It is now January 4th, and most people have filled their planners with New Year’s Resolutions. If we were playing Jeopardy and the question “Most Popular New Year’s Resolution” were to pop-up, I am willing to bet anything that the first answer will be “Lose weight”. And as a regular gym-goer, I notice this trend every year where the gyms become packed with starry-eyed newcomers for the first 3 weeks. And then are never seen again. And every year, I obtain new insight about why a majority of the people will never be able to meet their fitness goals.
I have had a serious relationship with the fitness lifestyle for over 6 years now. I have met its’ best friends: workout and nutrition. I have read through a plethora of scientific research, gone through personal training with multiple trainers and guides, and several phases of trial and error with my body to understand how to make fitness into a sustainable lifestyle. I believe the key here is sustainability, and if you want to actually achieve your fitness goals then you need to redefine the meaning of fitness. Here are a couple of my findings and insights over the past years that can help you to stay on top of your goals:
- If you are going from a 0–100, you are doing it wrong. I was working at my family’s pizza store on New Year’s Eve, when I got a call from a customer. She wanted my recommendations on the tastiest, the fattiest and the most guilty-pleasure inducing items on our menu. She said she only had one night and opportunity to eat them all, as she will be going on a diet starting New Year’s. Most people probably did the same thing on New Years. Binged with their favourite foods and alcohol, and went to sleep with the innocent belief that come January 1st, all their cravings and desires for junk food will be replaced by a green smoothie. And this is where we make the first mistake- by radically shifting our entire lifestyle from day 1 and then hoping our bodies stick it through. The key is to start small. I am a big believer of the 80–20 rule, where 80% of your daily calorie intake should be from nutritious, healthy foods. Whereas 20% of your intake could be from your favourite foods and snacks. This means you don’t have to entirely cut out pizza, chocolates, ice cream, chips, but rather just control your portions. As an economics grad, I am reminded of the Law of Diminishing Marginal Returns of Utility. In essence, the more you consume something, the satisfaction you derive from it reduces. So savour that piece of chocolate, or couple tablespoons of ice cream. It is going to hit the right spots, and won’t make you into a deprived monster. Also practice intuitive, mindful eating. I started off with keeping a log of all the foods I was eating on MyFitnessPal. There are so many times we are in the kitchen and randomly put food in our mouths when we are bored. When we learn to track our food, we figure out if we are eating when we are hungry or if we are just eating for the sake of it. It also helps you figure out your portion sizes, and reduces binge eating. Just being conscious of the foods in your body is a great first step in understanding your diet.
- If you are on a diet, you are doing it wrong. If you have texted all your friends that you are going on a keto diet, burnt all the rice and bread in your house, and stuffed your shelves and fridge with protein powder and chicken breasts, you are doing it wrong. This fad diet culture has ruined our understanding of nutrition. I know that sounds very bitter and dramatic, but I truly believe it to be true. The more I learn about meeting my specific body goals, the more I realize that nutrition is incredibly simple. Diets such as Keto, Atkins, Paleo, Gluten Free., are the primary reason why our healthy lifestyle is not sustainable. First of all, it is incredibly important that we seek proper medical consultation before starting any dietary program. So if you are thinking of starting a new diet, maybe ask your doctor about how it may impact your hormone levels, cholesterol levels, etc. Secondly, most of the diets are based on the simple principles of inducing a calorie-deficit, but phrased in a complicated way. If you have completely cut off carbohydrates from your meals, then the reason why you are losing weight isn’t because you cut off carbs. It is because you reduced at least 150 calories per meal and are now in a calorie deficit. But even getting into ideas like a caloric deficit is too complicated for the point I am about to make. If you want to just be healthier, then the answer is to eat nutritious food. I will break this down into three main principles: (1) cut out processed grains from your diet. Instead of consuming white flour, try consuming whole grains. This could be in your oats, bread, tortillas, etc. (2) Before you get into complicated measures of macros and calories, start out simpler. Half of your plate should be covered with fruits/ veggies, 1/4 with protein and 1/4 with carbs. If you follow this simple rule for 3 meals, you will find that you feel nourished and satisfied with your meals. (3) If the plate idea is too complicated, then one of my favourite online coaches has a simple rule. 3 bottles of water, 2 servings of fruit, and 1 big ass salad a day. Even if you start off with that, you are providing your body with important nutrients and hydration. This is more than enough to help you get started with your fitness journey. Remember, nutrition is one of the most important aspects of a sustainable fitness lifestyle. If you have a crappy nutrition, then you can’t out-exercise that crappy nutrition. If you have an incredibly rigid nutritional plan, then you will not be able to stick to that plan without fatigue, brain fog, and frustration.
