It should be one of the laws of nature: it takes half the time to get out of shape as it does to get back into shape. Getting out of shape can happen before you know it, and then it seems that you have to work twice as hard as you did before to get back into fighting form! But you don’t have to lose all of the progress you have made just because you can’t be the poster child for diet and exercise all the time!
The reasons for getting out of shape are numerous:
There’s no time to get to the gym
Meal times are too stressful
Work is demanding too much of your time
Family obligations
LAZINESS
What many people seem to forget is that when you eat right and exercise regularly, your body and mind have the fuel they need to deal with the stress of everyday life. You are avoiding many potentially critical health problems, and your body looks and feels great! So how do you avoid getting out of shape? Stick with a fitness program and healthy diet!
Regular exercise does not necessarily mean hitting the gym everyday. Exercise can be walking or jogging through the neighborhood, biking through the woods, or doing an exercise DVD a few times a week in your living room. It is possible to find the time to move your body, and sometimes you have to be creative. If you don’t have the time to hit the gym because of work or family obligations, work exercise in wherever you can!
Diet is another place where it might be easy to fall off the wagon. Late nights at work, or family obligations might mean no regular schedule for healthy meals, and a lot of stops at the drive-thru. That’s ok, sometimes our schedules don’t allow for a nightly home-cooked meal. No matter where you are eating, try to make the best nutritional choices you can. Opt for grilled meats, salads, and avoid oily fried foods. It’s ok to slip once in a while, but if you generally make wise diet options for the majority of time, you won’t find yourself gaining weight.
In order to keep from getting out of shape, you simply need to continue moving your body and making smart food choices. If you have commitments in your life that don’t always allow you to hit the gym or eat perfectly balanced meals all of the time, you can avoid losing all of the hard work and gaining all of the weight by moving and eating well. You will be surprised by how much energy you will have to deal with whatever life throws your way!
A look at some causes of Negative Body Image