5 Tips for Starting a Fitness/Nutrition Routine By: Corry Matthews, M.S.
5 Tips for Starting a Fitness/Nutrition Routine
By: Corry Matthews, M.S.
We’ve all been there – trying to make progress with our health and fitness and yet everything gets in the way. We completely understand you…as do all fitness professionals. Our goal is to help you get to where you want to be and to help you navigate some of the not so easy steps along the way.
In my twenty years of working with clients, here are a few mistakes or myths we like to dispel.
Weighing yourself daily isn’t helpful. Why?
Your weight can fluctuate anywhere from 1-6 pounds per day due to sodium, inflammation from food, a bad night’s sleep and lack of going to the bathroom. The only clients we recommend weighing daily are those doing an elimination diet, where we are directly looking at which foods affect inflammation. To determine progress from your program, weight yourself once per week, at the same time, wearing the same thing (we recommend no clothes and after going to the bathroom). Another option, use a tape measure instead to track progress.
Don’t be afraid of the weights. Why?
We hear this a lot from our female clients. (As a side note we also train bodybuilders, so we are really good at answering this question). Lifting weights will not turn you into a bodybuilder. Bodybuilders take years to gain mass, and even in doing that, they need very specific foods and supplements. Lifting weights for women helps build lean muscle which increases your metabolism (muscle burns more calories than fat), takes up less room in your clothes and gives you a toned look. And this goes for lifting those 20#s too!
Slow and Steady is Key! Why?
Diets that promote losing 10-15 pounds in 1-2 weeks aren’t ones where the results are going to last. Most of the weight one loses in the first 1-2 weeks of starting a new workout program or diet are from excess water weight in the form of inflammation. If you return to eating how you were, it will all come back. Celebrate the small loses of 1-2 pounds each and every week. Sustained weight loss happens slowly, and when it occurs slowly, your chances of keeping it off greatly increase.
Get your sleep! Why?
Sleep is when our body repairs itself. Sleep is also when our hormones are doing the most amount of work and helping us lose weight. Additionally, when you are sleep deprived your body craves sugar and caffeine, making all those foods you are trying to eat in moderation, harder to resist.
All or Nothing – Nope!
Starting a new fitness routine or diet doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing program. Creating a healthy lifestyle happens when you build habits over time. Take small steps and make sure your goals for that week are attainable. If you know you will be working late hours on a work deadline this week, it’s not the week to focus on getting enough sleep. Instead, commit to getting an hour of physical exercise each day to help relieve stress or double your water intake. Every little step in your path to getting healthier counts and will make a difference.
Celebrate your wins every step and enjoy. Exercise and eating right can be fun and enjoyable.
Corry Matthews, M.S. Sports Medicine
Healthy Lifestyle Expert.
Inspiring individuals to reach their dreams and goals by living healthier.
Email: info@strengthandgracefitness.com
Website: www.strengthandgracefitness.com
