Fitness & Health Do's & Dont's

Develop a routine and stick to it. I go to the gym the same time every day and I miss it if I dont go.

Motivation is what gets you started, Habit is what keeps you going.

Health and fitness is a lifestyle change. The quicker you make it part of your life, the easier it is to stay committed.

I thought we could start a thread with tips of what has worked for people when it comes to motivation, or working out- but also a thread with tips on what not to do and what hasn't worked for people. I'm always interested to hear other peoples suggestions, so ya, let's get this rolling!

I don't intend to come across as mean or rude but there are times I'm just plain tired after work and my get up and go and has got up and went, however, on the drive home or if I stop at the grocery store I see very unfit and heavy people walking around and it motivates me to put in the hour workout. I've witnessed too many family members and friends who one day just were too tired to do anything and before they knew it, well, you know.

Do: watch the movie Forks Over Knives. Don't sit on yer *kitten* all day!:bigsmile:

Motivation is what gets you started, Habit is what keeps you going.

Health and fitness is a lifestyle change. The quicker you make it part of your life, the easier it is to stay committed.

Could not have said it better

Develop a routine and stick to it. I go to the gym the same time every day and I miss it if I dont go.

^^This for 1...
dont do a routine for a week and then quit it or change it because you "dont see results". it takes a minimum of 3-4 weeks to know if your getting any results from anything.

dont go to the gym expecting to lose weight if you are still stuffing your face with tons of food. you can eat clean and still gain weight if you dont track your food and end up over eating.

do get off the couch and do it. who cares if you are overwight/obese/skinny fat/underweight/strong/weak/fit and trim..... everyone is there for the same reason. to get in shape. to get healthy. to live longer happier lives. there will always be those judgmental a-holes in the gym, but i promise they are way out numbered by people willing to help and encourage you.

A very big DON'T that I see a lot of people doing, but have never done myself:

Start your dietary change and exercise/active lifestyle change on the same day and go whole hog.

I can think of few things that sound worse than going from sitting on your sofa eating 3,000 cal of Burger King to running miles every day and eating 1,600 cal of vegetables. I think that is like setting yourself up to fail hard. I'm sure there are exceptions to that but for the most part...not a good plan. A lot of people I know (often New Year's Resolutioners) try to do that and I'm just like, "whoa man slow down or you're going to be so frustrated by the end of February". No one listens though. They're going to run marathons eating only broccoli and quinoa by June. Riiight. I also know a lot of women who "jumpstart" weight loss through extreme diets and are addicted to losing 8 lb in 1 week and then anything more normal (like 1-2 lb per week on MFP) seems too slow for them and they won't do it. SLOW and steady can be EXCELLENT!!! I lost 71+ lb in the past year and have never lost more than 2 lb in one week.

A lot of my DO's have already been mentioned. Routines. Breakfast. Dining out less. Counting calories via MFP logging.

DO: Dwell on your success and flirt with yourself in the mirror every day :blushing:
DON'T: Cut anything out of your diet

Do: exercise regularly

Don't: exercise excessively; your fitness should be sustainable

Do: set independent fitness goals for yourself

Don't: exercise exclusively for calorie burn

Do: eat a lot of nutritious and whole foods

Don't: eliminate everything that is awesome and delicious

Do: monitor your progress on the scale as well as your measurements

Don't: obsess about that number to the extent you are jumping on the scale multiple times per day and ultimately weighing all of the food and fluids you've consumed throughout the day, not to mention waste that has been built up throughout the day.

Do: Think of MFP and calorie counting as a tool...training wheels if you will to teach you how to eat properly and in proper portions for your activity

Don't: think calorie counting is the "lifestyle" people talk about when they talk about "lifestyle change"

Do: make nutrition and fitness and intrinsic part of your life

Don't: neglect your mental and spiritual health

Free You tubes Videos is a do!!!

I think I have one big DO and that is.... be consistent and keep at it.

It's taken me a long time to learn that you can have the world's best workout program but if you stop doing it or you're not consistent then you're not going to get results. I'm now of the belief that it's better to manage some exercise every week and make slow progress than to try and go the whole hog, wear yourself out, stop and end up back where you started.

My big DON'T... DON'T get bogged down with the details.

When you're starting out you're keen to read up on everything but it's so easy to get bogged down with how many calories you should be eating, what exercises you should be doing, what your macros should be and people making it sound like you won't get anywhere if you don't do all of those things at once. In the past I've just got to the point where I've felt like because I wasn't managing to get every little detail right then I wasn't going to make progress and just ended up giving up. Don't do that!

Keep it simple and keep it up :-) Don't run before you can walk!