We know that it takes 21 days to form a new habit. This is due psychologically and physiologically. Ruslan Ivakhnenko, an instructor at the Pro Trainer personal training studio, tells how to accustom yourself to proper nutrition and regular training during this time.
The body can adapt to everything. Without tension and irritation, we perform a series of actions every day: we get up, wash our faces, brush our teeth. And these actions do not seem difficult, because this is a “big habit” that we have developed over a long time. Proper nutrition and regular exercise can also become part of the daily life of any person.
In 21 days, a person gets used to the new, gets used to it and sees the result, manages to accept what is happening to him. With concrete results, you can extend the habit for another 21 days, then develop it for 42, and then for life. Physiologically, the body gets used to some things and begins to demand them.
The main task that the client receives at the first training session is to keep a food diary. It is important to start filling it out on the same day. It’s such an educational moment. And in the future, a person controls himself independently and shows the results to the coach. The main engine of progress is nutrition. If the diet is built correctly, the result will not be long in coming.
As soon as you decide to change yourself, act immediately, until the desire is gone
The main problem for a beginner is to reduce the amount of glycogen in the muscles and make the most of the glucose contained in the body as an energy source. Usually, residents of megacities consume an excess amount of calories. We work in offices and physically cannot get to the process of lipolysis (the metabolic process of splitting fat into components), as a result of which fat is converted into energy.
Usually we are practically not in a calorie deficit, as we spend very little and consume quite a lot. And only by reducing the number of calories, we can start the fat burning processes that will lead to weight loss.
Boiled oatmeal and oatmeal boiled for 10 minutes are two different dishes.
It is important immediately after eating to record in a food diary what you ate, when, in what quantity and in what form. Almost everyone remembers what they ate for breakfast. But what you ate 2-3 days ago is not so easy to remember if you do not immediately write it down. By referring to the food diary, it is easy to adjust the daily, weekly and monthly training plan.
The diary can serve both as a way of self-control and as a way for the coach to control. After reviewing the diary for several days, the specialist may note nutritional errors. It happens that you ate something right and healthy, but at the wrong time.
There are many nuances in the preparation of a diet. For example, overcooked durum wheat pasta is much worse than those that were cooked for strictly 7 minutes. Raw beets have a low glycemic index, while boiled beets have a high glycemic index. Same story with carrots. The more processed the product, the faster it releases glucose and the higher its glycemic index.
Boiled oatmeal and oatmeal boiled for 10 minutes are two different dishes. What happens to the body when there is already enough glucose in the blood, and you add more? This is the situation “the house is heated, and firewood is thrown up.” The body will process this firewood into fat.
Systematic exercise will lead to success and help develop the habit of a healthy lifestyle.
Some people who regularly go to the gym train and think that nothing works because of the wrong exercises. However, they do not take into account that nutrition is more important. Nutrition is 70% success, and 15% each for training and recovery.
If you break 21 days into stages, then the first week is “retracting”. The second stage is the main one, and the third one is the stabilizing one. For 21 days, it is recommended to go for 15 workouts of 90 minutes. They should be varied – functional training, cardio, stretching. The same load can quickly get bored, it will be boring to study and you will start to shirk from classes.
And one more piece of advice: as soon as you decide to change yourself, act immediately, until the desire is gone. The first results will motivate you to move on. It’s great to be able to work with a trainer. His role is to interest, set clear goals and motivate, point out mistakes and come to the rescue. At the same time, it is important for you to be fully aware of what you are doing and why. Systematic exercise in any sport will lead to success and help develop the habit of a healthy lifestyle.
About expert
Ruslan Ivakhnenko – a qualified trainer, author and presenter of lectures on proper nutrition, rehabilitation specialist, certified trainer FPA (Fitness Professionals Association). Trainer of the PRO TRENER Result in 21 Days program, which includes individual training and a balanced diet five times a day, developed in collaboration with trainers.