By Highbrow Man
New Year’s day passed two months ago and despite the fact that you ate like Christian Bale in American Hustle since Halloween you’re determined to look like Christian Bale, Batman by June. So you made your annual New Years resolution to get in better shape, and here we are, its just March and you blew it three weeks ago. Don’t feel bad you’re not alone. From the fact that over 50% of 2019’s New Year’s resolutions were health related and over 50% of this year’s resolutions are health related we can deduce scientifically that a hell of a lot of people shit the bed last year. Here’s why you’re unlikely to reach your fitness goal by 2021? You’ll go too hard out of the gate, setting ridiculously unreachable goals at a pace that’s not sustainable, then you’ll get frustrated and bag it up. Don’t get discouraged it’s still possible to get there and here are some tips to help you stay on track.
Set realistic weight loss and dietary goals. Can you eat like Christian Bale, The Machinist, and lose 25 pounds in a month? Sure. Last Christian Bale reference, I swear. Is the method you used to get there sustainable for more than a month? Unless you’re a shut in, coming down from 600 pounds, likely no. Instead of cutting your daily caloric intake from 4,000 to 400, change the way you eat. I recommend eating more fresh foods and preparing your food ahead of time. Fresh foods tend to curb your appetite more effectively and your more likely to eat healthy foods you’ve already prepared them. The air fryer has been a godsend for me. I can make enough chicken or pork to last me a week, in 20 minutes. Avoid eating “fast” and prepacked foods. A good rule to follow is, “nothing from a bag or a box.” Try and limit your liquid consumption to water, black coffee and maybe the occasional seltzer or diet soda. I’d like to tell you to avoid alcohol, but let’s be realistic here. Avoid drinking beer, when possible, and try switching to vodka tonics or something similar. The idea is to feel full without over eating and if you’re walking around hungry, you’re more likely to fall of the wagon.
Just as it is important to follow a reasonable dietary habits, you also have to be able to commit to a fitness routine that is sustainable. Sure you can get yourself in great shape over a relativity short period of time by working out six days a week for two hours a day, but how long can you sustain that pace? For two months? Maybe. For a year? Not likely. For the rest of your life? Not a chance. How many of your annoying friends put post workout pics on social media, for more than a couple weeks? Set modest goals. Commit to working out two days a week, then three, then maybe four. And your good. Three or four days a week of rigorous exercise are all that’s necessary for healthy weight loss.
So, what should you be doing? First, you have to find a physical activity you enjoy doing. Whether you like rock climbing, running, playing basketball or bare-knuckle boxing, you’re most likely to committee to a routine you have fun doing. Structure your routine around that activity and add some element of resistance training. I always recommend resistance training even if your goal is to just loose weight. Resistance training turns your body into a fat burning furnace and you’ll continue burning calories long after your workout ends. On a time crunch? TABATA and HIIT routines will provide you with a great workout in a relatively short amount of time. No access to weights? Try a progressive calisthenics routine. All you’ll need for that is a doorway to do pull-ups and room to lie down for push-ups.
The bottom line is you can still reach your fitness goals and throat-punch your New Year’s resolution by setting modest goals, eating with a little more discipline and finding a workout routine you enjoy.
