Whether you used to be an avid gym-goer and life just got in the way or you’ve never really ventured off the beaten path to your local gym, getting a fitness regime in place can be difficult! Although it may be considered cliche to make health and fitness new years resolutions, it can be a great motivating factor to get the ball rolling! In this brief post, I discuss how a newbie or a even a seasoned vet looking for a new routine may go about getting started.
I would have to say, besides playing competitive sports throughout middle and high school (i.e. volleyball, swim, track – field), I first started my fitness journey about 8.5 years ago (October 2011), when I met my now boyfriend, Justin Groce. When I met Justin, he was a very fit personal trainer, competing in body building competitions, asking me to workout with him after the spin class he taught. Now, Justin is still fit, as well as an accomplished Nurse Practitioner with more alphabet soup behind his name then I will ever be able to recall off hand! 🤣(Please see his bio on his website for his certifications: http://www.justingroce.com/about-justin/ ).
Before I met Justin, my perception of “fitness” and of how to lose weight and be “healthy” was to 1. Run and 2. Eat Salads. Unfortunately, many people still have similar misconceptions. Although this could indeed help, this is by NO MEANS the only way to health or lose weight!! Any form of physical activity (working muscle and burning calories) and any diet which creates negative energy balance will allow weight loss. Period. If you think you are in negative calorie balance and are not seeing results, it is most likely due to eating more calories than thought or intended. Many will try to point the blame towards an issue with thyroid or metabolism, when it more than likely has nothing to do with it, but rather provides an easy way to opt out and deflect the responsibility away from themselves. Now, it may see elementary to consider the human body as such a simple thermodynamic system (x+y=z or in=out), and it may indeed be oversimplified to think of it in this manner. However, in the most basic sense, this is the case. Calories in and calories out (I have a diagram in my “portfolio” on my website of this basic concept we teach in Nutrition 100 –> more calories in than out = weight gain, more calories out than in = weight loss, and when they are the same = weight maintenance).Now, how to be “healthy” is a completely different story, and means many different things to many different people. Healthy is a state of being, but it is also a state of mentality. Someone can be physically healthy, but be unhappy, stressed, depressed, anxious, etc, and/or they perceive themselves as unhealthy. Therefore, a diet, exercise, and a lifestyle that promotes both healthy body and mind is critical; each person may be different in this aspect.
How to find a workout plan:
1. First and foremost: Find a physical activity that works for YOU
- What are your goals?
- What is your reason?
- What do you enjoy doing?
- What is your ability?
- Is it feasible?
One of the most important aspects about fitness, is CONSISTENCY! It is important to find something that you enjoy doing and that you know you will stick to! What works for others may not work for you (this applies to nutrition as well!).Therefore, it is important to ask yourself these questions (above). What are your goals? Perhaps weight loss, perhaps fitness/health, to look/feel lean, to build muscle, to have better endurance or cardiovascular health? There are endless reasons. What is yours? On that note, it is important to find your Reason! Having a time goal and/or reason/motivation can push you in plateau or difficult times and set backs (of which you will definitely have, if not multiple times – it’s what you do during/after these times that matter most – acknowledge you are human and move on and Keep Calm and Move On).What do you enjoy doing? Most people won’t continue to do something if they don’t absolutely love it (or at least enjoy the way they feel after ;). There is so much more than running (free weight, weight lifting, power lifting, cross fit, biking, hiking, swimming, wrestling/MMA/boxing/martial arts, yoga/pilates, barre, dancing, sports (heard of local adult sports leagues?! It’s a thing, check it out!), etc…) just to name a few… What is your ability? Perhaps something you may want to do, you may not have the ability to do (physically, mentally, financially, etc) (YET)! Let’s face it… crossfit is EXPENSIVE! So are so many other memberships. But DON’T let this hold you back! So many forms of physical activity are absolutely FREE! What is feasible? Want to take a class, but it is a 10-20+ min drive away from home/work? Find something that is CONVENIENT! Otherwise, it is unlikely you will go during those times of strive or when you have run low on motivation. Find something that you will have NO excuse but to go to (less than a mile from home, is at or near school/work).
