Self love Sunday – Reach your fitness goals from home

If you’ve got a fitness goal in mind but aren’t sure where to start, we’ve put together some handy tips and tricks to help. It’s easier than you think to make small changes to your lifestyle that can have a big impact. Best of all, you don’t need to join a gym or weight loss program to reach your goals, and we’re going to tell you how.

Make it fun

Exercise doesn’t have to be a chore, if you don’t enjoy sweating on a treadmill or exercise bike then you don’t have to do it. Try out different things until you find what works best for you. The best kind of exercise is the kind where it doesn’t feel like hard work because you’re having a good time. There are fun ways you can workout at home, even with limited space. Why not try a skipping rope or hula hoop in the garden, or follow a workout on YouTube. There are so many amazing free videos to try, including dance workouts, Zumba, and Yoga. It doesn’t have to be all squats and burpees unless that’s what you enjoy!

Go for a walk

Walking is the easiest way to increase how many calories you’re burning each day, but it’s surprising how difficult it can be to get our steps in, especially when working from home. Depending on your fitness level you want to be aiming for around 7,000-10,000 steps per day. If you walk to work, spend the day shopping or cleaning the house, you might find you hit that goal easily. But if you aren’t already getting a lot of steps into your day, try doing a few short walks throughout the day, rather than trying to get them all done in one. It can be helpful to track your steps using your phone or a fitness tracker watch.

Take progress pictures

Tracking your progress can be a great tool for motivation and it can be very satisfying to look back on how far you’ve come. However, weighing yourself on scales isn’t necessarily the most accurate way of doing this. Our weight can fluctuate so much depending on the time of day and what we’ve eaten. Scales can end up being demotivating if the numbers don’t change as much or as quickly as you’d hoped. Taking pictures every few weeks can give a much better representation of how your body is changing and how your fitness journey is progressing.

Cutting Calories

There are so many diet plans around that all give different advice about how to lose weight and eat healthily. This can make things confusing so it’s best to remember that at the end of the day all diets work in the same method, by creating a calorie deficit. It you’re looking to lose weight you need to be consuming fewer calories then you are burning off. Calories aren’t just burnt whilst we exercise, our body is constantly burning them throughout the day, even while we sleep. There are loads of great apps out there that can help you calculate how many calories your body uses each day, depending on your BMI and how active you are. You can also use apps to help you track how many calories you are consuming each day.

Eat plenty of protein

Eating a high protein diet can be really beneficial if you are looking to lose weight. Protein makes us feel fuller for longer, so eating it will make it easier to stick to a lower calorie diet. It is also important to help you build lean muscle and to aid muscle recovery, so if you’re trying to stick to a new exercise routine, a high protein diet is essential. Eating a protein rich diet doesn’t mean you have to eat steak for every meal. There is lots of protein in meat, fish, eggs, and tofu, as well as pulses such as lentils and chickpeas. You can also get more protein by drinking protein shakes and eating protein bars.

Eat your greens

We all know eating vegetables is essential for getting all the vitamins and nutrients we need, but they can also be helpful when it comes to eating a lower calorie diet. Vegetables such as broccoli, courgettes and carrots are very low in calories, so, you can fill your plate with veg to ensure you feel full whilst staying in a calorie deficit.

Don’t be afraid of carbs

There’s a common misconception that you shouldn’t be eating carbohydrates if you are on a diet. But carbs are essential for energy, so if you want to stick to an exercise routine then you shouldn’t cut them out completely. As with any other food just be aware of the calorie content of what you are eating and try to eat a balanced range of carbs, including sweet potatoes, brown rice, and grains, alongside pasta and bread.

Drink lots of water

Drinking water helps you feel full and is essential for healthy digestion. An easy habit to get into is drinking a glass of water before every meal as well as drinking while you eat. It’s also important to remember that sugary drinks can be calorie heavy, especially energy drinks and alcohol, so make sure you are tracking what you drink as well as what you eat.

We hope these tips are helpful! Please remember it’s always best to consult your GP before making any big changes to your diet and exercise routine. If you’ve got any great tips that we haven’t mentioned, please let us know in the comments.

While we’re on the subject of love, you might have noticed our LOVE BINGO take over, where not only are we giving away spa experiences, weekends in London and Paris, but also 100 tickets a LOVE BINGO celebrity ball with two nights of food, cocktails, celeb reception and much more! Sound like a bit of you? Head over to our LOVE HUB to find out more. Otherwise, follow us on our socials to come along for the ride!