I write down what I will eat and do before that day actually arrives.  You can also track your weight or measurements here.  Seeing your goals and progress in writing is beneficial.  Caring around a little notebook at the gym is not weird.  It makes you look focused.

So in a nutshell, eat better, do cardio, strength train, set goals, and write it all down.

You many find it overwhelming to make all of these changes all at once.  If so, add one new step each week. 

Week 1- change eating habits

Week 2- continue eating habits and do cardio (and join a gym)

Week 3- continue the above and start strength training

Week 4- set some goals if you haven’t already and get serious by writing down your food and workouts

Notice on the chart above the word “relapse”.  A relapse is inevitable.  The good thing is, you will not have to go all the way back to the beginning of the cycle.  You will know what you need to and you can skip right to the “action” stage. 

Here are some samples of what your workout could look like.  I am going to assume you are using machines here because you are new to this, but of course free weights are great too. 

I have a 5 day Strength Training guide for sale to help guide you around the weight room if you need it.

I have a 3 day Strength Training guide for sale to help guide you if you need it.

*If you do each machine once and then move to the next one, and so on, and then repeat the whole cycle again, it is more time effective because you do not need to rest.  (for example, quads are resting when you do arms).

I hope you find this break down helpful.  Just start!  When (not “if” but “when”) you fall off track, just reset your goals and start again.