The journey from being fat to becoming fit is an arduous one, with many twists and turns on the way. The most important aspect of this journey is to have faith in oneself and stay motivated.

Staying motivated:
A good majority of people fail in their fitness plans for the simple reason that they cannot stay motivated throughout the entire program. Some tips to help with motivation are as follows:
– Goals should be well defined and achievable
– Make use of favorite quotes or lines of songs to find motivation
– Find an exercise partner if working out alone is not enjoyable
– Write down current weight and size proportions
– Maintain a food and weight diary
Fitness: 2 pronged approach
Many people fail in their journey towards fitness simply because they do not get the basics right.

Achieving fitness depends on two crucial aspects:
1. Proper diet
2. Regular exercise regimen

Diet: The basics
By the term ‘diet’, what is meant a proper form of nutrition, the kind of nutrition that supplies all the necessary nutrients in their right proportions to the body. It does not mean starving the body and depending on nutrient depletion to achieve weight loss.

Popular weight loss diets advocate nutrient depletion as the shortest route to weight loss. However, this route is fraught with dangers of many kinds. First, there is always the risk of ill health accompanying insufficient nutrition that manifests itself as tiredness, crankiness, frustration, skin problems, hair problems and dieter’s breath, to name a few. Punishing the body is by no way the best means to accomplish the fitness goal.

When trying to lose weight, it is important to watch the number of calories finding their way into the body. To lose weight, it is necessary to take in fewer calories than expended by the body. This calorie deficit ensures weight loss.

Instead of starving the body, feeding it the right kinds of foods and avoiding wrong foods must be the target. Proper foods include plenty of fresh vegetables, fruits and wholesome sources of complex carbohydrates, proteins and fats.

The daily diet must contain carbohydrates, proteins and fats in the ratio of 40:30:30. Attention must be paid to the source of these nutrients.

Hydration is a vital part of the diet program. It is important to take in 8-10 glasses of water. Water helps with detoxification and hunger control.

Exercise
Exercise ensures the optimal burning of calories. To achieve the correct calorie balance, it is important to counterbalance the food taken in with regular exercise.

Often overweight people focus entirely on aerobics exercises. Such an exercise program is at best incomplete and at worst quite unsuccessful in ensuring total fitness.

A good exercise plan is that which combines cardiovascular exercises with weight training.

Cardio – Aerobic exercises are best suited for weight loss. Some of the most effective exercises include walking, running, jogging, swimming, riding a stationary bike and so on. For aerobic exercises to produce results, it is necessary to perform exercises within the fat burning zone for at least 20-30 minutes. Cardio may be performed five days a week.

The best time to do aerobic exercise is when your metabolism is at its most efficient. For some folks, this is early in the morning because this is when they feel energized. However, for those who feel totally drained out in the mornings, a better time would be in the evenings.

Cardio on an empty stomach is a definite no! Doing so shrinks muscles, not fat.

Strength training – Weight training is necessary for a number of reasons. It helps add muscle mass to the body and improves the body’s resting metabolic rate. That is, it ensures that the body becomes a fat burning machine. Furthermore, it strengthens the bones, muscles and tendons.

It is important to train all the major muscle groups of the body. However, muscles become strong when they are rested after vigorous training. Therefore, it is necessary to alternate workout with proper rest.

The best way to lose weight is to combine proper eating habits with an effective exercise regime. This way, weight loss becomes quicker, and it becomes possible to become fit for life.

Author Bio: For advice on health and fitness, visit Weight Training Tips to learn about all aspects of weight training and the equipment needed to include weight training gloves.

Category: Wellness, Fitness and Diet
Keywords: Weight training,fitness,exercise,health,wellness,diet,lifestyle,weightlifting,training,gym