7 Alternatives to the B.S.
The internet is full of information on fitness topics, but how do you know what information to trust? This year I have committed myself to not only ensuring my fitness success but yours as well, so I want to make sure you have all the relevant information to achieve your goals.
Marketing is very good at tugging at your heart strings and preying on your vulnerabilities, but this year, I want you to focus on using logic. When it comes to fitness, doing the work is the ONLY short cut, so if you are going to spend money to improve your fitness, please spend it on these products or services.
1. Ditch overtraining and invest in a fitness tracker.
Overtraining simply leads to injuries and unnecessary fatigue; and is ultimately not sustainable.
Losing or gaining weight simply requires putting your body in a calorie deficit or surplus. This is done through proper nutrition and exercise. When it comes to weight loss, nutrition is the main component in creating the calorie deficit, exercise is used to assist this, as well as sculpt the body. If your goal is just to look cute on the boat ride, and not high-performance training (this includes bodybuilding), there is no real reason for you to engage in multiple workouts a day.
We all know fitness is very individualistic, so it is about getting to know what works for YOU. You must become self-aware. You need to begin tracking your habits.
What is your daily activity level?
How many calories do you generally burn? (Through exercise and your daily routine e.g. steps)
How many hours of sleep do you get?
These are the things that will ultimately affect your progress.
2. Ditch the waist trainer and invest in a food scale.
Fitness and nutrition are a lifestyle. You will need tools that will teach you how to incorporate them into your daily routine. When it comes to nutrition, the key is understanding how to flexibly diet.
A food scale will start teaching you what your portions should look like. Once you start figuring this out, you will understand what you should be eating and how much. As you grow in knowledge and confidence, you will be able to eyeball portions at home or when dining out. You will be able to end the cycle of binging and starving.
3. Ditch weight loss pills and buy nutrient dense food.
You will feel fuller and more energized. Your body will naturally begin to transform.
4. Ditch detox teas and invest in a water bottle.
Invest in a ½-1 gallon water bottle. The goal is to drink at least 2L of water per day. Drinking water will help to keep you full, regulate your hormones and get rid of waste. There is absolutely no need for detox drinks, your body detoxifies itself…on a daily basis!
5. Ditch trends and buy gym wear that will support your body movements.
When you look good, you feel good and it can be a motivating factor for working out, but more importantly, having the right footwear and apparel can prevent injuries and chafing. Additionally, ladies a supportive sports bra is a must for doing any kind of cardio or plyometric work.
6. Reduce your reliance a scale and invest in a measuring tape and camera/ring light with stand.
The best way to track muscle gain or fat loss is with a measuring tape and images. Scale weight is one component of tracking fitness, but it is a poor indicator of the major changes taking place due to its ability to fluctuate throughout a day based on several factors. If you insist on using a scale, use it every 2 weeks or monthly.
7. Forget fad diets and invest in a Dietitian and Trainer
Since success is intentional, you need to surround yourself with people who know how to get you to your goal. A dietitian can improve your energy levels and fast track your fat loss/weight gain goals with sound nutrition guidance while a trainer can improve your physique through well-constructed programming and progression methods. It is also good to have people around you who will keep you focused and cheer for you.
Creating a new you begins with creating a new mindset. Let us be done with gimmicks in 2021 and just do the work. For those experiencing any confusion or doubts about where to start, email me at firefitness868@gmail.com or follow or Instagram page @firefitnesswomen.
