One of the biggest challenges when taking on an effort to get in shape, lose weight or adjust your diet is simply sticking with it. For the during of my HIIT Transformation Challenge I am going to give you advice and motivation to do just that – stick with it! Here are the 7 tips that can make or break your success:
Prepare & Plan
Prepare/Plan: Just taking a little time to prepare will set you up for success. Plan one week at a time. You can plan your workouts, your meals and your cheat days. You should also plan your sleep hours and rest days. As an example, if you know you need to be up early for work on Wednesday, make sure to plan your breakfast and to go to bed early on Tuesday night. A few minutes of planning will make all the difference the next day!
Rest & Recover
Rest is extremely important. Rest as much as possible. Start with getting enough sleep at night (8 hours is recommended) but some people need more. Sleep is extremely important for recovery and can also help you lose weight. You should also consider massage and restorative yoga as part of your recovery routine.
Drink Water
Your body is about 60% water so it’s key for all of the body’s functions, especially recovery after a workout. Make sure you are hydrated before working out but don’t to get too full before as you will be jumping around. As you sweat during the work out, drink water and then after your workout continue consuming in water. I recommend men drink approx 104oz and women 72oz per day.
Work Out With a Partner
A partner can help you stay motivated during this challenge. If you can’t find a partner, don’t give up; find 2-3 close friends to tell about The Challenge and ask them to check-in with you during our 18 class journey. They can help you stay on track during this time because you will need to “report in” to them (ie: rest, diet, recovery, calorie tracking, etc.). Knowing that friends may ask, “What did you have for dinner last night?” or “How is your challenge going?” will help motivate to eat right, etc.
Track Your Calories
Tracking calories will provide a rough idea of your daily calorie intake and if you are going over that requirement. Remember, 1 pound of fat is approximately 3,500 calories. If you can eat 500 calories less per day than your normal intake, you will hit 3,500 in a week’s time (7×500 = 3,500). Although these are general estimates, staying 500 calories under your particular calorie intake will help you lose about a pound of fat per week. Men on average consume 2,500 calories per day and women approximately 2,000 calories per day, so staying 500 calories under those amounts will get you to a pound a week of weight loss. Don’t forget that you also want high quality calories, so tracking your food will help you make choices on what calories to consume such as a candy bar versus rice versus leafy greens.
Body Measurements
Since the goal for many of us is to lose weight or change body composition, measuring the main body parts like your chest, waste, hips, arms, and legs (calves and quads) will give you a benchmark to work from and compare week to week. Many of these changes will happen without you seeing them so measuring really helps you track your body.
Diet
This is probably the biggest motivation killer but just remember to keep it simple (read my previous blog). The goal is to make smart changes that allow us to enjoy food but stay within your negative calories. I prefer not to recommend a style of diet (keto, paleo, Mediterranean, etc.); you should choose what works best for you. My recommendation is to make smart choices, and by that I mean “whole” and unprocessed foods that will give you the most nutrition for its calories.
