Starting your fitness journey can be very confusing. You want to know if you are doing things correctly or sometimes you try things that delay seeing the results you want.

First and most important thing to realize when starting your fitness journey is that it will take time. There is no quick fix in fitness and if you try a “quick fix” you will most likely gain back those pounds you were trying to lose. You should enjoy and love every part of your fitness journey.

The reason why you want to start your fitness journey should be deep within. Of course everyone wants to lose pounds and feel their best but it’s deeper than that. You want to start your fitness journey FOR YOU, not for the ex, not for your crush, not for your parents or friends, FOR YOU!!! Think about the benefits of fitness and how they can help you. For example wanting to exercise a few times a week to feel better metally and physically. I want to share these fitness takeaways with you so you can have more of a clear vision and goal with what you want out of your fitness journey and how to enjoy it.

A calorie deficit is the only way to lose weight

If your main goal is to lose weight, the only way to do so is if you’re in a caloric deficit. Meaning you have to burn more calories than you consume in a day. A problem with this is people think you have to cut out a huge amount of calories to see results. That is simply not the case, a couple hundred calories less will do. Ex 200-300 calories. I would say 500 max for the deficit but it does not have to be huge.

Being in a calorie deficit could also mean cutting out the random snacking you do throughout the day. Try and aim for three main nutritious packed meals a day and smaller snacks in between meals if you are still hungry. Sticking to whole non processed food will really help your progress. Don’t forget to treat yourself too here and there, listen to your cravings or else you’ll most likely end up binging later on.

You cannot turn fat into muscle

I’m not sure why people started this rumor, but if you ever see it, run. It is simply impossible to turn fat into muscle, they are two completely different things.  A lot of companies will do ANYTHING to get you to buy their “fat burning” or “detox” product and they tell you what you want to hear but you won’t see those results they promise you. They key to burning fat is time, drinking the right amount of water, wholesome foods, and a deficit. In the fitness world, the simpler the better. Don’t try to over complicate things just because you aren’t seeing results right away.

Don’t rely on the scale

The scale is just a number. It is also a number that can negatively affect your mental health throughout your fitness journey. Your weight isn’t just composed of your fat, it’s everything you are made of and even the poop that you are about to take. Instead of focusing on numbers, focus on how you feel specifically, progress pictures and how you feel in your clothes. If you are weight lifting to lose weight you are most likely growing or toning muscle at the same time which could increase your body weight, so never rely on the scale.

How to lose fat and build muscle at the same time

I know we would all like a bigger butt and smaller waist, but remember that your genetics are different from other people. I am not saying you can’t get either of those things but just think of that factor if you are wondering why you don’t look the same as others. The cool thing about being your own person is that there is no comparison because everyone is different and unique in their own way. If we all looked the same the world would be boring. Some people are born with a bigger butt and wider hips, other people like me are born with small butt genetics and a little bit of a stomach, AND THAT’S OK.

Onto the losing fat and building muscle, the best way to achieve this is by resistance training. What is resistance training? Strength training. This involves pretty much anything with weights such as fitness machines, free weights, bands etc. When strength training you’re using energy from your muscles, therefore trying to build more muscle burns more calories. When strength training, get your form down first with just body weight movements, then gradually add more weight to your workouts. Once you get your form down and start lifting heavier your anabolic growth hormone will be stimulated and you’ll be able to gain more strength. To burn more fat you also want to keep your heart rate up so try to have less rest time between sets. To actually grow muscle though you have to incorporate progressive overload which is increasing each week. This could be increasing weight, reps or sets. You’ll want to focus on sitting in the sweet spot with reps being 6-15 reps for optimal muscle growth. You could do smaller reps with more weight for optimal muscle growth, or lesser weight with more reps for more endurance. Focus on correct form and you will see results! Supersets are a great way of getting in a good workout in a shorter amount of time. A superset is two exercises in a row with little to no rest. This is great for muscle overload.

Motivation

Motivation is just self discipline. The journey can be motivating at first, but some days you will not want to workout. Sometimes you will need to take a break for yourself and mental health and that’s ok. Other days you have to think deep within you and remember the goals you are trying to reach and why. Even some days where I am super unmotivated and then somehow find the motivation to workout, sometimes it’s the best workout I’ve done in awhile. Pushing yourself to your fullest potential is the best way to grow.

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At the end of the day you have to love yourself and the journey. It’s ok to fail, that is the only way you’ll grow. Don’t be too harsh on yourself and start working for what you want in life!