Getting a beach body is a desire among many but the search for one often times remains a conundrum. Here are a few things you may have thought to yourself at some point and some insight to consider.
“I don’t know what to eat.”
If your goal is to get a beach body as soon as possible, your diet is a critical piece of the puzzle. You can cut fat quickly if you eat intelligently. Discipline yourself to eat mostly protein, fats and vegetables, while avoiding carbs and sugar. There is a common misconception that fat makes you fat. Fat doesn’t make you fat but sugar does. When fat is removed from food, it loses its flavor. In order to compensate for the loss of the flavor, companies add sugar. So foods labeled “low-fat” are not only misleading but they’re actually awful for your health.
“I don’t know what exercises to do.”
The importance of working out can’t be overlooked. Diet can get you pretty far but diet paired with exercise will bring results at lightning speed. Cardio is great to burn calories but may not entirely leave one fulfilled. Men can expect to bulk when lifting weights, due to the amount of testosterone that their bodies produce, however for a woman this is just not the case. A woman’s body will not acquire bulk unless they’ve shed most of their fat and continue to increase the weight that they lift over time. You can get slim by lifting weight, in fact it’ll cut fat while creating tone. If you’re looking to lengthen your muscles and get leaner, or just looking to increase flexibility, workouts like yoga and Pilates are nice additions.
“I don’t know if I’ll ever lose this weight.”
While many of us who have felt the psychological pain of carrying more weight than we want, or need, it’s crucial to keep in mind that consistency is of the essence! You must make an effort, otherwise you’ll never have the opportunity to see what your incredible body is capable of, in terms of strength as well as aesthetics.
“Will I ever enjoy working out?”
When given time to become a habit, working out can eventually feel so automated, you’ll feel wrong for not doing it. Based on studies conducted by Phillippa Lally, a health psychology researcher at University College London, it has been found that on average it takes 66 days for an automated habit to be formed. Lally also found that missing one opportunity to perform a behavior did not entirely ruin the habit formation process. So if it isn’t a passion yet, just give it some time and be patient with yourself.
“How can I motivate myself?”
Discipline is stronger than motivation. Learn to embrace the challenge of doing what makes you feel uncomfortable. Just because you don’t want to do it, doesn’t mean it’s not good for you, or that it won’t make you stronger. The mind is capable of some miraculous things so encouraging yourself to work out and eat wisely is definitely within reason and ability. Don’t let your mind get the better of you. Just begin and then, keep going!
What’s the best way to begin?
If you’re not one for speed, it’s okay to start slow. Working out 2 days a week is better than none at all. Increase your frequency when you’re comfortable.
