When starting a new diet and exercise program, is it better to ease into it or start full-force?

Question

I am wanting to lower my calorie intake and start working out an hour per day. I was wondering am I more likely to be successful if I ease myself into it over a couple of weeks or should I just start with my hour work outs and diet plan immediately?

Answer 1

I've always been a proponent of easing into a diet and exercise routine. Too many people hit it too hard too fast and get burned out. Your body needs time to adjust to the new stresses being put on it. Also, it's been said it takes 21 days for habits to form, and that's what you want to try to do is make things a habit.

For diet, what I like to do is replace or eliminate one bad food item per week over a course of several weeks. Set yourself some goals and even write them down. This way, you don't end up missing things so much. Allow yourself one cheat day per week, going easy on the portions but having something to treat yourself.

For exercise, start out slow and work your way up. This will get your mind and body used to the stress of exercise, and if you start out going for short workouts, it's not so bad. You'll likely be sore the first week, but if you go slow enough it won't be bad. If you go full tilt then it will be bad and you risk injury. Depending on what you decide to do, use this time to learn how to do the exercise well. As you advance, then you can start increasing the time and intensity of the workout. The idea is to always be improving as your body adapts.

The focus should always be making health and fitness part of your lifestyle rather than an end result. This is the only way anyone will ever stick with it over the long-term. Take your time with it, improve on things as time goes by, have patience and be diligent and results will come. When it's part of your lifestyle, things just fall into place and it doesn't seem so forced, if that makes sense.

The most helpful thing will be education. Learning what works and what doesn't, what foods you are actually eating (especially when you eat out but also what you pick up at the store) and the effects they have on you, the different macronutrients, how to perform exercises to the best benifit and other tricks are all what's needed. There is a lot of misinformation out there so learning for yourself what works is key.

Good luck!

Answer 2

In my personal experience, you don't want to start full force. I've always recommended to people that they begin an exercise regimen first, and then progressively alter their diet. Chances are, you'll naturally crave healthier foods because your body needs it. With you wanting to lower calorie intake, keep in mind that your body is going to crave more calories because, with the new exercise routine, you'll be burning more calories. Lowering your calorie intake may be tough at first. My advice would be to make sure that the calories you do take in are healthy before you worry about cutting back. Once you're a little more comfortable, you can make minor adjustments (such as foregoing butter on your toast, for example). Good luck.

Answer 3

I like your picture lol
When ladies come in and talk with me about weight loss, I immediately get them on a exercise program, but it starts out easy, and gets more difficult, as they come in and stick with it. Going full force into exercising is not good, injuries occur and burn out is a big problem. Ease yourself into it, say 20 minutes at first, and gradually increase the time according to how you feel. An hour is too much for just beginning.

Diet- same thing. Start to cut out certain foods, fast foods, sweets, soda's, start with little things, as they will add up quickly, and you'll begin to lose just because of this! Start easy, something you can live with. Trying to begin everything at once is alot of pressure, since both things are new. Give yourself time to learn different ways to eat and cook, and to even buy different things, take it easy on yourself girl!

Answer 4

Go easy on the exercise. Jump right into the healthy eating. The second biggest reason people fail with their new diet and exercise plan is because they leap in head first and workout hard, get really sore which causes them to skip workouts to recover fully. The more you skip the easier it gets not to stick with it because you're not seeing results quickly enough. Walk for the first month. Slowly first then up to a very brisk pace (5 MPH) in 30 days. Your walks/workouts should last only 30 to 45 minutes at a time. Once your body starts to adapt to your workout then you need to step up either time or intensity. Intensity means to put more work in over the same period (or shorter) time so I like that better. So...Eat what you like up to1200 calories a day. Combined with your exercise of 30 to 40 minutes everyday you should see a drop of about to 3 pounds a week of healthy weight without starving yourself or risking yo-yo dieting. That's it..plain and simple It's worked for me over the years. No complicated carbs, protein ratios, low this, high that nonsense ..Good luck with your new lifestyle!

Answer 5

You will get noticeable results if you work out full force initially. If you ease into it you may not see great results and lose faith. The old adage of, no pain no gain remains true til this day. Workout results are greater with higher intensity levels. Just be sure to workout within a comfort range that won't get you injured. Get a good personal trainer to get you started. Good trainers are hard to find so do your research.

Answer 6

Short workouts don't work... they need to be kept going for at least 20 minutes, usually 30 (depending on which ones you use). If you really want to work at losing weight you need to find some time for yourself.

Answer 7

its not to hard on you to start a diet right away, unless it is a major change. just lowering calorie intake is okay to start right away. (it can be a little tough, I know from experience). you don't want to jump into hard exercise right away. during your hour of exercise- you may want to start with brisk walks instead of running, light calisthenics. gradually build yourself to where you want to be (such as being able to run (x-amount) of miles, lifting weights, calisthenics- like # of push-ups, crunches, etc.) best of luck to you. don't quit your plan, it sucks starting back up again.

Answer 8

I'd say start immediately, if you start slowly you might be tempted to quit because you don't see result very quickly. I'd say go hard at it for a month and see the big changes quickly.

Answer 9

i whouldnt start it full force right away becuase the little preusre you put onti the program the easir it wil b for you nd also give syou some time to get more .............into the program :)