Last Updated on October 9, 2016 by Michael Brockbank
One of the hardest parts about trying to get yourself in shape is the lack of knowledge you might have about yourself. Sure, You’ll come across all these diet plans and exercises that “guarantee” results. The problem is, not everyone can handle the same routines for keeping fit. This isn’t from the lack of trying. In fact, it’s your mental state that may prevent some of those things from actually working.
Knowing Yourself Is Key to Keeping Fit
If you want to get the most out of fitness or simply losing some weight, you need to spend time learning who you are. It’s about honesty in yourself and being able to understand what your capable of. Otherwise, you may find it difficult to lose weight or maintain any diet plan.
How do you view exercising?
When you think about exercise, do you get a shiver down your spine? Does it seem more like a mundane chore that needs to be avoided? If you answered yes, don’t feel bad. A lot of people do. Unfortunately, this is also why many of them will fail.
When you’re not used to exercising as part of your lifestyle, it can be a very difficult thing to get into. Instead of viewing it as a way to increase your lifespan, it becomes something that you try hard to avoid. It’s this mindset that you need to alter if you want to get the most out of your life.
Setting Goals
Set personal records and goals for yourself. Exercising is much easier to commit to when you have a specific objective in mind. I’m not just talking about losing weight, because that’s a given. I’m talking about keeping your mind on something that you can achieve in the near future. Personally, I love trying to break my own personal records each week.
Do Something Fun
Boredom in an exercise routine will be your downfall. Find activities that you enjoy as it will help you maintain focus over the long haul. For example, I love my Xbox Kinect for cardio workouts. I also love setting new records and collecting personal data in regards to fitness. I’m also a bit of a geek. Find something you enjoy. It’s all about keeping your body moving.
How do you view dieting?
Personally, I hate the idea of maintaining specific fad diet plans. I don’t believe you need to cut everything you love out of the equation in order to lose weight. In fact, I don’t and I still lose weight. Anyway, how you view the diet plan is going to ultimately influence whether it’s successful or not.
Find Something That Works for You
Not every diet plan is going to work for everyone. Don’t get sucked into the hype of what everyone else is doing. The diet plan I stick to works for me, and I haven’t felt this good physically in a long time. Experiment with different plans before you commit. If you are sticking to something you hate, it’ll be easier to cheat or even quit the plan.
Don’t Underestimate Nutritional Value
No matter what diet plan you decide to use, always make sure it’s optimum for your own nutritional needs. Everyone is different, and a deficiency in something you need because of a diet can actually cause more harm than good. Keeping fit is more than just keeping active. It also requires a good diet depending on your unique physical needs.
Knowing Your Limitations
Most of us would love to wake up one morning and look like a superhero. We’ll watch all of these people who are in optimal condition lifting insane weights or running 5k in under 25 minutes. Can I do that right now? Hell no.
Understanding your own limitations will keep you from hurting yourself while keeping fit.
Setting Goals and Objectives
I preach this a lot on this website: be realistic. If you’re in as bad of shape as I am, you’re not going to be able to keep up with those bodybuilders at the gym. Don’t feel bad. They’ve been doing it for a long time. Set realistic goals for yourself on a weekly basis.
For example, my goal this week is to maintain 18 reps at 40 pounds for four sets on the bicep curl machine. The week after this, I should be able to increase that number to 20 reps. My ultimate goal for now is 50 repetitions. It may take me a few weeks, but I’m going to look awesome by the time I get there.
Don’t Try to Do Too Much Too Soon
This is one of my biggest problems. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. I’ve put myself into diabetic shock three times this month on accident. Essentially, I tried to push myself to the limits and paid for it each time. You’d think I would learn by now that not eating before a workout can be extremely bad for someone with hypoglycemia.
My point is that you don’t have to push yourself to exhaustion for keeping fit. Understand where your limits lie and make sure you are doing everything to keep yourself from passing out in the middle of the gym or even going into a coma. Yes, it is possible for someone to push themselves into a coma through intense physical activity.
Be Realistic With Yourself
Part of keeping fit is identifying the things that cause you to slip. It’s breaking habits that can ultimately affect your overall success. You need to be realistic with yourself in all things. How easy is it to talk you into fast food? How easy is it to talk yourself into watching Netflix as opposed to going for a bike ride? Be honest with yourself and what you want to accomplish.
Be Smart When Working On Your Body
While it’s incredibly beneficial to learn all you can about keeping fit in general, you shouldn’t forget to learn more about your own body. Understanding yourself will prevent all kinds of problems from developing later on. Unfortunately, this is the most difficult aspect of getting back into shape.
If you have been a lazy lump like myself for the past few decades, you have no true idea what you’re capable of. This means it may take some time to truly find yourself and what you can do. This will more than likely be discovered through trial and error.
When working on keeping fit, be careful about how far you take it. You don’t have to push your limitations in order to benefit when it comes to exercise and dieting. Discover who you are and work yourself up to those grandiose goals you want to achieve. Proper fitness isn’t going to be achieved in a day.
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