Becoming Fit vs. Staying Fit

Although we all have different New Year’s resolutions each year, one that is common among us students is being more “fit” or “active” each year. Most of us probably let things get out of hands during finals season because of stress, and after finals, the Holidays feasts began. January comes around but since we are still on break, the diet keeps getting postponed and we even forget that the gym exists. It is not until school starts that we begin to think that there is no point of return for what has been done. However, nothing could be further from the truth! I used to weigh 220 pounds and I managed to get down to 160 pounds in a year. Based on my experience, I have compiled a short list of tips that will help you become a better version of yourself during this year.

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1. There is no “right time” to start

I was obese for the first 18 years of my life. I occasionally followed diets for at most a week. During the rest of the time, I was waiting for the “right time” to start a diet and hopefully stick to it. The problem is that the right time only comes when a person truly commits himself to his goal on the long term.

2. The gym is not the only place where one can get “fit”

How can a person stick to the gym if they dislike the gym’s environment? The gym may be considered the perfect place for a person to get fit, but in reality, the perfect place is that place where one feels the most comfortable in. I strongly encourage people to try different physical activities such as running, cycling, hiking or lifting weights (my personal favorite). If none of the previously mentioned activities caught your attention, maybe try different sports! There are a wide variety of sports that can be practiced in Bentley, such as Ultimate Frisbee and Lacrosse, which I had never heard of back home in the Dominican Republic.

3. Not eating = not good

We all have that one friend that believes that by skipping on meals or by simply eating minimal amounts of food that he will be able to loose those extra pounds gained over break quicker. This is a huge no-no because the body will not be able to function properly, ultimately affecting daily performance.

When I was trying to loose weight, I found that there was a higher chance of me binge eating after purposely not eating as opposed to when eating on a regular schedule.

4. Progress over perfection

Do not aim for perfection right from the get-go, we all have to start somewhere before reaching to our final destination. Maybe start off by doing 30 minutes of exercise each day, get used to it and learn to enjoy the process. Slowly increase the amount of time spent on working towards your goals each day, with time it will eventually form part of your routine and not seem like an obligation.

5. Don’t give up

If this were easy, everyone would be able to do it. Obstacles should not discourage you from staying on track or bring you down. We all have different obstacles everyday; the ideal thing to do is to stick to our goals on the long term so NEVER GIVE UP.

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Once we have incorporated exercise into our daily lives and included more healthy food options into our diets, we have “reached” our goal of becoming “fit”. The next goal is to stay “fit”. Staying fit requires individuals to be able to stick to their routines as much as possible in order to prevent changes for the worse. Never feel disheartened just because you had a little treat you were not supposed to or did not exercise one day. At the end of the day, you should do what makes you happy and gives you the most joy because that should be what matters the most to you.

Now that you have my personal list of tips on how to become fit AND stay fit… what are you waiting for?! The time for you to become a better version of yourself is right now! Get a head start by clearly defining what your goals are with regards to your health for this year!

#fitness