I have a friend who lost 45 pounds through her fitness journey… WOW! Believe it or not, she used to ask me all the time, Karma, how do I get in shape? I want to get back in shape like you. I was fit, healthy & skinny in college, but after kids, I will never have my old body back again.
This is where I come in… After giving her a swift kick in the rear end, she was READY to make the commitment and get in shape the healthy way, by making changes to her everyday life.
Making A Change After my friend turned 40 she felt frumpy, unmotivated, fat and completely out of shape.We began her transformation by shaking up her diet. She traded in fatty foods for clean eats like lean proteins and whole grains. We also incorporated a measuring scale (at Walmart) for proper portion size.
Weight Management Have you ever heard of the “skinny fat?” Well, many of us can fall into this catagory, including my friend. The Today Show‘s Joy Behar explains the dangers to living an inactive, unaware lifestyle. Behar says that even if you appear thin and have a normal BMI, you could still have a high proportion of body fat — a condition known as ‘skinny fat’ — which is problematic to your health. Weight management is so important for any and every body type. Obese individuals runt he greatest risks, but as you can see, even those people that look skinny need to have a healthy diet. See my post : Tips on Weight management.
Friendly Competition
The solution: She paired up for a workout buddy (ME) on heavy weight training days. Talking, joking and being a bit competitive make for a great workout. On our non weight training days we did our Beacbody programs… I incorporated Insanity and she incorporated Turbo Jams. She admitted (and I agree), having an accountability buddy is Key! When you know someone will be asking if you got your workout in and pushing you to reach your goals, you give more of yourself and are less likely to be a slacker!
Getting in shape for YOURSELF Finding a support buddy or group to get plugged into is KEY! Without support you are more likely to put your busy life in front of your goals of getting in shape. Find some sort of competition, train for a race, set a fitness goal that will make you proud! For me, I enjoy training for figure competitors. It’s a physical and mental commitment for 12-20 weeks. The diet is 90% of the commitment, but man, once you get in the swing of things (takes about 3 weeks) I feel alive, healthy & so full of energy! That is exactly what my friend said since she changed her life around to live a healthy lifestyle! The BEST type of exercise is what works best for you in your busy life. One that keeps you engaged and has both cardio and weight training. Even if you use your body weight for the weight training (push ups, pull ups, sit ups) you will build muscles! And guess what? Muscles burn FAT!!!
Celebrate The Success once you reach your fitness goal! Then re-evaluate it and set a new one. Again, I strongly recommend setting goals to help you get back in shape and also to maintain… not to mention exceed and reach for new goals! Being dedicated to yourself is the most important thing of all! My friend is now 50 pounds lighter and a tri-athlete! I am so proud of her success and now, she is an inspiration to me and helps keep me motivated!
Let me know if you need motivation, I am here for you! I can also help you find the perfect fitness program to meet your needs and every fitness level… from beginner, intermediate to advanced! karma@fitkarma.com
See what Dr. Oz has to say about finding a workout buddy…