It seems like a pretty simple question. How do I get in shape? This shouldn’t be rocket science, right?!?!
The truth is, it shouldn’t be (and isn’t) rocket science. Getting in shape is pretty simple, though not easy. So here is what it comes down to in it’s most basic form.
EAT RIGHT!
If you are out of shape, guess what, you probably don’t eat right. A lot of the people that start with us tell us they know how to eat healthy. They say they have a full understanding of what to do and simply aren’t doing it. What we have found, is that this is rarely the case. Sure they understand that a fruit is better than a candy bar, and you shouldn’t eat too much, but most have no clue beyond there. So here are the quick and common errors we see when people “already know” how to eat right.
- Eating too little is NOT good for you. If you eat too little your metabolism will crash and you will not burn fat.
- Fat in your food does not make you fat. Healthy fats are essential to a healthy body and weight loss.
- You absolutely can get fat eating just chicken and broccoli if you are doing nothing but eating fried chicken and broccoli with cheese.
- Eating too much is obviously bad for you, and barring bathroom issues, no you WILL NOT eat too many raw vegetables.
To be clear, there are many more things we see go wrong with the “I know how to eat” crowd, but these are the most common and major errors we see. One of the best things you can do to get in shape is to consult with a professional and read a book or twelve to really learn how to eat right for the body you want. Accept that you might not know everything, go learn, and the worst thing that could happen is that you spent some time confirming that you really did know what to do and just weren’t doing it. So now go do it!
EXERCISE!
If you aren’t exercising, start (assuming you are healthy enough for exercise). If you are exercising and you aren’t succeeding at getting in shape, than either you are ignoring the food issue mentioned above, or you are exercising wrong. Yes, you can exercise wrong. Power lifters are typically big people, sprinters are typically lean and well defined, marathon runners are typically very skinny and maintain small amounts of muscle mass. The lesson of the last sentence is simple, how you exercise will have an effect on the end result. So no, not all exercise translates to you achieving the shape you want. In fact, it is more likely that a very specific method of exercise is the ONLY way you will attain the exact shape you want and you might not be doing it. So don’t just exercise with your friend unless s/he knows what they are doing and you want to be built like them! If you don’t know if you are doing it right, consult with an experienced personal trainer to find out (Cheap plug time: Read our blog on how to spot a bad personal trainer to make sure you are receiving good advice https://trainbetter.org/2016/03/tell-tale-signs-of-a-bad-personal-trainer/ then read https://trainbetter.org/2016/02/how-to-pick-a-personal-trainer/ and learn how to pick a trainer to learn from).
SLEEP
People that don’t sleep, don’t get in shape. It’s that simple. Sure there are people that have poor sleep and are in good shape, but it’s certainly not helping them. Sleep is an essential part of a healthy life and if you are striving to attain the body shape you want I assume health is included in those goals, and if you aren’t sleeping well you are creating a real struggle for your body.
So that’s it. Learn to eat right and do it. Learn to exercise for the shape you want and do it. Sleep so your body can recover and be healthy.
Have a nice day!