Define a realistic goal
© trust tru katsande / unsplash
Objectively evaluate your capabilities: if, under the chimes, you decide that within a month you will lose four sizes and run a marathon, you should reconsider your expectations. If you started playing sports from scratch, the load should be increased gradually, as well as changing daily habits. If sport is an everyday occurrence in your life, then approach your future achievements critically. Do not try to take prizes in the triathlon in the shortest possible time, if before that you were limited to a half-hour bike ride.
Set period
Tying your results to a specific date helps you train. In this regard, preparation for an autumn marathon or a beautiful body for a vacation are very motivating criteria. Set reminders on your phone and post photos and stickers on the fridge with the target date. It needs to be installed regardless of whether you are preparing for an official event or a vacation trip on specific dates, or simply intend to tighten your body and improve your health - it will work in both cases.
Write lists
The easiest way to track your accomplishments and progress is to use online diaries like Bullet Journal. Although you can buy a paper lined notebook or draw your own. In it, you can tick off promises made - from drinking a glass of water to going to the gym. Filling out the to-do list on a daily basis allows you not only to remember which activities were not implemented, but also to understand where the gap appeared in the promises. Over time, the to-do list will help you make good things a habit.
Find like-minded people
It is difficult to fundamentally change habits. If in your environment there were still no sports fans and lovers of healthy eating, it's time to look for them. These can be friends interested in prolonging youth and maintaining beauty, colleagues tired of back pain, users of sports applications and subscribers of online publics about a healthy lifestyle. It is not necessary to make a strong friendship and arrange joint jogging, it is enough to exchange impressions or information about the kilometers covered.
Eat right
© gardie design / unsplash
Exercise requires more calories and carbohydrates, but they need to be correct. Be sure to familiarize yourself with the theory of proper nutrition, or better - consult with your doctor or trainer to select an individual program. You should not radically change your diet and switch to trendy diets: most of them are based on a sharp reduction in calories, which will have a bad effect on your well-being. Several hypotheses, including superfoods, carbs and snacks, have recently been disproved.
Allow yourself to be lazy
It would seem that this method contradicts the goal: how can you regularly go in for sports if you do not force yourself through force? In fact, it turns out that constant loads without desire and pleasure lead to emotional rejection - it becomes unpleasant for you to just think about classes. In addition, the body sometimes needs passive rest. If, after exercising daily from Monday to Thursday on Friday, you realize you don't want to spread the mat, give yourself some rest. The missing checkmarks in the list of habits are not a reason to give up, but an opportunity to reconsider your attitude to the system of classes. Recovery is just as important as exercise. It is during the rest period that supercompensation of muscle fibers and their growth occurs. In addition, constant increased loads lead to chronic stress, which will only interfere on the way to the goal.
Praise yourself
To consolidate the result, you just need approval - if not from the outside, then from yourself in the first place. Break the global goal into several small ones and thank yourself for each completed stage. It is advisable to come up with useful rewards instead of the usual sweets, but it is not necessary to exclude the latter. Once a week, even with a strict exercise regimen, you can afford to deviate from your diet a little. But if you decide to give up bad habits once and for all and replace them with useful ones, follow the recommendations and believe in yourself.
Participate in charity projects
Many celebrities run charity marathons as motivation is heightened when you take responsibility for someone else. Try signing up for charity sports or agreeing with friends to donate a certain amount to a fund after you run the distance. You can strengthen the agreement with a dispute or betting - this will help to focus on a goal that will become interesting not only to you, but also to those around you.>