Getting you started - tips for your future!

Looking good and feeling great is the big thing right now - look around you on the billboards, in the glossy magazines, in the media. We share pictures, watch movies, read ads. and watch beauty pageants. Magazine covers set new perceptions for beauty and style. Fashion channels, movie stars, sports stars, rock bands and music stars other 15 minute wannabes dictate what is cool and what isn't and many of us seek to emulate that in some way.

So, if you want to achieve the look of a movie star but still live like a normal everyday person, you will need a regime for your exercise, your eating, your rest and relaxation . . . oh, and work too of course if that features in your life. A time table with all the obligations, meetings and plans for the week. That should help you schedule your time more effectively and allow you to achieve your aims.

Eating
The first element in your regime should be the right diet. Vegetables, fruits and meat should be always on your table. Try to eat as many different colours in the food categories as you can. At least twice a week, you can have vegetarian days when you will eat no meat, but protein is still available through nuts, cereals and pulses. These will have the function of cleaning your body from the inside out. Exclude alcohol and fried foods from your menu as much as possible. My personal advice is to decrease the amount of bread and sweets too but do not remove them totally from your menu. If you are eating bread go for Artisan breads, wholemeal or wholegrain varieties that might costs a little more, but are heaps better . . . and stay away for mass produced supermarket cotton wool bread that sells for a dollar!

Food Quality
Always seek out the best quality fresh produce you can - direct from quality retailers, wholesalers, farmers markets or even the growers direct if you can. When shopping go for as many coloured ingredients in your shopping basket as you can - variety is good and healthy and nutritious - and this extends to vegetables and fruits. That's a great way to gain mass and protect your body from illnesses. Fresh, wholesome, nutritious products supply the body with all that is needed for a healthy diet and healthy living. Our bodies can handle a lot if the proper food is consumed, and we maintain such a regime. Make fresh fish a part of your weekly meal plan too in place of red meat - ideally grilled, baked or barbecued, and chicken too cooked in a similar manner - these too can be purchased fresh, organically, and practically ready prepared for you to just season and cook.

Relax
Sleep is extremely important to maintain our bodies and our mental well being. Our muscles regenerate during the sleeping hours. Our minds relax from the daily stress and allow fresh thoughts to occupy our brains. Make sure you sleep well. Noises, odours or other uncomfortable influences will lower the quality of your sleep and you will wake less refreshed and rejuvenated. The air should be clean in the room. Humidity must be low or at normal levels. Where you can, keep a window open slightly to allow for the circulation of fresh air.

Training
Training and exercise is the final part of the weight-loss healthy regime, and your maintenance of a programme going forward. If you skip on any of these key components your results won't be nearly as satisfying or sustainable. Remember that you are on a journey - be prepared to train for months and to maintain your exercise routine and your healthy eating habits from this day forward and potentially for the rest of your life - your body will thank-you and reward you for it in more ways that you can imagine. My training routine takes in five mornings a week, I cycle in between time, take the stairs almost every time, eat plenty of fruit and vegetables, and don't drink to excess. I believe we look our best when we are healthy, fit and energised and so I try to train all my muscles in a mixed routine across the week - cardio and weights.

Other stuff
Aside from all the fitness, exercise and new found eating and drinking habits we need to get along with our daily lives. In your early days I advocate to have a 'To Do' list with the obligations for the next day - your targets and objectives clearly mapped out. This will ensure you stay on course, keep motivated and give you an incentive to 'reward' yourself at the end of week.

Give yourself time to relax and to do hobbies and pastimes too - me time! Dedicate time to family, friends and loved ones and allow yourself some time off from your new found exercise world. This is important also for your mental and emotional health.

Just a few things here then to help further set the tone and get you in the 'zone' for what last ahead!

WhyWeight - don't hesitate, participate, before it's too late!

-Steve, at WhyWeight-