The cumulative effects of small changes are key to improving both your health and fitness level. Most people are looking for the home run or the secret “ingredient” or new diet when trying to lose weight or improve their fitness level. As an alternative approach, begin to develop new habits with just a few small changes throughout your day that can be added to your workout and diet. When this is done consistently for about 3-4 weeks you will start to notice changes in the way you look and feel.
Goal Setting
“Setting the right goals is an important first step. Most people trying to lose weight focus on just that one goal: weight loss. However, the most productive areas to focus on are the dietary and physical activity changes that will lead to long-term weight change. Successful weight managers are those who select two or three goals at a time that are manageable.”
– National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
If you can add a few of these changes in with your weekly strength and cardio routine, over the course of the next month, it will give you that boost that you have been looking for especially
Some Health & Fitness Options to Try
Here are a few examples to implement throughout your day that you could start with.
Morning
-Drink more water first thing in the morning
-Make sure you eat breakfast
-Try squeezing in some activity like walking/hiking or a specific exercise (i.e. bench plank/single-leg bridge combo) throughout the day.
Afternoon
-Workout at lunch time if your able and if not, go for a 20-minute walk
-Add more protein to your lunch and avoid bread and processed foods
-Stand more at work rather than sitting for 6-8 hours (make a standing workstation)
Evening
-Try to make dinner your smallest meal of the day
-Avoid eating within 3-4 hours of going to bed
-Cut down on your TV and screen time especially before you go to sleep
Finally Thoughts
During the hours you’re awake, start watching your “added” sugar intake. This one simple tip will pay back big dividends in no time! If you’re a female, work on consuming 100 calories a day of added sugar (25 grams/day) and if you’re a male work on taking in 150 calories a day (38 grams/day). Another tip, eat the same number of grams of fiber/day that is suggested for added sugar.
If you can add a few of these changes in with your weekly strength and cardio routine, over the course of the next month, it will give you that boost that you have been looking for especially during the remaining winter months!
Stay Strong Together
Jefit, named best strength training app by Sports Illustrated, Esquire, GQ, Men’s Health, Greatest, Forbes Health, and many others. We offer a community responsible for 92,000,000 workouts to date! The app, which recently passed 12 million downloads, comes equipped with a customizable workout planner and training log. The app also has ability to track data, offer audio coaching cues, and can share workouts with friends. Visit our members-only Facebook group. Connect with like-minded people, share tips, and advice to help get closer to reaching your fitness goals. Read the scientific paper published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research using the Jefit app. Also, a great Jefit app review was recently published by MUO that can be found here.
