HOW TO CHANGE YOUR LIFESTYLE TO BE THE YOU THAT YOU DREAM OF

HOW TO CHANGE YOUR LIFESTYLE TO BE THE YOU THAT YOU DREAM OF

We all have the dream of becoming a better version of ourselves. Whether it is a physical attribute we are looking at changing or a mental change we are always trying to become better.

But what does it take to become a better version of what you are already?

When looking into weight loss or muscle gain we firstly need to work out how we got to where you are right now. This will differ from person to person depending on their own sight. Some people will look at a 15st version of themselves and feel like they need to lose weight where others will be happy at that weigh. It all really does come down to the individual.

We should never force somebody to be a certain weight or fitness level if that is really not what they are after.

Let’s go back a step and look at how you have got to where you are. If you are someone who feels that they are overweight then the most important thing is to understand that it was your actions that have gotten you to where you are. If you are overweight then it is you who has allowed yourself to over indulge yourself over the past so many years.

So many people will try to put this on an excuse such as “I have kids”, “Work is stressful” even having an illness or injury.

Now granted all these things will have an affect on the way you feel and deal with stuff yet it is still you who are deciding to eat that bigger portion. We need to stop blaming others or what is going on around us but instead stand up and own that shit.

Once you can get to grips that it was YOU who was allowing yourself to overeat then we are one big step to being able to turn this around. If you cannot come to terms with this then it will be very hard to change that mindset moving forward.

So once you have cleansed yourself of your sins you can now look at where you want to be heading. Set yourself a goal or 2 and write them down. Make it clear what it is you are trying to achieve. Some people will find it easier to share this with a few friends and family and some will even create their own social media page and I feel that this is a great idea as it can give you that additional focus to ensure you stay on track, as the people who follow you will be cheering you on from the other end of their phone and you never know, it may even inspire someone else to make that change.

So now the goal is set and you now need to figure out where to start.

Well the life you led before was spent mostly in the kitchen and less in the gym, and for now that is how I recommend it stays.

Take time to learn how many calories your body needs to start working towards your goal. There is no point starting with the gym and just hoping that the food you eat will be sufficient. It just doesn’t work that way.

Tracking calories is vital to help kick start your journey because how are you going to know what you are consuming unless it is measured out?

There are many calculators out there that will give you a very rough guide to what you should be on so use these to help start you off. Whatever you do, do not allow the calories to drop to a level which is just not sustainable. So many people will see an article which states they can lose weight if just on 800 calories a day…and yes you will for a week or 2 then all of a sudden you will stop getting those weight losses And why, because you will inevitably start over eating again due to your body craving food to keep its energy levels up.

If possible, you want to try and plan a weeks food diary in advance which will take no longer than 1 hour. Make a shopping list with your plan and buy only the ingredients on your list. This will help you from snacking on those treats, even if they are hidden well back in the kids cupboard. You will also find that you will likely save money on your food shop and create much less food waste.

Along with keeping the diet on track and not over eating, you also want to look at increasing your NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis)

Hang on what does that mean?

NEAT is a shortened version of basically saying. Get up off your ass, stop being lazy and get moving. We live in an extremely lazy world right now. Everything can be done by just a click of a button.

You want food… Thankyou just eat

You need to get somewhere… Uber at your service

Need to go food shopping… Don’t worry Tesco delivery service has you covered.

Work on the 7th floor… Thankyou lift

If you haven’t used any of these then I would be confident enough to call you a liar. They are not a bad thing unless you are using these as an excuse of I cant be assed or I don’t have the time. So how can we stop using these and increase our NEAT.

You want food… walk to the take-away shop

You need to get somewhere… walk to the nearest bus stop

Need to go food shopping… park further away from the store entrance and walk around the store

Work on the 7th floor… Have you heard of stairs?

These are just some of the changes that you will need to make in your life to allow the very best results.

Once you have these basic rules in place you can then look at other aspects of your journey such as workouts at home or in the gym.