The Hustler's Digest StaffIf there is one thing that makes it difficult for people to follow through with a good health and fitness lifestyle, it is hearing from ‘experts’ that something works, only to try it and find that it doesn’t. Take it from fitness coach and Founder of DamenGfit, Damen Griffith. He says there are no shortcuts to having and maintaining a fit and healthy lifestyle. There is a way in which the body operates, and it takes a real professional to tell what works and what doesn’t. According to Griffith, bio-hack fads are not only unhealthy, but they also don’t work. Griffith has been working out for the last 14 years, and he knows more than most people to maintain a fit and healthy lifestyle, you have to do what has been tried and found to be accurate and useful. Griffith shares five of his most essential tips to help anyone stay fit and healthy for the long term.
Don’t Drink Your Calories
Take this example. You eat a healthy salad but wash it down with a regular-sized coke. By doing so, you have undone all the benefits of eating the salad. The coke gives you almost 350 calories and 50 grams of sugar. The worst thing about this habit is that most of these calories are coming from added sugar, which has no nutritional value. If you are looking to drop a few or more pounds, one of the first things to change is to stop drinking anything with added calories. The other reason why you should avoid drinking your calories is that you can develop insulin resistance from the added sugar. Avoid sweetened iced tea, coffee drinks, soda, juice or juice drinks, and other sports drinks. It would also help if you refrained from adding any sweeteners like honey and agave to your drinks.
Planning Your Meals Ahead of Time
When you plan your meals, you can make smart choices related to your health and fitness needs. Planning and prepping your meals provides a little more incentive to eat the healthy things you’ve already planned out and cooked. Something else about planning how and what to eat beforehand is that you are more likely to stick with the healthy choices you already made as opposed to when you don’t plan. Some of the steps you could take to plan your meals include deciding which recipes you would like to cook for several meals, check your fridge, your schedule, and ask your family what they’d like to eat before you go to the grocery store, and try to buy products that can be added to many different meals, so the leftovers from one recipe won’t go to waste. It is also important to sort your grocery list according to the type of food: produce, meat, dairy, and dry goods.
Stop Looking for a Short Cut
When it comes to fitness, there are no shortcuts. You need to make an investment of time and commitment. There is only one recipe for success. It’s hard work. That’s it! If you expect short cuts, you are going to be disappointed. If you put in the work, the hours, the discipline, you will see results. People who are looking for a fit and healthy lifestyle should not entertain bio-hack fads. They might promise and even provide an easy and quick way of losing fat, but most practices that make up these hacks cannot be sustained for long. Consequently, they end up failing; the weight comes back again, and there is no telling how much side effects you get from them. That is why you should invest in natural and proven methods from professionals who have tried them for years and found them to work.
Water all the Way
Although you know that water is necessary for survival and vital for your body to function, how often do you choose to have a glass of water throughout your day? Even though there is no rule of the thumb when it comes to how much water everyone should drink in a day, it is recommended that, on average, a person should drink at least half of their body weight in ounces. For instance, if you weigh 150 pounds, make a point of drinking 75 ounces of water a day. That shouldn’t sound like much water. According to research, taking water instead of sugary beverages helps everyone lose weight. That is why you should be drinking enough pure water every day. If you do workout, you will need to drink more water than the average person. You need to compensate for the fluids you lose when engaging in rigorous activity.
Have a “Don’t Give Up” Mentality
Maintaining a fit and healthy lifestyle is not an easy thing. That is why not everyone goes to the gym; not everyone checks what they eat. There’ll come a time in the course of your endeavors to stay fit and healthy that you will feel the urge to give up. Sometimes working out may even cause you pain and discomfort. Whenever that happens or for some other reason, you feel like giving up, remind yourself why you started the journey in the first place. Always have your fitness and health goals at the back of your mind to avoid abandoning your journey. You need to maintain the motivation to keep going on every single day. Of course, it doesn’t mean that you have to work out every other day, but don’t give up living healthy.
Damen Griffith has tried and tested his strategies and uses them to transform thousands of people across the globe. You can find his fitness guidance online.
