How To Begin Your Fitness Journey

“Where do I begin? How do I begin?”

These are the top questions I get asked, and understandably so. Beginning any type of journey can be intimidating, but with the proper information and preparation it doesn’t have to be.

We have all heard that if we want to make our goals a reality, then we must bring action to our intentions. However, that isn’t entirely true. There is a little piece missing from that saying. You need to bring INFORMED actions to your intentions. If you are ready to take action, but you haven’t thought through everything, chances are that things will not work out.

For example - if you start a diet regimen or fitness program but you don’t have the proper plan in place, you could harm your metabolism, injure yourself, and potentially begin a cycle of yo-yo dieting.

So, what is the proper plan?

Read on to see the steps I put my beginners through to ensure they get off on the right foot and best ensure their success:

UNDERSTAND THE NUMBERS

Weight loss, weight maintenance, muscle gain – all of these goals involve simple numbers. Fat is nothing other than stored energy. The calories in your food are units of energy. Eat too much food (more than you burn though every day activity), no matter how “healthy” it is, you will store it as fat. Period. That’s it. End of story. So to lose weight, you must burn more calories than you consume. If you are looking to maintain your weight, you need to consume the same amount of calories you are burning over the course of the day. To gain weight, you must eat more calories than you burn in a day. Basically, rule one is that you must have a plan in place that helps you understand just how much you are actually eating in a day.

FOOD QUALITY MATTERS, BUT NOT HOW YOU THINK

In the moment, the quality of the food you choose has no effect on how many calories you burn. However, the quality of your calories will come in to play over time. If you are consuming fake fats, fake sugars, fake colors, fake flavorings… these things can lead to an increased risk of obesity, they can accelerate aging, and they can increase risk of chronic diseases.

In other words, food quality is not just about macros, gluten, dairy… it’s about common sense. Eat whole foods. Avoid chemicals in your foods. Go organic with meat, dairy, fruits, and vegetables.

PICK A PLAN YOU CAN STICK WITH

You don’t have to go to a busy gym. You don’t have to work out for hours on end. You SHOULD exercise around 5 times a week for at least 30 minutes. Now, if you are a true beginner I suggest a walking workout that progresses with time. Once you can handle more, the next question you need to ask is what do you enjoy doing? Would you like cycling? Would you like Pilates? Would you like resistance training? Maybe a combination of all of the above.

While there are definitely some workouts you can do that will get you results quicker than others, what is the use if you hate doing them? The best workout is the one you can stick with consistently.

GET A COACH

Once you have decided what you would like to do, you need to make sure you are doing it properly. And having a coach who can guide you (at least in the beginning) is very important. It will help prevent injury and ensure best results. Looking for a coach? I happen to know one that would love to help you get started on your fitness journey ;)

EMBRACE THE CONCEPT OF BALANCE

Most beginners have the “all or nothing” mentality and, to make things worse, they think they need to do it all perfectly. This is a definite way to set yourself up for failure. People are not perfect. You will have setbacks. You will probably fall off the wagon. So you need to plan for it ahead of time. You can start by practicing the 80/20 rule. This means that you try to make the majority of your calorie allowance healthy foods and then allow for 20 percent of them to come from your favorite treat foods. By doing this, you won’t feel deprived and you don’t feel discouraged when you have a slice of pizza – which is totally fine!

BUILD SUPPORT

One of the top reasons people say they abandon a fitness goal is lack of support. There are many places to find support. When you are looking to find a fitness community that works for you, work on finding people who match your vision and your values.

When it comes down to it, the key to beginning your fitness journey is patience. Be kind to yourself. Be loving. If you don’t like something, then change it. Trust the process. You will get there! I promise.