So you didn't quite look like you wanted at the beach or by the pool last summer? Do you think the bodies you admired all summer long started only a month or 2 before venturing outdoors? Not a chance! Now is the time to start a realistic plan for that body you want next year.
A healthy approach is to consider the next 7-9 months as your "in training" season. Make commitments in three areas:
1) Your Plan.
2) Daily Meals
3) Daily Activity.
Your Plan
Start by looking at your schedule, being sure to consider trips, business travel, your average day and average weekend. Decide which days and times are best for you to commit as potential/available workout times. Spread your plans to include weight loss (or gain) expectations, keeping in mind that weight loss averages should be no more than 1-2 lb./week, while weight gains should average out to no more than 3-5 lb./month.
Daily Diet
Daily diet means what you eat each day, not starving yourself daily.
Whether you plan for 4-5 smaller meals throughout the day or for adding snacks to 2-3 main meals/day, begin with a fair and honest assessment of your eating habits. Whether or not you want to gain or lose weight, try to cut fats way down by reading labels for fat content and eating leaner meats.
As often as possible, prepare your own foods for meals; eating fewer prepared foods; more raw & live foods; while stocking your refrigerator and cupboards with healthy alternatives. Over the next several months you want to become increasingly smart about your daily food choices, so by next summer you have changed to lower fat, higher cereal and grain, more vegetable and fruit daily diet.
Daily Activity
Daily activity means do something each day. For instance, go to a gym at least 3 times/week, walk, run, bike, skate, play a sport the other days. Start off with a single commitment of doing something for a minimum of 30 minutes a day and build up to longer, more vigorous workouts as summer nears. As you increase to 1-1&1/2 hours per day, decide which day to take completely off with no activity. By summer, you should be active with at least an hour of activity for 5 or 6 days a week.
To increase daily activity, find ways to do more walking, biking, skating or scooting as methods of getting to places like work, store or a friend's. As weather permits, see if you can pick one day a week where you bike, walk or jog to work.
That's it! You're on your journey to a healthy, fit body -- maybe even in time for next summer!
Remember:
YOU have the POWER!
Darren Rieck
