This week I thought I would do a quick checklist on all the things you need to be doing on a regular basis to achieve great things with your health and to help get you down to your target size or weight this year. This is not in any particular order in regards to importance, I encourage you to read them through and perhaps choose one or two of the actions on the list that you are not currently doing and start to do them regularly over the next four weeks and see what kind of impact it has on you.
- Do 2-3 full body workouts per week that involve resistance exercises and get your heart rate up.
- Make sure every meal contains plenty colourful vegetables.
- Aim to be sleeping between the hours of 10pm-6.30am most nights
- Do a minimum of 30 minutes physical activity everyday (walking, house work, gardening, taking the stairs)
- Drink 2-3 litres of water every day
- Keep your sugar intake to a minimum
- Change your gym routine after every 6 sessions to avoid plateauing
- Stretch every day
- Control your blood sugar levels by eating every 3-4 ½ hours
- Practise regular relaxation activities such as meditation, breathing exercises and yoga
- Aim to eating more naturally occurring carbohydrates such as vegetables, fruit, quinoa, sweet potatoes and pulses for energy.
- Listen to your body at all times. Do not ignore aches and pains as they will become troublesome down the line.
- Make sure you are finding time to do the things you truly love. Nothing revitalises the body more than a big dose of the happy hormones
- Set goals, create a vision of who you want to be. Undoubtedly by doing this simple exercise you have just greatly increased your chances of success.
- Eat Fats! Eating health fats is essential in helping your body to function properly. Ignore all the dieters that tell you avoid avocados, or nuts or butter, they just don’t get the benefits these foods will give you. They are solely approaching it form a calorie perspective which is the wrong way to look at it.
- Be aware of your stress levels. Being chronically overstressed will not only have a catastrophic effect on your overall health. It will almost certainly slow down or derail your weight loss goals.
- Prepare your own meals as often as possible.
- Reduce your portion size (use smaller plates)
- Get up and move. If you are at your desk for long periods make sure you get up and move every 20-30 minutes
- Surround yourself with positive people that will encourage and support you. Get rid of those friends that put you down or are trying to sabotage your efforts
