In February, gyms are always packed out with gym goers starting their new year’s resolution to getting fit, with some sticking to it and some not. Others prefer to fast track, following the slimmer’s enthusiasts of purchasing the latest trends of fad diets, short cutting all the right routes of a simple matter of eating sensibly and exercising regularly.

As humans we want things quickly and fast, not caring how it’s done. But the fact is, when it comes to healthy lifestyle, our attitudes shouldn’t be the same. Instead, we should be looking into investing our health for the long run.

Sadly the majority tend to look for advice from celebrity diets to just basically anything that can do the trick and quick. This unfortunately is not a lasting solution, instead it leads to excuses accumulating, blaming working schedules, not been able to find time to exercise, too tired after work and having no energy for anything else but to vegetate in front of the TV. Well if you ask me, you have just made time to watch TV, so why should it be any different in getting your butt to the gym, or just walking in general? Then there’s the other scenario of being the mum/dad on the go doing the school runs, shopping and cooking. I mean this really takes all day to do? How about looking at it like this, as a parent you’re a role model to your child, so encouraging healthy eating and regular exercise could be beneficial to your child, lessening their chances of developing health related diseases like obesity and Type 2 diabetes.

It’s no wonder that companies like (Weight Watchers and Herbalife) are making a killing selling their products to accommodate people with limited time on their hands. Companies like these can predict quick transformations but are yet to reach a permanent result. Unlike eating sensibly and exercising which can guarantee a lasting result, if persisted.

Preparation:

Preparation is the best and most sensible way, ensuring you keep on your tracks without failing. Firstly invest in a notebook, which does not take up much room in your bag. Use that notebook to record what you eat, times and portion. By doing this you are able to pin point your eating habits and when, most likely to eat more. Be honest, after all it’s for your eyes-only. Have a look in your cupboards/fridge – do they consist of readymade meals, crisps, chocolates and fizzy drinks?

If the answer is yes, remove all un-healthy foods for healthier options like fruit vegetables and white meats, fish, salmon and chicken, making water your best friend.

Now look at your daily life and how many hours you spend working and not working and set the days that are best for you to exercise at least 30-40min, aiming to begin with 2-3 times a week. If you’re a person who loathes the gym, that’s fine, you can invest in a skipping rope, free-weights and exercise from home, or perhaps invest in a bike – choosing this as a means of transport for work will ensure a good cardio workout, and a workout for the legs, thighs and buttocks. It’s all about finding what you enjoy and doing it consistently.

Sticking to your goals:

It’s also a good idea to stick all your desired goals at the back of your food journal. Goals can be like: I want to lose two dress sizes by summer to getting fitter in general and eating and exercising more frequently. The whole objective is to continuously notice you have goals so when the next New Year arrives you are not in a battle with yourself.

Face the fear:

Change can be daunting for most but knowing you are changing for the better is an incentive to keep you going and staying on top of your game in achieving. This all comes down to reminding yourself of this every time. Remind yourself by placing your goals on a piece of paper and placing it somewhere that you are able to look at (like your bedroom door or your fridge) and be reminded of every time you wake up. This not only reminds you of your goals, it also awakens the mind and places you in control to being aware that you have a goal.

Facing change can also prepare you with life’s changing aspects and training you to be more recipient as well as handling change in a more positive attitude, not for the short term but the long run, lessening the build up of stress.

Helena Philippou has been involved in the fitness industry for 22 years. From a young age she had a love for sports, having committed to years in the art of Kyshindo (martial arts) and reaching a black belt 1st Dan, later going onto the art of Muay Thai (Kick-Boxing) for six years.

She is a fully accredited Personal Trainer specialising in working with body types, also including weight management & nutrition and client’s lifestyle. In addition, Helena is also a level 3 sports conditioning coach and advanced nutritionist, as well as a master trainer in flexi-bar.

Helena teaches various group fitness classes ranging from: Advance spinning, Advance Circuits/Boot-camps, Core, Body conditioning, LBT, Toning/conditioning, Pump (freestyle), Stability Ball, Chair Based Exercises, Dyno-Band stretching, Children’s Fitness and Kettle-bell.

She has a psychology and life coaching background and strongly believes in training both the body and mind for better results. Helena’s mission is to promote health & fitness as a lifestyle not a fad.

www.helenaphil-fitness.com