1.Consistency over intensity 

New year resolution, new me, I will kill it this year, I will give up smoking cold turkey, I will lose 20 KG in one month. Sounds familiar?  

There is no problem with those goals, the problem is consistency.  

When you set a goal, ask yourself Can I stick to my goals for the next  12  month, if you find it hard to  say yes, then change your goals and set realistic ones. 

The trick is to make small changes every day so it snuck onto you and gradually you start changing your lifestyle without feeling the burden of giving up things you love and enjoy 

2.Sleep at least 8 hours every night:
Hunger is controlled by two hormones: leptin and ghrelin. 

Leptin is a hormone that is produced in your fat cells. The less leptin you produce, the more your stomach feels empty. The more ghrelin you produce, the more you stimulate hunger while also reducing the amount of calories you burn (your metabolism) and increasing the amount fat you store. 

Sleeping less than six hours depresses leptin and stimulates ghrelin. 

3.Don’t skip your Post workout meal: 
If you want to prevent muscle break down and promote muscle growth you need to have your post workout meal not more than 2 hours after you are done with your workout, this is your body’s window to rebuild muscles and replace glycogen (stored carbohydrates).  

4.Concentrate on fat loss not weight loss: 
Scaling yourself on regular basis can be deceiving especially when you realize that after 3 weeks of training, you are not losing any weight, perhaps putting on weight.  

Your body weight consists of muscles, bones, fats and bodily fluids. A smart way to track your progress is to measure your body fat instead.  

Look at this photo, they weight the same, however they look completely different because of their body fat percentage. 

5.Hire a fitness Professional
 I may sound bias on this but it will make a huge difference if you have someone who is knowledgeable help you set something up. Would you prescribe yourself a medication without a doctor’s advice? Do you want your kids to play a competitive sport without a coach? Probably not. So why start an exercise program without consulting a fitness professional?  It will help you to be focused, prevent injury and will hold you accountable. 

Credit: Amira Elshandidi, qualified fitness professional & lifestyle coach 

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