For me, I fell in love with weight lifting! It wasn’t love at first lift, but with time and consistency, I found that I loved the feeling of being strong and being able to lift more and more weight each week. This also happened to be a great substitution for my need for physical activity and competitiveness from sports growing up. I also still did some group classes from time to time for some group-motivation and endurance and flexibility training (i.e. spin class, yoga, cross-fit, dancing, etc). (The pic of me about to dead-lift 305# is a screenshot of a video that is on my instagram (you may have to dig a little) – the form gets better after the setup ;).
2. Find an accountability Partner(s)
It is always easier to do something difficult when there is someone by your side, going through similar difficulties/journey as you. They can also be there to push and support you when needed; this is especially beneficial to those who are competitive. Although it may be easier, you have to remember, what you are doing is for YOU, and no one will do the work but you (in some cases you may need to find multiple accountability partners, in those cases where you find yourself figuratively ‘left at the altar’).
In my case, this was a somewhat easy task. Justin was there to workout with me that very first night, and he’s been my lift partner ever since!
3. Change it up!
Keep yourself guessing! Try something new every once in a while. Doing the same thing consistently can be comfortable and easy. However, it is important to change it up, for both a mental break, and to keep your body guessing as well. If you typically stick to the cardio on machines, try to do the same outside, or try a different exercise altogether. It is important to incorporate exercises from all of the groups of exercise (i.e. resistance/strength, cardiorespiratory/endurance, neuromotor, and flexibility).
For some types of exercise to get you started (at least for weight lifting), check out my BF’s website: http://www.justingroce.com/member-videos/ (there happens to be some old videos of me on there too! ;).
LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST…
NUTRITION!!
Of important note: No exercise plan is complete without proper nutrition! And, although a salad is pictured, it is far from what is required to have a healthy diet and/or to lose weight. Can they be healthy and help to lower calorie intake whilst maintaining decent nutrient intake? Why, yes! However, there are plenty of options for healthy eating other than salads. With a B.S. in Nutrition and Food Science and a Ph.D. in Nutritional Sciences, I have grown to learn that there is nothing but grey area in almost all aspects of life, which has leaked into my belief of fitness and nutrition = EVERYTHING IN MODERATION! If I could summarize my recommendations in one sentence, it would be this: “Everything in moderation, with a primary focus on fruits and vegetables, and lean sources of protein and plenty of water!” When initially breaking into lifting and the “fitness world” I was introduced to the land of: egg-whites and oatmeal, chicken and broccoli, fish and asparagus, and chicken and broccoli for every meal, every day. Although this was successful in helping me to lose weight and become super lean (see figure-pose above), it really wasn’t “healthy” in the aspect of getting enough variety in my diet to get the nutrients I needed, and it also wasn’t great for my mental health (i.e. deprivation, starvation, etc). Again, from this experience, I’ve learned balance and moderation is key. I am not preparing for a body building show at the moment (or ever again…?) so I no longer eat this way. However, I do, for the most part, structure my meals similarly (see pic with yummy Parmesan-panko encrusted flounder, wild-rice mixture, and roasted green beans – lean meat, veggies, and complex carbohydrates). I also make sure to add a healthy dose of fat. 😉🤣
In general, I enjoy playing around with recipes; making healthier substitutions (by healthier, I generally am referring to leaner (lower fat) options, or when possible ‘less processed’ options – for example: Making pizza with a cauliflower crust – nothing to do with gluten, more or less about nutrient-density and calories). I love pinterest for new and healthy recipe ideas! I’ve got a few ideas on my blog as well! Check it out, be adventurous, and most of all, have fun with it!
Thanks again for visiting my blog!Please share and comment if you enjoyed this post or know someone who may benefit from the read.
-Haley Overby PhD
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HALEY OVERBY, PHD 