12 Tips to Consider When Getting in Shape

By Victoria Robertson on June 12, 2014

We’ve all decided at one point or another that we wanted to get in shape. However, more often than not, we become disenchanted by constantly working out and eating healthy, so we fall out of our health-kick. So, in an effort to keep you motivated, here is a list of twelve tips to consider when getting in shape.

1. Your Friends Don’t Want to Hear About Your Diet: Bragging about your new diet isn’t only annoying, it isn’t interesting. Feel free to let your friends know that you’re thinking about eating healthier, but don’t make it the only topic of conversation. They’ll be more than happy to help keep you on track, but unless they ask you questions, leave the details at that.

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2. Change it up: A repetitive workout routine will become tired, leaving you disinterested and bored. So mix it up a little bit: mix and match workout tapes or use Pinterest to create different exercise routines for each workout. The bottom line is to get creative with your workouts. Don’t let yourself get bored or quitting will be that much easier.

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3. Starving Yourself Isn’t a Diet: I know that cleanses are a fad in the workout world at the moment, but starving yourself or drinking your food isn’t exactly healthy. The best way to diet: eat healthy. Simple as that. Avoid snack foods and stick to the basic food groups. Don’t skip out on proteins and don’t be afraid to eat fruits and vegetables. So long as you put the bag of Cheetos down, you’re stepping in the right direction.

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4. You Don’t Need a Partner to Exercise: Don’t wait for that one time your friend is available; make sure your workout is getting done when YOU want it to. If your friend is available and wants to workout with you, great! It’s always easier to workout when someone else is pushing you, but don’t allow friends to dictate your workout schedule.

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5. Music Can Go A Long Way: If you’re a music fan, load your iPod up with your favorite songs and exercise away. Try and stick to songs with quick beats that amp you up; that way, you are enjoying your workout and the fast-paced music is more likely to get you moving.

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6. Get Outside: Don’t force yourself to use the elliptical or treadmill everyday. Find a trail nearby or take a quick jog around your park. A change of scenery is always a good thing, and you’re more likely to run longer when entertained by a new environment.

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7. Have a Dynamic Workout: Don’t forget that running isn’t the only workout. Exercising everything is the best way to get in shape, and just the occasional jog isn’t exactly a well-rounded workout. So mix it up while you’re at the gym, and be sure to work more than one muscle group.

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8. Give Yourself a Break: Don’t kill yourself trying to workout everyday. Odds are, it isn’t going to happen. Set a schedule for yourself of how many days a week you’d (reasonably) like to exercise. Don’t forget to give yourself the breaks your body needs to have a successful exercise routine.

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9. Don’t Get Discouraged: We’ve all stepped on the scale and been disappointed by what we’ve seen. Don’t let it discourage you. If one week you don’t lose weight, it doesn’t mean you won’t ever lose weight. Use the scale more as a reference guide than a means of motivation and you’ll be less likely to get down on yourself for the less successful weeks.

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10. Don’t Spend a Fortune, But Don’t Be Cheap: It’d be ridiculous to buy every exercise machine you find, but don’t forget that it’s still important to have the right equipment. Sometimes the cheap road isn’t the right road. Going to the gym for equipment is probably your safest bet for the best equipment. However, don’t count out exercise tapes; for a student on a budget, they may just save your bank account.

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11. Be Realistic: Set goals that are achievable. Don’t tell yourself you will lose all the weight you want to in a week, because you probably won’t. Set realistic goals in increments to make sure that you’re achieving them in a healthy and safe way.

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12. Satisfy Your Cravings: This is probably the weirdest piece of advice you’ve been given in regards to being healthy, but it is probably the most important. Don’t shut down your cravings: It’ll only make them worse later on. So instead, compromise. Have a chocolate bar when you crave it and make up for it in your workout by doing a few extra pushups or running an extra 2 minutes. That way, your craving is satisfied and it hasn’t set you back all that much.

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