Health and Fitness

When starting a workout or exercise plan, the first thing you should keep in mind, is do not overdo it. Many beginners, combining enthusiasm with impatience, if you do too much, too fast and too often, most of the time you will be either bored or tired of your fitness program and just give up. Instead of endless high intensity exercise, start off gradually this might include a walk after dinner or walking from the train station to work instead of catching a bus. The key here is to gradually get into your fitness training program, chances are you're not a marathon runner or athlete, so don't immediately think you can do the same workouts as these professional athletes do.

Second, make a plan and stick to it. If you promise that you will work out each day or every other day and you have it penciled in on your calendar, than you are more likely to follow through and get favorable results. If you can find a buddy to work out with or spouse to encourage you, than that's even better.

When you can, try doing your exercise routine in the morning, not only will you have more energy, but you will also fell more awake and focused throughout the day. One of the biggest reasons people quit exercise programs, is they don't see any immediate results. If you can take steps to change that, like working out in the morning, where you immediately feel good about your workout and self, you are already closer to obtaining your goals.

Keep a workout journal or diary; it's also helpful if you take a snapshot of your body and your progress every 30 days, so you can visually see your progress. A journal not helps you see which are the kinds of food you eat most often, how many calories you burn each day, but when used regularly, it can teach you important things about yourself and your lifestyle. It's really hard to make lifestyle changes if you aren't aware of what you're eating daily or where you can improve, keeping a journal helps to empower you to make changes.

Also, do not get discouraged weight loss or training does not offer overnight changes, it takes time and dedication to reach your goals. Those 10-20 pounds you are trying to lose, took several years more than likely to put on, so don't expect to lose them overnight. Also, if you must occasionally plan for yourself to splurge, this might mean that once a month you know you are going to eat out and consume that 1800 calorie meal. Just make sure that if you do have days when you don't keep to your dietary goals, that it is seldom and rare.

Many weight loss programs are abandoned, because people lead busy lives and simply don't have the time to fit in a long workout. When you encounter such problems, reduce the time from 20-30 minutes per day, to just 5-10 minutes per day. When you get bored, try something new. If you usually go to the gym to work out and can sense you're getting tired of the same routine try jogging in the park or an outdoor activity.

Finally, stick with it, and make a contentious effort to truly change your lifestyle and diet. Remember, that dieting and exercise are part of a long term plan and not something that you do for 1-2 weeks and then never do again, you need to stick with the plans and chose activities and nutritional meal plans you can carry on for the rest of your life.

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Written by, Barbara Johnson. If you enjoyed this topic you may want to consider a career in healthcare as a nurse, for more information you can visit my website which covers CNA Training and passing your CNA certification nursing exam.