"Exercise is King. Nutrition is Queen. Put them together and you've got a Kingdom." -Jack LaLanne
Some people have a misconception of dieting and exercise, automatically thinking they have to sign their life away at the local gym working out two hours a day and measure out every bite of food daily consumed to reach their goals! That is NOT the case for the average person, it’s all about portion control and self discipline.
When a person puts an extreme diet to the test, 98% fail because it's just too much to handle especially when the average person works an 8 -12hr day. The key is to take baby steps toward your goals, take a step back and reassess your daily routine to really figure out how to hit your mark.
For example if you are eating constantly through out the day just picking at random foods and thinking to your self "I'm eating light". After awhile the "eating light" mentality sneaks up on you FAST and before you know it you've gained three pounds within a weeks time because there is no guideline, you must take control of your diet.
This is why you should have some sort of regimen and stick with the main courses (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner). Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!, if you have a solid protein/carb filled breakfast each morning, this will leave you full and content for a good portion of that day. Try to consume a protein source before bed so your body stays in an anabolic state. You don't want your body to start eating all of that hard earned muscle!
It is very important to incorporate exercise into your daily routine. There is no reason to spend hours at the gym or running hours on the treadmill in order to reach your goals. Try to dedicate a 30 minutes to 45 minutes to your self, 3x a week. That's all you need to start seeing a difference. You can break this up throughout your day too.
When you feel good mentally everything positive starts to happen which in turn gives you the motivation to stick with it. For example: at the end of the week after following a simple, but semi-strict diet, and you've done your exercises, you look at yourself in the mirror and notice small physical changes to your body. At that point you know you've accomplished what you are setting out to do. It is probably one of the best feelings in the world to have.
Physical change does not happen over night, it takes time so please do not give up on yourself. It's like receiving a paid bi-weekly paycheck, you put all the hard work in one week then the next week you start to see your results. After a few months to a year I guarantee that you will see and feel a difference.
Never give up, always try new things, give 100% and don't be afraid to fail...Keep Rolling Strong!
Image Source - https://www.flickr.com/photos/401stafsb/