Female Fitness: Where to Start When You Don’t Know Where to Start

Beginnings are difficult, aren’t they?  Whether it’s a new job, a location change, or the decision to begin a female fitness routine and shed those extra pounds.  All goals, if we are actually going to reach them, begin with the same basic principles.  First, you must have a clear, attainable goal, and second, you have to take appropriate, daily steps to move toward that goal.  Today we are going to help you take those first two steps so that your “I’ll do it tomorrow” attitude will turn into, “I’m starting right now!”

Clear Female Fitness Goals – The Foundation for Success

Things get muddy without clear, attainable goals, don’t they?  In the case of female fitness, we know what we want; it’s that lean, trim body we can be proud of.  But how do we take the first step?  By setting your goal.

Steps to Proper Goal Setting

So, what is your goal.  Do you know? Just looking at a picture of a swimsuit model isn’t going to take you there.  First, decide how much weight you want to lose.  Is it ten pounds?  Is it twenty?  Then pick your time frame.  A healthy women’s weight loss and fitness plan shouldn’t consist of starving or depriving your body in any way.  Safe goals are best.  According to the Mayo Clinic, realistic weight loss should be no more than two pounds per week.  To achieve this, you’ll need to burn between 500-1,000 more calories than you consume each day.  We don’t recommend strict calorie counting, but that’s a good rule of thumb to look at.

Okay, a word on calorie counting.  If we don’t recommend looking up the calorie content in every bite you take, what do we recommend?  Food replacement is the best way to shed pounds without driving yourself crazy figuring out calories.  That leads us to the second part of our female fitness plan; taking appropriate steps to promote success.

Clean Out the Cupboards

Once you have your weight loss goal in place (1-2 pounds per week), it’s time to take the appropriate steps that will make these plans a reality.  You aren’t going to shed those extra pounds by reducing your potato chip and cookie content.  It’s going to take more effort than that.  We suggest cleaning out your cupboard and refrigerator of the following items:

• All processed, prepackaged foods (such as cookies, chips, crackers, canned dinners, etc).  These items are loaded with preservatives, hard for your body to digest, and have practically zero nutritional value.

• All salad dressings, mayonnaise and most condiments

• Margarine and cooking oils (Replace them with coconut oil and olive oil)

• Canned fruits and canned vegetables

• Soft drinks

• Empty carbohydrates, such as white rice and regular pasta

• Ice cream, pudding, and other basic snack items

Cupboards looking pretty bare?  Good.  Now you are going to start replacing those items with whole vegetables, whole fruits, unsalted nuts, and lean meats, such as chicken breast, tuna, and fresh fish.  Replace the empty carbohydrates with whole grains, such as brown rice, whole wheat pasta, and whole grain oatmeal.

Now you’ve got your starting point.  You’ve motivated yourself enough to set your weight loss goals, clean out the snack foods and empty calories, and you’ve started to replace your food items with healthy, whole foods.  These are the first two steps to diet and fitness success. Did you know that many individuals don’t even make it this far?

Now, of course, you’re going to have to add some cardiovascular exercise, weight training, proper sleep, and plenty of water to these first couple of steps, but at least you’ve made it through the tough part.  As you continue to follow our website, you’ll find nutrition information, healthy recipes, work out advice, and a host of information that will continue to motivate you to move forward.
Congratulations on making the decision to begin your female fitness plan.  It’s day one.  Get ready for a brand new you!

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