The road to better health and fitness begins in the kitchen.
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If your New Year’s resolution is to realise a fitter and healthier you, or if you previously found yourself hitting a glass ceiling, we’re here to help! Follow these simple pointers and you’ll soon see the results you desire.
Adopt the right mentality towards food
We need certain amounts of carbohydrates, protein and fat for our bodily functions, energy requirements and recovery. Let’s not label food as “good” or “bad”, as there is a time for different kinds of food. Instead, read up or consult a dietitian on how much you need of each macro- and micronutrients.
We might be inclined to snack when we get hungry between meals. The solution is simple — prep healthy snacks for yourself that you can easily reach for when you have the munchies. Same for meals, prepping meals with the protein and energy you need will curb you from reaching for that cookie jar or bag of chips. If you’re heading out, you can prep or order meals so that you don’t have an excuse to step into that fast-food joint. If you would like to know when’s a good time to treat yourself to high-energy meals, consult a dietitian for an accurate assessment.
Lastly, don’t reward yourself with junk food. Reward yourself with nutritious, delicious food instead, or a non-food reward. Pro athletes will tell you, looking and performing your best starts in the kitchen.
Read up on exercise
Maximise your workouts by doing them the right way. Nowadays, a wealth of resources are available online, so read up how to perform each exercise safely and correctly. Each exercise has different timings and variations. Free online guides will also show you how to structure your workouts for different body parts and schedule them efficiently.
Beyond exercising safely and efficiently, it’s good to get to know your own body. Understanding how your unique body works and reacts differently from others is a lifelong journey, which will serve to maximise your efforts and protect you from injury.
Sure, you’re exercising frequently, but are you performing each exercise correctly?
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Hold yourself accountable
Self-discipline just might be one of the toughest virtues to develop. If getting yourself to exercise, and perform your exercises to the best of your ability at that, is an uphill struggle for you, consider an exercise buddy. Not only can you and your buddy motivate each other to stay the course, you can also check on each other’s form when exercising. Better yet, form or join an exercise group with family members and friends, and plan physical activities together.
The next level of accountability involves setting a goal and working towards it, as well as setting a deadline for when you both will assess your progress and measure your results. You can calibrate your before and after body fat and muscle percentage by using a body fat analyser machine, which can be found in some gyms. There’s also the skinfold method that just requires a pair of calipers.
Finally, for ultimate self-accountability, plan a photo shoot or a day at the beach just after your deadline, which will keep you focused on your physique goals.
