Getting Started: One Step at a Time

More than likely your journey from fit to fat took a decade of bad food choices and physical negligence, so prepare for the long haul in an effort to turn back the clock. Being truly healthy is a combination of proper diet, exercise, and lifestyle management. While everyone gets very excited about getting back in shape, you have to temper your enthusiasm with discipline and a commitment to gradual change. Taking the proper steps will put you on the right path to fitness. Remember, it took a long time to let your body go, it takes just as long to get it back.

	Sleep is paramount in staying healthy and we don’t get enough of it.

Step 1: Nutrition

In an effort to lose weight, improve body composition, or just increase your energy, you must monitor your diet. The foods and drinks you consume are fuel to help your body build muscle and perform more optimally. Whether your diet is 100 percent organic or you live on fast food and diet soda, consider the following to clean up your diet.

• Do not drink your calories. Water is the base of a healthy body, drink lots of it—it will flush your system and keep you hydrated. Try to avoid diet sodas, fruit juices, sports drinks or anything else that is not a “clear” beverage. If you have a 6-pack of diet soda everyday, slowly wean yourself off of it. Add a lemon slice for flavoring if you don’t like the taste of water.
• Eat whole foods. Whole foods are unprocessed and have been minimally handled. When making your food decisions, choose options that look the most natural—like they stepped out of nature. Frozen dinners and canned items are not on this list.
• Read labels, especially for condiments. You should be able to easily pronounce and identify all the ingredients in the foods you eat. Carrageenan, for example is a no-no.
• Graze all day long. Eat four to five small meals comprised of lean proteins, fresh fruit and vegetables, and some nuts.

Step 2: Exercise

The human body was meant to move, more so than just from car to desk and back again. You do not have to join a gym or hire a trainer initially, but you do need to put more physical stress on your body than your current daily grind does. Being sedentary is not an option if you want to improve your quality of life. While you don’t have to run a marathon, your daily activity should involve some locomotion. Here are some tips for getting active:

• Start walking. Walk around the block. Walk to work. Walk at lunch. Walking is gentle on even the most out-of-shape body, and it is an exercise that is an easy commitment. Pick three days a week and walk 20-30 minutes each day. Put it on your calendar as an appointment.
• Get a physical hobby—dance, ski, or join a sports team. Make your fitness social. The bottom line is that your body can’t tell the difference between doubles tennis or tackle football as long as you are working hard. The important thing is that you are being active.
• Lift weights. Load bearing exercise puts good stress to the body, builds bone density and muscle, and burns body fat. Start slowly and gradually increase the intensity. Once again, think long-term. Those skinny jeans aren’t going to fit after one workout. If you are just returning to exercise, you want to build momentum, not be too sore to get out of your chair.

Step 3: Lifestyle

Stress kills. Job pressure, financial obligations, family drama, and a Blackberry that won’t quit all add a negative impact on your life. Set personal parameters and give yourself time to just breathe.

Sleep is paramount in staying healthy and we don’t get enough of it. Shut off the electronics a couple hours before bed, read a book or enjoy a hot bath. Let your mind relax. Get eight to 10 hours if you can, shoot for seven if your schedule doesn’t permit that much sleep. Good sleep cannot be swallowed or purchased. Build your own sleep cave—a dark, cool room with no TV and all the eye masks and ear plugs it takes to get you north of seven hours of shut-eye.

Reduce Your Stress

Breathe. Meditate. Do yoga. Stress manifests itself in our physical body, and doing Yoga or learning how to breathe properly will help you manage your load.

Set parameters. Learn to say no. Date night with your partner should have rules—no BlackBerrys and no cell phones. Going to a movie or show? Shut them down. Leave them at home if you can. Make sure you can discern between your private and public life. Protect your personal time. Doing this will reduce your stress and help ensure a successful lifestyle change for the better.