Keep it Simple!

In my last post titled Expectations - Set yourself up for long term Success I spoke about the importance of setting yourself realistic fat-loss goals to set yourself up for life long results and kick that nasty habit of Yoyo dieting. Now you might be thinking, that sounds good, but how do I achieve that .5 - 1% weight loss week to week, well read on my friend and let's get started on the last fat loss journey of your life.

Drink more water until you have clear wee - Yes it is that simple, try not to let yourself get caught up in all the technical jargon or scientific data that tells you that you need to drink exactly X amount of water. The more stress you put on yourself, the harder achieving these simple points will become. Throughout different daily activities your required water consumption will vary, so please keep it simple and drink more water until you have clear wee. Now if you are thinking that water can't really be that important to achieving your health and fitness goals please think again as your body at a molecular level is actually 70-85% water.

Eat more Vegetables -  Everyone should be going to the bathroom on a regular basis. If you are not, part of the weight you want to lose could be sitting right there in your stomach! A simple solution to this is to eat more vegetables. Not only are they high in a lot of essential vitamins but the fibre within will assist your digestive system process all those foods you are eating and assist you in going to the bathroom more regularly, therefore helping your body rid itself of the built up toxins in your system, allowing for more effective fat loss. The fibre you are getting from your vegetables will also assist in keeping you fuller for longer which could help prevent some of that late night snacking.

Get Puffed -  Again the main point here is KEEP IT SIMPLE! Don't get caught up in the macho methods of the fitness profession that say if you can't do 30mins don't bother because it is a lie! If you often find yourself short on time do not stress, simply find a way each day to get puffed. Yes that simple, run up a set of stairs, jog to your next meeting, park your car further away and take a brisk walk/jog instead. Elevating your heart rate even if only for a short period 0-5mins and getting yourself into a ''puffed state'' will be enough to stimulate your metabolic rate and slightly improve your cardio vascular fitness. So next time you are thinking ''I'm just too busy this week to exercise'' think again! We could all spare 5mins, no matter how busy we are, each day to get puffed, and if you begin making this commitment to yourself you will thank me.

Get Strong -  Yes get strong, now I'm not saying you need to become the next Hercules but by making a commitment to do some sort of resistant training 1-2 times per week will have incredible long term benefits such as a decreased risk of osteoporosis and arthritis it will also help elevate your metabolic rate. Now to Get Strong  I am going to again ask you to keep it simple. If you are finding you have a busy and stressful life please do not let me add to it, instead let me help you simplify it. If you can only do 1-5 push ups this week simply try to improve by 1 push up for next week and so on and so forth, try to perform one leg exercise, one pushing exercise and one pulling exercise each time. Yes it is that simple, don't get caught up in your friend telling you about their new amazing new squat program that tells them they need to be doing 1million squats each day for 30days because seriously who has time for that! Simply spend 15-20mins 2 times per week lifting something heavy.

There are a few more simple points I will be sharing with you throughout your journey but let's start here and focus on first setting up some great but simple habits to Set yourself up for long term Success.

Now I am sure some people reading this will tell me I am missing some vital points or that it can't be that simple, or that based on some recent clinical study it is more beneficial to eat 20kgs of bacon a day for 30days to get ''shredded''. I tell those people that they are welcome to their opinion, but please for the sake of society don't force that opinion on others. Let us instead simplify the fat loss process and make it achievable for everyone and together let's tackle this obesity epidemic.

I would like to credit this article to my two amazing mentors Kerry and Rowena McEvoy who have helped show me that the best way to succeed is to KEEP IT SIMPLE.