Here is a comprehensive list of things to consider when it comes to your fitness journey. It is important that you are mentally and physically prepared for your fitness journey. A lot of people compromise their mental health on the journey to improve their physical. However, both are equally vital. In this post I detail how to start your fitness journey.
Challenges of losing weight and getting fit.
1. You don’t know your fitness goals.
When I first started going to the gym my goal was to use the cardio machines to lose weight and get healthy. I had no working knowledge of any other machine besides the cardio ones. However that goal quickly changed from all things cardio to weight training. But i had no idea what i wanted from this. So I just free styled at the gym with no clear cut goal.
2. Calories.
I was eating too many calories. My relationship with food has never been bad but it wasn’t the best. I was not monitoring what I was putting in my body. Which meant that I was putting in more energy than I was putting out. This didn’t help my weight loss journey
3. Consistency
You know, when they said consistency is key. They didn’t lie.
Consistency was something that I lacked and still struggle with. One week I’d go to the gym four times, another twice, another nothing at all and so on. In fact as the months went by my consistency went down. One month I went to the gym thirteen times! Another month I didn’t go at all.
4. Oliver Pope ‘what do you need’
You may not get this reference. But the last thing that didn’t help my fitness journey was not knowing what I wanted and needed for myself. It is not enough to just say I want to lose weight. How you go about achieving this goal is what will makes the difference.
5. Life’s demands
Sometimes life, can just life. This means things can get into the way of trying to achieve your goals that you lose motivation and just stop. If this is you. There is still enough time to pick up where you left.
6. Not seeing results.
The last one on my list is not seeing results. I was so focused on the scale, but the number just did not change. Now I know that this is a result of many things, some which I have mentioned. But throughout the duration of my weight loss journey I noticed that from January to May I remained the same weight.
How to Start Your Fitness Journey
- Calories.
To lose weight it is important that there is an imbalance between the calories that you eat and the calories you take out. Therefore, a calorie deficit is essential for my journey.
For me this calorie deficit entails being mindful of overeating especially takeaway, saturated fats, sugars, and liquid calories. Cutting 100/200 calories from daily recommended amount is something that I have incorporated. It is important that you do what works for your body and what is safe.
- Eating the right food and drinking water.
Eating whole foods, which are high in fibre has been a game changer for me. Simply because it is healthy.
Foods that are high in fibre include:
- Avocados
- Apples
- Strawberries
- Oats
- Popcorn (which makes for an excellent snack too and alternative to crisps)
- Chia seeds
- Brown rice
- Whole wheat bread, pasta, crackers, and some cereals such as Weetabix.
- Walking 10K steps.
I am privileged enough to work in a hospital three times a week. Which accounts for my 10,000 steps a day. Most people burn 200-400 calories walking 10k steps, so I ask sure to keep active especially at work. If you work remotely try to go for walks on your free time or simply being more active at home.
- Gym Gym Gym.
My goal now, is to go to the gym two times a week. My plan at the gym:
For Cardio:
Staircase master
Incline walking
Cycling
Skipping Rope at home
Weight training:
Targeting back muscles
Growing my glutes.
The gym remains a good place to achieve my fitness goals but mainly my health related goals. I talked about not seeing physical results, but one thing that the gym has definitely improved in my body are my lungs. I find breathing better now, one of the reasons I wanted to go to the gym was to improve on this problem.
- Rest and Sleep
Don’t forget to rest your body needs it. It is important not to overwork ourselves. To get optimal results adding rest days is essential. Sleep is another important tool for our bodies. Lack of sleep can increase your appetite. I am aware that we all lead different lives that may not permit the luxury of 7/8 hours of sleep. But where possible try to get some rest for your body.
O’L Final Thoughts
The target is consistency, eating more healthy foods. My target is not to lose all the weight at once as this is a marathon not a sprint. Don’t give up on your fitness goals. Before you know it. It will be December and you will regret never starting. It is better to start and fail than never starting at all.
