You’re not going to get your body in shape just by starving yourself. In fact, starvation diets are very unhealthy. You need to commit to changing your lifestyle. You can do it little by little or you can do it all at once. It depends on how you personally deal with change. But if you want that incredible body, you’ve got to do the work.
What work? Exercise, eat properly, and take care of medical problems before they become catastrophes.
Exercise means resistance training (weightlifting) and cardiovascular training. It’s not enough to walk or jog or do a few rounds on the elliptical. You need to move weight against gravity. Cardio does little to nothing for your overall muscle. It doesn’t help strengthen your bones. It does help your heart and lungs. It helps you lose fat and maintain a healthy body weight. It also makes you feel good — it contributes to mental health. But to get the full benefits of exercise, you need to be resistance training, too. Resistance training will fill in the blanks that cardio leaves: building muscle, strengthening bone, improving balance and strength, and helping you to prevent injury as you get older.
Eating properly means doing what you know is right. Keep sweets to a minimum. Treats are called treats because you don’t have them all the time. Eat protein at every meal. Protein helps keep your blood sugar stable. Don’t cut out all fats, cut out only those fats that are unhealthy. Too often people cut out fat completely (or nearly completely) when they want to lose body fat. But good fats (like olive oil) are essential to your body’s function — and cutting them out may make your body more resistant to fat loss. Learning how to eat properly isn’t that difficult and if you want to be healthy and fit, you need to learn and do what’s right.
Taking care of medical problems means not only physical but also psychological problems. See your doctor for a check-up once a year. Make sure you have routine blood screening. If you’re a woman, see your gynecologist once a year; when you’re past 40, get mammograms however often your doctor deems necessary. Be aware of changes in your body. If something seems “off” get it checked out. If you have a chronic medical condition, stay current on information about your condition. Many physical and psychological illnesses are under continuous study, so there may be a breakthrough or a new medication that could benefit you. Work with your doctor. If you don’t have a good rapport with your doctor, find a new one. Your life could depend on it.
There are many more details to living a healthy and fit life. But making the necessary changes can take a lot of effort. It’s all right to ease yourself into it. Get a feel for the kinds of things you need to be doing. Psyche yourself up for making the changes you need to make. Most important, realize that this isn’t a temporary routine that you will follow for a few weeks. The changes need to become new ways of doing things. This is a lifestyle.