So it's February and your New Year's resolution is already down the drain. You only woke up and went to the gym once and maybe had a salad twice. It's okay though, I am here to help you get started.
Start small. Everyone claims on New Year's that they will wake up at the crack of dawn and go to the gym, and consume exactly 1532 calories everyday. But in reality, that is just too much of a lifestyle change to make. Baby steps. Start by cleaning out all the junk food. Throw out the chips, cookies, soda, and start taking the stairs. Focus on eating healthy, then focus on a more micro level.
Make that workout playlist. Honestly, music is such an integral part of who we are and everyday life. Find the music that gets you going. It will make it multitudes easier to get up and get moving this way.
Find an exercise you love. Sure, it is easy to tell yourself you will run six miles everyday, or do 1,000 pushups, but what is that really going to do for you? Stress you out most likely. Find that exercise that you can enjoy. If it's going into the weight room or jumping rope, do what you love and you'll find you will reach your goals a lot more easily. Maybe there's a sport you have been dying to try. We are young, now is the time to do it.
Time Management. We are students. We are busy. We have exams to study for, meetings, and lots of work to do. It is totally understandable to feel overwhelmed and not feel like you have time to go to the gym or do your favorite activity. It is important to plan. Start small and set out two days a week you can be active, then expand to more. College is busy and stressful, but not worth sacrificing your health over. One day your grades won't matter, but your body is forever. You only get one body, so care for it.
Find a friend. Find someone that can support you as you start this lifestyle change. It is hard to change habits alone. Maybe you won't find someone that wants to take this journey with you, but you can find someone that will listen and help keep you on track.
It's a lifestyle change. Remember: it's a lifestyle change. Fad-diets and rapid weight loss aren't going ot make the difference for you in the long run. You want to change your lifestyle so that the benefits will last for years to come. It's not as easy to think long term, but when you do, it makes a world of a difference.
Reaching your fitness goals is part discipline, part passion. If you don't love what you are doing with your body, it will be hard to reach where you want to be. Being your ideal person cannot always be done by finding someone else's cookie cutter workout. A lot of times, you need to look at yourself.
