DIY “Weight Loss”/Health Gain
If your New Year’s resolution is to lose weight, you’re certainly not alone. In fact, you’re pretty much on the bandwagon with the rest of the U.S. given that the most popular resolution amongst U.S. citizens was to “lose weight,” according to USA.gov here.
Source
I’m usually wary of anything the majority of the population is into, but I am going to appease myself in assuming that most of us mean “gain health”or “lose unhealthy fat” when we say “lose weight.” Losing “weight” for the sake of losing weight is as pointless as seeking meaning in a Jersey Shore episode, and I could write a novel on that!
This new year, I’ll remind you (and myself as my motivation has been waning), of the three most important tips in achieving the health you want:
- Inform yourself. You can’t expect to ace a chemistry test if you’ve never seen a periodic table before, so how can you expect to become fit and healthy if you’ve never learned how to read a nutrition label or how many calories are in a pound? If you are new to nutrition and fitness, have no fear – the Internet, as per usual, is free of amazingly awesome information (and not-so-awesome ads for acai berry and flat belly diets, but, eh whatcha gonna do?). I’d recommend reading here to understand how to read a nutrition label. Then take simple steps to become more informed. Rent some books on nutrition, subscribe to healthy lifestyle blogs and e-newsletters, and consult friends who seem to be living the lifestyle you want. You don’t have to pay money to join a gym to exercise or pay a nutritionist for nutrition advice — exercise and healthy eating are free (just be sure to do your research).
- Be honest. It’s hard to be honest with yourself if you’re under- or mis-informed. That’s why #1 & #2 are intricately linked. As you arm yourself with more information, start to clearly define your goals. I think a lot of us just say, “I want to lose weight” and don’t realize that “losing weight” is not a health goal, it’s a vanity-based one. I know we all throw the term around, myself included, but I just want to throw it out there that being cognizant of what you really want is key to achieving your goals. Most of us want to be fit and healthy, and that doesn’t necessarily relate clearly to a number on a scale, but to habits, lifestyle and the duration of those two things. Additionally, you’ll want to be able to measure your progress. If you just want to “lose 5 pounds,” I guarantee if that’s as clear as your goal gets, you’ll be wishing the same thing come 2011. Make yourself accountable by giving yourself mini-goals and measuring your progress on a consistent basis. You can measure progress by tracking strength and endurance (i.e. how many sit-ups, lunges, push-ups can I do? How fast can I run a mile? How far can I run before stopping? Am I able to sleep better? Is my digestive system working better?).
- Mind yourself. Don’t forget how intricately tied your mind, body and spirit are. I have learned the hard way how important it is to seek happiness in myself no matter how far along I am in achieving my health goals. There is no point in putting off your happiness until you look a certain way or meet some arbitrary socially-imposed standard of health or beauty. The reason any health goal is “DIY” is because it’s all about YOU. It’s freakin’ hard, but always try to extricate yourself from the unhealthy standards of beauty portrayed in mainstream media and concentrate on really listening to your body and mind and what you need to do to feel strong and healthy on your own terms. Insanity and the “perfect body” will only make you a crazed carrot. What’s the point?
What are your top three DIY health-gain tips?
<3,
The Cranky One
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Tags: fitness, health, health gain, weight loss
6 People have left comments on this post
Those are some awesome points. Well put. It’s so true. It’s easy enough to say to yourself I want to lose some weight. But what does that really mean/entail?
I found myself making that goal around New Years, and I realized that wasn’t really exactly what I wanted because a) I’m at a pretty healthy weight b) I eat mostly healthy and c) I’d have to “diet” to really just “lose weight”. What I actually wanted was to change up what I was eating; I wanted more energy so I could exercise more. I wanted some fitness goals… I just wanted to work on those parts of my health that were so-so and that I could actually afford to change up.
Sure a flat tummy would be nice, but maybe I should work on strengthening my core through crunchs and planks and challenge myself that way, and maybe the flat stomach will be an added bonus.
2 things –
Patience. So important to have patience in getting healthy, losing weight, and being stronger. It takes time and in this microwave/fast internet world, we expect those results instantaneously.
Then there is getting rid of the perfection mentality. You cannot be perfect each and every day, but that doesn’t mean the whole day is a wash. Getting rid of the all or nothing mentality was very important for me to finding happiness with my progress and where I am at. (Not that I don’t still struggle with that….)
What?! There’s NO meaning in Jersey Shore episodes?! BLASPHEMY, I say!
Anyway, my three best tips for DIY health gain are these:
1. Make small, gradual changes. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and it will take time to learn new habits.
2. Any changes that you make MUST be sustainable for LIFE. If they aren’t, you won’t continue with them.
3. Celebrate the small successes, focus on them rather than the failures. Use the failures as a learning experience, and then move on. Take everything one day, one choice at a time.
That’s all I got. I’m going to go watch some Jersey Shore to find some deeper meaning.
I am sticking with the simple tips. When I returned home after undergrad in the Midwest with partying roommates, I packed them on. Obviously exercise is #1 to health gain, which the previously posted tips are great for. Next two things I changed that made an impact was #2 quit drinking soda. My brother and I did this in high school to train for big wave surfing, so knowing that it helped I quit again and I have not purchased soda for my apartment in almost 3 years (the mixed drink at the bar doesn’t count lol). #3 Centrum Performance Multivitamin, I have been taking them for years. Not only is it amazing at boosting your health in general, the performance version boosts your energy and is fat burner. They are incredibly cheap at Costco, a year supply for under $20. Just from dropping soda and taking the multi-v, I felt a billion times better and they are two very simple, controllable, and not mentally taxing things to start with.
Great points! Me, DYI: be more self accepting… that is all 3 for me cause I need it & it is the hardest for me! I am very hard on myself & even though I accomplish my health goals, I still need to do this. it is that mind part & being happy with yourself no matter what!
Great tips! My 3 would be:
1. No guilt spirals. If you mess up, acknowledge that things didn’t go how you wanted them to, look at what happened, what you can learn from it, and your plan for next time.
2. Baby steps. Sure, your goals might be to eat clean and workout like an athlete, but if you’re currently doing fast food 3 times a day and internet surfing is your calorie burner, you need to ease into it.
3. Start slow. Going from fast food 3 times per week to completely clean eating is a shock to your system – and not going to stick for most people. Try just adding fruits and veggies with every meal and lessening up on some of the really bad stuff that you can live without. Same with exercise. You don’t go from Couch to 5k overnight, it’s a few months of working up to it.
Happy new year!