During the holidays, many of us fall into the pattern of
eating too much and exercising too little, and then commit to a New Year’s fitness resolution to get
both our exercise and eating habits back on track. In my 10 + years as a
personal trainer, I have seen that the #1 reason that New Year’s resolutions
fail is that we try to make too many changes, too quickly. This inevitably results
in failure to stick to the plan/resolution.
My advice is to start small by implementing one new exercise and
one new nutrition habit for the first 4 weeks of the New Year. Below I have listed four practices that can have the most significant impact on your health and physique. Consider adding one practice a week to your routine at the start of the new year.
Week 1
Eating: Drink water like it is going out of style
- adequate hydration increases energy levels, decreases food cravings, and increases exercise performance,
- drink a MINIMUM of 2.5 litres of water per day. The closer you can get to 4 litres, the better!
- keep a water bottle on hand at all times throughout the day
- try adding lemon/lime for flavour, or even a splash of juice
Exercise: Do two workouts and no more
- commit to two full-body exercise sessions during the first week; make sure they combine both resistance and cardiovascular training
- space the workouts 2-3 days apart,as you may be sore
- Schedule in the two workout times and COMMIT to doing them; don't let other plans interfere
Week 2
Eating: Less Carbs, More Protein
- Rather than eliminating foods, try shifting your portion sizes
- Increase your lean protein servings and decrease your carbohydrate servings; this will help your body shed excess fat
- If your favorite dinner dish is chicken and rice, for example, try decreasing your usual rice portion by 1/2 to 1/3 and increasing your chicken portion by the same amount
Exercise: Do three
workouts and no more
- Set aside time for 3 full-body workouts, taking at least one rest day in between
- Choose movements that you like and are familiar with
- Be mindful of each exercise, making sure that are are "feeling" the targeted muscle doing the work
Week 3
Eating: Increase your Veggies - the greener, the leaner
- Increase your intake of vegetables, particularly the green ones
- Commit to having a green veggie serving at lunch and dinner (salad, green beans, asparagus etc.)
- Increasing your green veggies will boost your energy levels and help to keep your body in an alkaline (as opposed to acidic) state.
- consider purchasing a "green" powder substitute at a health food store and having at least one serving a day ("green" powders taste best in smoothies)
Exercise: Start a
periodized (planned) exercise program doing 3-4 workouts
- This would be a great week to hire a personal trainer, even if only for a session or two to set you up on a personalized program and to make sure you have proper exercise
- If personal training isn't your cup of tea, or simply isn't in your budget, try meeting up with a friend who is familiar with the weight room
Week 4
Bagels...MY biggest "vice"
Eating: Eliminate your biggest “vice”
- Most people have a few foods that they "can't keep in the house" (cheese, chips, bread, alcohol, etc.)
- Be honest with yourself and decide what your biggest "vice" food is, then stop buying it. This may seem like a crazy idea, but you and I know what a difference not having this food in the house can make :)
Exercise: Exercise four times per week, now focusing on
increasing intensity
- The thought of exercising 4 times per week may seem daunting, but this amount is ideal to keep your metabolic rate up and to ensure that your body is insulin responsive (good at processing carbs)
- Exercise sessions should last between 30-60 min, no more!
- cardio sessions should be short and sweet. Long cardio sessions are inefficient for supporting long-term weight loss.
- start to increase the intensity of your workouts. Your body should now be more efficient at processing lactic acid, so you should be noticing that your soreness is decreasing. Try gradually increasing the weights you are lifting and push yourself closer to "failure"
I hope that these tips help you to succeed with your New Year's Fitness Resolution. If you have any exercise/nutrition questions, feedback, or an idea for a blog post, please send me a message at: innerimagept@gmail.com
