So how was the winter season for you? I hope you enjoyed the festive season and feasted at all those weddings that you attended. Besides being able to enjoy the vast array of foods that are available to us during the winters, one down side that comes along with it is the increased body weight.
This results in lower energy levels and a general sense of lethargy in performing day to day tasks. Nevertheless, if you aren’t an avid gym goer or one who follows a strict nutrition regime, it may be the right time to start paying attention to your health. Curious to know why? Well, summer is around the corner and you surely want to feel good and look in great shape to be able to flaunt your summer wear.
Let me talk to you about a few key elements before we begin:
Never be too hard on yourself. You had a good time in the winter season, and there’s nothing wrong with it.
Realize the mistakes that you made that make you feel that your health took a backseat and start working towards a healthier goal. And yes, stick to it through the year.
There is no tomorrow and there are no short cuts to success. Read more or consult about nutrition & exercise, and most of all, start today!
Now that you are ready to start your journey towards attaining that awesome summer body, here are a few pointers you can look at:
Set Realistic Goals- DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT try to focus on weight loss at all and do not set yourself unrealistic weight loss targets. Losing a ton of weight in just a few weeks is unnatural. Enter, ketogenic diets- the biggest fad of all. It gives you great results in the short run, but be prepared to be highly disappointed in the long run as these so called ‘diets’ are not sustainable at all. A regimented nutrition plan that focusses on getting you a lot of fibre and micro nutrients is the one best suited for the body. Similarly, physical activity on a daily basis is imperative. Focus on improving your internal health to feel good (not to only look good) and not on that number on the weighing scale. The weight will go down automatically if you do so.
Quality over Quantity (always)- We keep talking about the number of calories we consume. Reduction of calories to attain good levels of health is another misnomer. It is not as simple as math as the industry would want you to believe. Diet snacks and healthy biscuits do not exist. Anything that comes in a packet is meant to make you sick. Get this in your head- NUTRITION IS THE KEY! Stop counting your calories and focus on colourful vegetables in your diet that are supplemented with lots of pulses and legumes, and some nuts/seeds and fruits. If you cannot put diesel in your petrol car, you shouldn’t be putting processed packaged foods into your body either. Similarly, sweating more is not an indication of a workout well done as that is just the body’s cooling mechanism. You need to incorporate resistance training along with high intensity interval training or cardiovascular training. Again, don’t count the calories burnt people, focus more on the quality of your workout.
Get Moving- If you’re thinking that you’ll hit the gym right away and get toned up in a week, you are highly mistaken. Once you set a realistic goal, it’s important to be patient as well. Start small with some yogic exercises like surya namaskars and pranayama. If that doesn’t work for you, pick up a sport or join some dance classes. If you’re hitting the gym directly, get a trainer there to assist you in the beginning with some basic functional movements. Bottom-line is, just get off your bottoms and get moving! Once you are a regular, come back here for more tips on how you can take your training to the next level.
Have a query about nutrition or just want to talk about your eating choices? Just drop it on my Whatsapp and i'll get back to you.