Do you ever feel like your body doesn’t cooperate? You struggle to lose weight or tone your muscles blaze , and you wonder why. There might be something off about your body that’s not showing when you wear clothing or hide when you don’t have anyone to see your outfit. But let me tell you something…you are the normal one. It’s not easy being in the Fit Nation community right now; especially if you’re trying to get fit and stay fit. Through trial and error, we figured out how to keep up with our rigorous workouts and healthy eating habits while going through changes in our lives as well as in our environment.
We got together, strategized, and came up with a set of rules that should serve as guidelines for everyone who wants to do more than just survive in this world. If there’s one thing we learned throughout our journey so far, it is the value of self-control. Without it, no amount of good intentions will help us reach our goals or make this life worth living.
With less self-control comes poor decisions (eep!), which eventually leads to failure after failure until there is nothing left but frustration and regret (double eep!). We call this phenomenon quitting before giving up because the more times we gave up on ourselves, the more determined we became not to give up again. In other words: The only way out is through!
Ditch the Scale
We hear this all the time: “I can see results, but the scale is moving backward!” Stop it. You are not losing your hard-earned Muscleblaze mass. You are losing water weight because you are sick. You are hungry. Your body is actually telling you it needs food and water. But it seems like you are doing nothing but staring at the scale wondering why you aren’t losing inches. Don’t worry, we all have been there. What you need to do to get rid of the scale is to get your body to use fat for fuel and not muscle. You can do this by increasing your water intake and eating more fiber-rich foods. A tip for fiber-rich foods is to add them to your smoothies.
Eat to Move You
You can’t outrun a bad diet, so start eating! Proteins are the fuel for your muscles, so it’s important to fill your plate with proteins from animal sources like poultry, pork, fish, and eggs, and include lots of veggies, fruit, and whole grains. If you’re not sure what to eat, you can use a meal tracking app like My Fitness Pal. Keep in mind that while you are eating, you need to fuel your body with the right amount of calories so that you don’t feel tired and cranky all the time.
For example, if you’re trying to lose weight, you want to burn 500 calories from food per day, so if you eat a burger with a bun and a cup of potato chips, you have burned off 1,000 calories. But it is not healthy, so don’t do it. Instead, adjust your portions so that you are not leaving too much food uneaten and still stay within your daily calorie goals.
3 Meals a Day, 5 Days a Week
When you are trying to get fit, your body will need fuel to function properly and to build lean muscle tissue. You can’t do this without three, healthy meals a day. And remember to fuel up with the right amount of calories. If you’re not used to eating multiple meals a day, don’t worry, your body will adjust. If you are used to eating three or four times a day, you can slowly start adding a fourth meal. For a snack in between meals, you can try having fruit, nuts, or protein-packed smoothies.
Strength Training Is an End Point, Not Just a Way to Start
Strength training is a great way to increase muscle mass and burn fat. But if you are doing it for just that reason, you are doing it wrong. Instead, strength training should be the result of your bodybuilding routine, not the focus.
You should start strength training when you are ready, but do not push yourself too hard. If you feel pain, stop, and do not feel strong, then it’s best to take a break. Always warm-up before you start doing your regular strength workouts and take a break every few sets so that you don’t get overstrained and injure yourself.
Don’t Forget the B Vitamin: Go for Good Greens and Dark Leafy Fruits
Another thing that holds back most fit people is a lack of B vitamins. You need the B vitamins in order to make serotonin, the happy hormone. When you’re out of whack with your serotonin levels, you’ll feel like crap and not want to do any exercise. To prevent this, get your daily B vitamin fix from foods high in B vitamins like avocado, salmon, whole grains, and dark leafy greens.
Get some Sunlight, Even if You Have to Fake It
We all need sunlight. And if you’re like most of us, you don’t get enough sunlight during the day. Luckily, there are so many ways to get some sun, even if you live in an area with little to no sunlight. – Get a solarium. – Get a tanning bed. – Get sun glasses. – Get a Vitamin D pill.
Take a Break from Time to Time
Remember that you are human and this lifestyle is not for everyone. If you are not feeling it or you think it’s too much for you, take a break. Yes, this is hard to do, but you have to do it if you want to see results. Don’t try to push yourself if you know you need to take a break. You can still do strength training and cardio but make sure you take breaks.
Conclusion
The human body is amazing and it can do amazing things when you fuel it properly and get adequate sleep, hydration, and rest. It only takes a small shift to make those things happen daily. And the best part is that you don’t have to do it alone. So, ditch the scale, eat to move you, strength train, don’t forget the B vitamin, eat good foods, and get some sunlight. You will be amazed at the results. The human body is meant to move. You just have to get it moving.
