Take the First Steps Towards a Healthier You!

You have decided to take the first step to getting in shape! Great! Now what? Where should you begin?

If you desire to live in your best body, and you are a beginner, follow these simple steps:

Exercise Daily

This does not mean that you must commit to a rigorous schedule of weight training 5 days a week with 3 cardio sessions a week. For a beginner, begin with resistance training 2-3 days each week. Incorporate 1-2 cardio sessions on the days that you are in the gym. Progress from there. Include a short cardio warm-up pre-weight training and have a cool down at the end of your workout. You should be in and out of the gym in 60 minutes or less.

Be a Whole Food Consumer

When adapting to a new way of eating, it is best to take baby steps. Do not throw out all of the foods that you enjoy. This will lead to failure very quickly. Begin by adding fruits and vegetables to each of your meals. Vegetables add volume to your meals and help to keep you feeling full. Eat your favorite foods in moderation instead of omitting them from your diet. This will create a balance that will keep you happy and fulfilled in the long run. Practice intuitive eating and avoid skipping meals.

Track Your Food

Tracking your daily food intake serves as great guidance for food consumption. Tracking your food inadvertently teaches you portion control. Practicing portion control aids in weight management, calorie in-take management, as well as macro intake. Increasing your protein is a must when beginning resistance training. Tracking your food will offer information on the amount of protein that you are eating. There are many apps for tracking food.

If you want to learn more about macros click here

Catch Those Zzzz

Sleep is very important to do when you are working towards living a healthier lifestyle. It is recommended to get 6-7 hours of sleep each night, at the least. Here are a few reasons to ret more:

• Sleep allows the muscles to repair and to rebuild. Cells produce more protein while you sleep. These protein molecules form the building blocks for cells, allowing them to repair the damage.
  • Decrease stress
  • Improves memory
  • Alertness

Most importantly, sleeps assists with weight loss. During sleep, not only is your body busy restoring and reconstructing itself, also your appetite regulating hormones–leptin and ghrelin- are not be disrupted. When both hormones are distorted, the metabolism ceases and the feelings of hunger increase.