If you’re trying to get in better shape, you probably already know what you should be doing – but here are some “Just Don’t Do It!” pitfalls you definitely don’t want to derail your success:
Don’t Bring Home the Bacon:
Before indulging in BK’s new “Bacon Sundae” with a whopping 510 calories, 61 g. sugar and 18 g. fat, try less fattening treats like Skinny Cow ice creams, frozen yogurt or fruit pops – and if you simply have to bring home the bacon, make it turkey bacon – a more healthful choice!
Don’t Buy a Better Body:
It’s not a lie that lipo and extreme weight loss programs are only “quick fix” solutions – but to achieve longlasting fitness goals, “knowledge is power.” Once you know how to keep your metabolism revving and get lean by eating healthful meals and snacks every three to four hours; and start exercising at least a few times a week, instead of helping to pay for the surgeon’s Mercedes, the real payoff can be becoming “fit for life!”
Don’t Twist & Shout:
Did you know twisting and side-bend motions holding weights can develop your obliques and actually make your waist appear wider? And did you know that if you’re lifting so heavy that your shout-outs can be heard throughout the city, you’re risking injury? To maximize your efforts in the gym, it’s important to ensure you’re following the most effective fitness plan for your body type; not overdeveloping muscle groups that will detract rather than add to the aesthetics of your physique; and lifting with proper form, which may require lowering weights to attain greater results.
Don’t Go it Alone:
Around New Year’s, gym memberships always increase – but then motivation to keep coming back usually decreases in just a few weeks. To help make the most of workouts, consider hiring a personal trainer and splitting the cost with a friend who needs a little extra motivation too. You can also take group classes with an inspiring instructor and lots of other people with high-energy levels that can also help keep you going strong.
Don’t Give Up:
If you haven’t been able to reach your goal weight and maintain it, it could be due to this triple whammy: Starvation, deprivation, and lack of motivation. According to Jorge Cruise, author of The 3-Hour Diet – the book about eating the right foods every three hours to achieve weight loss goals – the biggest mistake you can make when trying to lose weight is to skip meals.
“When you skip meals throughout the day your blood sugar plummets, causing you to overeat – and when you overeat, you gain weight,” Cruise explains. “When you eat the right foods every three hours you will not feel hungry. Why? Because you’ll keep your blood sugar level stable and keep your appetite under control. When you’re in control of your appetite, you’re in control of your weight.”
When you start liking the numbers you’re seeing on the scale, odds are you’ll be motivated to keep on avoiding “Just Don’t Do It!” obstacles that just won’t stop your fitness progress ever again!