- If you hate going to the gym or your fitness classes, you are doing it wrong. I was 18 years old when I first started working out. I had freshly moved out to university and I realized I was better than my peers- at gaining weight. I gained the Freshman 15 within a month. I had just started doing my own grocery shopping (mostly sugary cereals, ramen, and chips), and also made it a point to try every crappy university restaurant possible. As soon as I realized that I was treating my body like a trashcan found in a residence cafeteria hall, I created a workout plan. It was probably the worst workout plan in history. It was 30 minutes of cardio every single day. I soon realized that I hated cardio, but I wanted to stick to my plan anyways. So I would do a half-ass version of a cardio workout, by walking on the treadmill on 1.5 speed for 30 minutes and called it a day. And to no one’s surprise, I did not make an ounce of fitness progress that year. My biggest victory was my discipline. So the next year, I found a workout buddy and started learning strength training. And 5 years later, I cannot wait to lift two-thirds of my bodyweight at the gym. The point of that anecdote is to stress the importance of finding a workout plan you like. If you feel like you have to drag yourself to the gym every day, then you are probably going to resent working out. Regardless of how unlikely it seems, working out is actually incredibly fun. It is all about finding a regimen that suits you. As a beginner, you can try a bunch of different things to help you realize what you like. You can try fitness classes, hiking, organized sports, weight lifting, basically anything that gets you moving for 60 minutes for at least 4X a week. If you have a workout plan that gets you to leave your bed on a cold, winter morning, then you my friend have found the one.
- If it is all about the numbers, you are doing it wrong. It is no secret that Covid has caused a slight weight gain for many of us. We are less active, we are probably consuming more calories, baking more banana breads, etc. I am also a statistic in the number of people who have gained weight in quarantine. I am currently at a 130 lbs, the same weight I started off with when I was 18. Since I was 18, I have lost over 15–20 lbs of weight. But there is a massive difference in the 130 lbs I am at now v/s the 130 lbs I was at 6 years ago. The first difference is, my body is way more defined and toned. I have been doing heavy lifting for quite a while now, so that makes more sense. But the other differences aren’t as measurable. I am way happier now, I am at peace with my body. It isn’t because of the way I look, but rather because of the way I fuel my body. I genuinely feel nourished by the foods I have, and I am not as lethargic. I have an improved quality of sleep, lower levels of stress, and a better relationship with food. It is easy to make a fitness lifestyle all about the numbers. Because let’s be real, we all started off because we wanted that dream body. A big booty for women, chiseled abs for men. But that’s an entirely wrong approach to healthy living. If you have made significant changes to your nutrition, started a new workout regime, and have been sticking to it for about 3 months and still haven’t noticed a drop on your weight scale…. then fuck the weighing scale. All of your discipline, motivation, and drive cannot be discarded just because you don’t weigh a 115 lbs. The numbers genuinely don’t mean anything. I understand it can be discouraging when you feel like you have done all the right things but are still not getting the results you want. Believe me, I have been there. As vain as it sounds, I am still working on my perfect bubble butt, and abs. But if I never achieve those features, well then tough luck. Because I know that my healthy lifestyle isn’t just for these physical attributes. It is for an improved quality of life, with innumerable health benefits. And that is more than enough for us all.
I know this article is a lengthy read. I have been thinking about writing this for a while. I am not a personal trainer by any means, nor a nutritionist. But what I am is you… just 6 years ago. That sounds a bit like a pyramid scheme pitch. But in all seriousness, fitness is one of the things I have become incredibly passionate about over the years. There is so much misinformation, media pressure, and an overall lack of understanding about what it means to be “healthy”. I believe instead of having incredibly fit celebrities as fitness role models, we should look up to the average Joe/Jane who has made incremental steps in their lifestyle and stuck with it. So it is time to change that New Year’s Resolution to “Becoming happier in my body”, and you will see wonders.
