New Year Fitness Traps – Don’t Fall For Them
What Fitness??? I’ve been off for a few days from work and when this happens I’m usually eating more junk food than I’d like. Also, I’m hardly working out. I ate EVERYTHING – cakes, cookies, danishes, chips, chocolate, pies, etc. etc. etc. Actually, after a while, I got sick of eating these types of food because I wasn’t used to so much in such a short period of time. I guess I overindulged….just a little bit.
Now that I’m back at work, I can restart my routine of eating better and exercising and I’m truly excited about that! Well kinda sorta, the truth is I’m scared to fall off the cliff and start over again, so I might as well quit the sugar and carbs now 🙂
Getting Fit – Commercials & Gadgets
You may have seen commercials to get fit with deals at gyms to join for less as an incentive to shed those holidays’ pounds. You also may find deals on gadgets to wear that track calories burned, distance ran, heart rate, etc. They cost anywhere from $50 to $100+, but please do yourself a favor and don’t buy these things. They are a waste of money. When you’re on a treadmill, elliptical, stationary bike, it’ll give you these statistics anyway. And when you’re running outside, just get lost in the views of nature and let that motivate you to run more and more……..and more. The best satisfaction you can have is working your butt off at the gym and looking at yourself in the mirror and seeing an improvement little by little to reach your ultimate fitness goals.
What To Buy
Good food. This means fruit, veg, unprocessed carbs (think brown bread and rice) and even supplements if you think you need them (take a look at steelsupplements.com if you need an extra protein kick). After an intense workout, it is important to make it worthwhile by eating the right foods to attain your workout goals, whether it is weight loss, mass gain, or sculpting. Shawn M. Talbott, Ph.D., nutritional biochemist and former director of the University of Utah Nutrition Clinic says that for weight loss, the general rule of thumb is “75 percent diet and 25 percent exercise”.
He further says that “You can’t out-exercise a bad diet” (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/30/exercise-vs-diet-for-weight-loss_n_5207271.html). I usually have a protein shake after my workout because I can’t pack all the protein I’m getting from a shake into my lunch. I mix my chocolate protein powder with milk and a little coffee to give it a mocha milkshake type flavor and it’s pretty good.
Another tip I read somewhere many months ago (sorry don’t have a link for that) is to buy things that make the cashier at the grocery store work harder. What does that mean? Try to buy products that don’t come in boxes and don’t have a barcode the cashier that quickly swipe (i.e., fruits and vegetables).
Where to Save on Fitness
Cut down on outside dining. This means breakfast,
, and dinner. Brown bag more when you go to work. For one thing, you could save serious $$$; about $1,200 per year if you have lunch out 3 of 5 days a week (3 X $8 lunch X 50 weeks per year not counting vacation = $1,200). Forbes said back in 2013, the average was $1,000 (per the pic below) so I’m pretty close at $1,200:
And, packing lunch is healthier too. According to Best Health Magazine, restaurants add items like oil, cream, and types of fat to make those dishes delicious………..AND unhealthy (Best Health )! If you don’t have a gym or don’t have the time to go to one during the workday, there are a few desk exercises you can do to get some quick reps in. See this chart below and link (Chart Link):
Now you have zero excuses for not getting fit after the New Year and doing it in a SMM cost-efficient way. Best of luck this year!
Hi Simply Money Man, great tips!
In addition to working out and keeping fit, it’s always great to have a healthy diet as well. As they say, “abs are made in the kitchen”, so consuming less calories than you need (but still eating enough, of course) would also help improve your health and fitness goals.
Cheers,
Smart Provisions
Absolutely! Healthy diet is extremely important. I try to put enough food in my plate and eat slowly so that I am consciously aware of how much I’m taking in and I heard it fills you up faster than gobbling food down. Thanks for stopping by.
I belong to and use a gym. Every year its the same thing. The gym is packed at the beginning of the year as people buy memberships planning to work out. Come February, most of those people never go anymore, but they are still paying monthly membership fees.
That’s unbelievable on how people just give up so fast and at the same time continue to waste money on their unused membership. I use my work gym which is free, but if I paid for a gym, I’d probably go more often just to get my $$$ worth.
I actually joined a bootcamp in December and have been loving it. I actually find myself decreasing the bad food that I’m eating because it actually makes me feel sick when I eat unhealthy after a hard work out. So this bootcamp is really paying off. I’ve lost four pounds since I started and more importantly really look forward to going every day 🙂
Congrats on shedding those pounds! The results are what drive us to continue working out because we know the process is effective. And you’re right, sometimes if our body is not used to it, those unhealthy and processed foods actually make you feel bad.
I enjoy donging exercise outdoor. We can enjoy fresh air, sunshine and beautiful views.
I know some friends who are dieting. Normally, they just eat less. I suppose it is not a good way. Having healthy diet is extremely important as you said.
Eating less is definitely effective (reduction of calories/portion control). Trust me, after a while, your stomach size will adjust and you won’t be able or want to eat the same amount of food as before. I know someone who has an awesome body and he told me he goes to the gym regularly and eats EVERYTHING…just small portion.
I’ve been tracking my calorie intake and burn on my phone and watch. It’s helpful to see what I’m consuming simply so I’m conscious overall. I’ve lost a few pounds since I started, but it’s a journey and battle of consistency in order to make it a strong habit.
Yes consistency is the KEY word. So may fitness experts say that about dieting and exercise. They say it doesn’t matter a whole lot about a routine, just follow the basics, use good form in exercising and make it a habit.