Tips on Getting Fit

There are a lot of people who want to lose weight, get back in shape, or just live a healthier life. Many of those have stumbling blocks to achieving those goals; whether it's not having time, not seeing results soon enough, or lack of enjoyment from a workout routine. Since my husband and I are going on a backpacking trip in less than 4 months, I am currently in a 5 to 6 day a week exercise program. I want to bring to light a few misconceptions about exercising that many women have. In no way is this information medically accurate or backed up by any study whatsoever. However, because I married an amateur power lifter (his first competition here is next weekend!) and has drilled in my head a few things about lifting weights and a healthy life in general, I feel fairly educated on this subject. If you feel that any of these points are not (mostly) accurate, I welcome a healthy debate.

Myth 1: Lifting weights will cause me to look like a man.

Unless you are shooting up steroids, lifting weights is not going to make you resemble a man in any way. We are women. God created us to be shapely and beautiful. He wants us to be healthy and fit. So why would He allow us to look like men if we obeyed his command? Don't be afraid to lift weights. I PROMISE you will not look like a man. You will look like a hot woman who knows how to take care of herself.

One word of advice: if you do decide to add lifting to your workout routine, make sure you have someone who knows how to use the equipment properly show you what to do before you lift on your own. Proper form can make a huge difference, and can prevent injuries. You can ask an employee of your local gym, or a friend who knows a lot about weight lifting.

Just one pet peeve of mine: When doing squats, make sure you go all the way down until the top half of your legs are parallel to the ground. Otherwise, you are not getting a good workout.

Myth 2: My diet is good enough. It doesn't need to change.

While this may be true for some women; the novice exerciser most likely has a diet high in fat and carbohydrates. Exercising is only 30 percent of the work. A proper diet affects (sorry, I can never remember if it's affect or effect) 70 percent of your body's reaction to this type of change.

The best way to change your diet is to do some research and read food labels. My husband's favorite website is bodybuilding.com. Most of the people who write on the website are very serious about their health so there are a lot of great forums about eating well.

Eat fresh food rather than processed whenever possible. Fruits, vegetables, protein, and dairy out the wazoo.

If you are trying to build muscle, protein powder is your best friend. It's the most disgusting tasting thing on earth, so I can't say many good things about it, except it will majorly increase your muscle capacity. The above website also has forums on different recipes to make it not so bad (see, I'm not the only one who hates it).  I have yet to add this to my food regimen. I have been praying that God will change my taste buds.

The upside to working out is that you can eat A LOT. Since starting my workout routine, my metabolism has kicked into overdrive. I have to eat at least 5 times a day, otherwise I'm starving. Try eating 5 to 6 small meals a day, consisting of mainly whole grains, protein, fruits, vegetables, and one little Hershey's chocolate bar :)

Myth 3: I'm not getting the results I want, so it must not be working.

Most women do not see results until after about eight weeks. Yeah, that's a long time. It's hard to eat healthy and work out all the time and not see results for two months. My encouragement is to keep at it, because that bowl of ice cream isn't going to be nearly as gratifying as that nicely toned rear.

Myth 4: The more I workout, the faster and better my results.

Your body needs rest. When you workout, you tear muscle mass. That muscle mass needs time to rebuild. It takes at least a day for your muscles to recover. If you work the same muscle group two days in a row, you are only hurting your body and slowing down the recovery process, which in turn increases the results time frame. I work out five to six days a week, but I target a different muscle group each day or do cardio in between lifting weights.

Finally, make your workout work for you. You aren't going to do it if you aren't enjoying yourself or feel as if it's taking up too much of your time. For instance, I go to a dance class two to three nights a week. I love those workouts. I look forward to them all week, so it makes my not so fun lifting days more manageable. If you work during the day like I do and don't want to go in the evening, try morning or afternoon (right after work) workouts. I find that once I am home I don't want to go back out, so I go straight to the gym from work. I get it out of the way and don't have to worry about it the rest of the night.

If you have any questions regarding exercising or diet, please feel free to ask. I may not be an expert, but my husband is pretty knowledgeable on the subject, and I know I can also point you to some good resources.