After the endless parties and the binging during the holidays, most of us made a New Year’s resolution to start a healthy lifestyle, not to mention, achieve that #BodyGoal. Well, summer is just around the corner so who would not want to be beach-ready too? I’ve been working on my goal for almost a year now (and still in the process) so I thought of sharing some tips on how to achieve that #BodyGoal.
- Set a goal. Before you start with anything, know what results you want to see. Do you need to lose weight? If so, what’s the ideal weight for your height? Do you want to gain strength and muscles? How “muscular” do you want to be? In short, set your #BodyGoal and be specific. The importance of setting this goal is for you to measure or at least, gauge your progress. Are you slacking off? Have you reached plateau? Do you just need to maintain your current physique? Such questions can be answered and help you assess your further steps to reach your dream bod.
- Exercise. You can’t achieve your desired body by just sitting down. Now, the questions are:
What kind of exercise?
Find something that interests you – boxing, dancing, circuit training, weight lifting, swimming, cycling, and the list goes on and on. Keep on trying until you find “the one”.
Also, you need to consider your goal to identify the kind of workout for you. For example, if you need to lose weight, go for cardio exercises. If you want to tone or build muscles, then go for strength training or weight lifting. These are not general rules though. It is good to know each of the exercises you are considering to see if it’s aligned with your goal. Research and listen to what the instructors have to say. By the way, our bodies may respond to various exercises differently. What works for me, may not work for others.
In my case, I started going to an all-women circuit class, until I felt “ready” and comfortable going to the gym and do free weights. I feel I have more control in sculpting my body the way I want to by lifting weights. For example, if I want more muscular arms, I could concentrate on my arm workouts. You can watch some of my workout videos in these posts:
Back Workout – http://lushangel.com/2016/07/11/fitness-back-workout-video/
Leg and Glute Workout – http://lushangel.com/2016/11/28/fitness-leg-glute-workout-video/
How often should you exercise?
Once a month, once a week, or “whenever you are free” will not get you anywhere. Dedication is the key. At least three times a week is a good number for me. My suggestion: create a schedule and stick to it.
- Balanced Diet. Here’s the big news: Nutrition is as important as your exercise. No matter how much you work hard in the gym, nothing will happen if you do not eat right. And what is “eating right”? Balanced diet means “a diet consisting of the proper quantities and proportions of foods needed to maintain health or growth” based on dictionary.com. This means right portions of protein, carbohydrates, fats, etc. From here, you can tweak your diet depending on your current state and your dream bod. Listen to your body and what it needs. For example, I still eat sweets and carbs to have the energy to lift. Also, I have my “cheat” days to keep me sane, but of course, this does not mean binging as if you have been deprived for the entire week.
- Supplements. Sometimes you cannot get ALL the needed vitamins and nutrients with what you eat. This is where supplements come in. Do you need more protein? There are protein shakes available out there. Do you need extra help with bloatedness and fat loss? There are supplements that contain ingredients which can help in such concerns, like Kilo Off which I reviewed in this post: http://lushangel.com/2016/06/09/kilo-off-review-is-it-effective/
- Sleep. Muscles grow while in deep sleep, that is when you hit REM (Rapid Eye Movement). Therefore, get enough sleep and wake up with gainz!
- Body-enhancing Treatments. There are a lot of non-invasive treatments that can help in sculpting the body. If you need a little push to start a healthy lifestyle, if you want to speed up your progress a bit, or if you want to remove stubborn fats, then there are body-enhancing treatments available without the need to go under the knife, like the Thermo Magnetic Pulse of Marie France.
Thermo Magnetic Pulse by Marie France
Marie France has TMP, a powerful application that has the benefits of 4 treatments:
- fat reduction
- skin tightening
- body contouring
- cellulite smoothening
TMP reaches into the deep layers of the skin, targeting fat deposits and thermally breaking down fat cells, which then exit the body via natural processes. It also tightens the skin as it triggers the regeneration of new collagen and elastin.
Marie France Thermo Magnetic Pulse: Process
I tried one session of TMP at Marie France and I can say that it is definitely pain-free! The therapist first applied a cold gel around my abdomen. Then, the round hand-held device, which emitted heat, was “massaged” around my tummy. The intensity of the heat became a little stronger after a few minutes, but of course, nothing like a burnt feeling. It was tolerable. The therapist said that the machine already has a maximum temperature set, so I should not worry about my skin getting burnt. The entire process lasted for about 20 minutes.
Marie France Thermo Magnetic Pulse: Result
I noticed I had to go to the restroom a few times to pee after the treatment. Since it was only one session, the result is very minimal, but I saw how my lower abdomen flattened a bit and skin felt tighter and firmer, making my abdominal muscles more obvious.
For more information on Thermo Magnetic Pulse or to book a free consultation, call 894-2638. You can also read the amazing story of Bing Loyzaga on how she lost 40lbs here: http://www.mariefrance.com.ph/bing/
Note that these treatments are not meant to replace the tips given above. In fact, these treatments must be done in conjunction with exercise and right nutrition to effectively reach you #BodyGoal. In my opinion, undergoing such treatments can even motivate you to do the tips I mentioned above, making it a good option too if you are just about to get into or maintain a healthy lifestyle.
It is important to know that seeing results does not happen overnight. It takes a lot of patience and determination. There are no shortcuts, only hard work and dedication. At the end of the day, achieving your body goal is not just about physique and looking good. It’s not as shallow goal as some would think. It all boils down to being healthy and strong so we can fully enjoy our life with our loved ones.
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