Diet and Exercise Program Mistakes By Karen Sessions
The holidays have passed and now it's 2005, a new year and a time for new goals. Now that January first has hit, you are all psyched about your new fitness program to build, or at least maintain muscle, and shed body fat. Everything is written out to the letter of what you must do to accomplish your goals. All the numbers add up to ensure success and now the trick is to follow it. As time passes, don't let other things become more important. Don't put your fitness endeavors on the back burner and only exercise when time permits. Do something everyday that supports your fitness lifestyle and avoid the pitfalls.
Common Mistakes
Failure to set goals - Goal setting is one of the most important aspects in anything you attempt. What do you want to accomplish and in what time frame? If you don't have concrete goals, you don't have a plan.
You should set short-term goals, (daily and/or weekly) as well as long-term goals (monthly and/or yearly). Goals give you vision and depth. They allow you to work toward something, rather than floating around aimlessly with nothing to shoot for.
Jumping in with both feet - Jumping into a fitness program with both feet is very common. Many times people get all ho hum with their goals and exercise program and have a do-or-die attitude. Granted, it's a good attitude to have, but it can also be a legacy.
Begin your program slowly by taking small successful steps each day, week, and month rather than just diving into the program and hitting rock bottom suddenly. You must have elbow room to ensure success. The body does respond to small amounts of exercise and those who begin by doing too much too quickly end up on the sidelines due to burnout.
Carrying all your eggs in one basket - All too often, many people begin their fitness endeavors by cutting calories, adding endless hours of cardio, and popping weight loss supplements left and right. Your body adapts very quickly and if you use all your resources at one time, you won't have anything to fall back on when you hit a stalling point.
Begin lowering calories slowly and adding cardio slowly. Keep harmony and balance. After a few weeks you can incorporate the supplement of your choice to help give the body a boost.
Not knowing where to begin - Not knowing where to begin is not uncommon. Many people don't have a starting point or know how to create one. Establishing a starting point is crucial and can be a significant factor in your success.
A quality starting point should include your current body status (weight and body fat percentage). This will allow you to determine your caloric base and macro nutrient intake. In addition to your stats, you need to make a fitness plan to include resistance training and cardio to build lean muscle and decrease body fat.
Not following the fitness plan - Many create wonderful fitness programs, yet fail to follow it properly. This can be anything from not doing it at all or simply doing too much. Most of the time my focus is on those not following it, but in this case I want to tap on those who do follow it, but in excess.
If you create a plan of weight training four days a week for 45 to 60 minutes and cardio for four days a week for 30 minutes for the first week and cardio 40 minutes the second week, then do that. Don't overstate your cardio before it's time. More is not better. It's how you implement it.
Improper nutrition - You can exercise until you are blue in the face and you won't see desired results until your nutrition is in order. Many venturing onto a fitness program choose poor quality food rather than whole food that nourishes the body.
For continual success in your fitness endeavors, set short and long-term goals, pace yourself, create a fitness program and follow it as prescribed. Staying consistent on your program will ensure success.
About The Author
Karen Sessions has been in the fitness industry since 1988 and is a certified personal fitness instructor and specialist in performance nutrition. She is a nationally qualified natural female bodybuilder, holding numerous titles in the southern states including two overalls.
Karen has written six e-books on fitness. She also writes articles for several fitness websites, and distributes two monthly newsletters regarding weight loss and female bodybuilding.
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The holidays have passed and now it's 2005, a new year and a time for new goals. Now that January first has hit, you are all psyched about your new fitness program to build, or at least maintain muscle, and shed body fat. Everything is written out to the letter of what you must do to accomplish your goals. All the numbers add up to ensure success and now the trick is to follow it. As time passes, don't let other things become more important. Don't put your fitness endeavors on the back burner and only exercise when time permits. Do something everyday that supports your fitness lifestyle and avoid the pitfalls.
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