Hi there, my fellow B.netters. In this thread, I will be discussing methods that I have used over the last couple years which has helped me become an active, healthy individual. I have contemplated the idea of making this guide for a few days now, and considering that I have never seen a topic like this before, I figured that I can change that. I will go in-depth with each step, and I will offer advice to anyone who wants to start an exercise/diet program, but are confused on what to do. [u]**DISCLAIMER**[/u] [spoiler]I know I have made my reputation on this site as a sarcastic and joking individual, but this is not the case with this thread. This guide will not make you big and bulky, and it will not help you be able to lift the heaviest weights in the gym. I will be discussing weight training and optional supplements, but they are not required for you to have a healthy lifestyle. Now that that's out of the way, let's get started, shall we?[/spoiler] The way this will work is that I am going to break down my methods into three phases: Introduction, Start-Up, and Maintaining/Improving Your Results. This way, I can keep things organized while leaving room for improvements and suggestions. [b][u]Phase One: Introduction[/b][/u] We all vary in terms of our body structure and endocrine activity. There are people who are able to eat whatever they want while not gaining a single pound of fat, and there are people who believe it is impossible to lose weight because they never see results. I was a part of the latter for the majority of my life, and I hated myself because of it. I had no motivation to exercise, play sports, or do anything active because I was overweight and believed that it wasn't my own fault. I also lacked self confidence and had such a low self esteem that I never thought I could be where I am today. But, I digress. I didn't make this guide so everyone could read my personal testimony and my life story, I made it so I could help others. First things first, you are going to have to want to be healthy, it won't happen on its own. You will have to stay motivated in the beginning when things get tough and you feel like you won't be able to go on. Secondly, when you start to see some results, it is very important that you don't slack off and revert back to your old habits. I've been a victim of this before, when I tore my hamstring in the beginning of my senior year of high school and let myself go. That's when I learned the hard truth that it is a lot easier to maintain a healthy lifestyle than it is to have to work your way back into it. Lastly, the most important thing you need to know is that Phase Two is the most difficult part, because it is the process of breaking old habits and forming new ones. [b][u]Phase Two: Start-Up[/b][/u] There is a lot for me to discuss in this phase, so I will be further breaking it down into sub-categories: Diet, Increasing Your Metabolism, and Workout Tips. [b]Diet[/b] First and foremost, I have to stress that you will not see any improvements in yourself if you have a bad diet. When people hear the word "diet," they assume that it means that you have to eat less food. However, that is certainly not the case. It means that you have to control what you are consuming and limiting your intake of bad foods. What are bad foods? Bad foods are foods that contain high levels of saturated fats, artificial sugars, sodium, and bad carbohydrates. Another misconception is that consuming foods with high calorie levels is bad, and that consuming a lot of calories makes you gain weight. That is wrong, what causes weight gain is consuming fat calories and not doing enough activity to burn more than you put in. Now, on to the actual diet. The most important detail of my diet is the elimination of all carbonated beverages, especially soft drinks. Soft drinks are known to be filled with artificial sugars which bloat you up. They are also diuretic, which means that it increases the production of urine and speeds up the process of your body's water excretion. Water consumption plays a vital role in speeding up your metabolism, something that I will be discussing next, and diuretic substances makes it so that you pee out all of your water before your body can use it, leading to dehydration. The next thing I recommend is to cut out as many white carbs as possible and consume the alternatives. White carbs are what it sounds like: Foods containing carbohydrates that appear white in color, such as white bread and white rice. Instead, have the brown alternatives. There's usually a very miniscule different in the taste, but they are much better for you. Ultimately, a balanced diet is the best way to go. And, of course, a soda or a cookie every now and then won't kill you. Moderation is key. [b]Increasing Your Metabolism[/b] Your metabolism is a complex network of hormones that not only convert food into fuel, but it also effects how efficiently you burn that fuel. Your metabolism plays a vital role in how much weight you can gain, and how much weight you can lose, which is why I have a section dedicated for the purpose of increasing it. Some people are blessed with naturally high metabolisms, but that doesn't mean that you can't have one, either. Ways to naturally boost your metabolism are: 1) Stay hydrated. Your body needs water to process calories, and it's recommended to drink around 8 cups a day. Instead of having soda with a meal, drink water or an unsweetened beverage like iced tea. Also, snack on fruits and vegetables, which naturally contain water, instead of something like potato chips. 2) Instead of having 3 large meals a day, have about 5-6 small meals. When you go long hours without putting food in your body, your metabolism slows down, but if you eat something small every 3-4 hours your metabolism never stops working. 3) Increase your protein intake. Not only is protein necessary for proper recovery, but it also helps with weight loss. Your body burns many more calories processing protein than it does carbs and fat. Having a balanced diet with lean proteins such as chicken, turkey, nuts, beans, and even tofu is a must. If you are overweight, then you already have a fast metabolism, because it has to work harder to process all of the food being put in. That's why it is so easy to lose weight the first couple of weeks until it becomes increasingly harder without a dietary improvement. [b]Workout Tips[/b] Here's the part that is probably the most off-putting to people who are not properly motivated. Having a routine and sticking to it is the most difficult part in the beginning, which is why you have to do it correctly. My way certainly is not the only way, but I can't list every possible method of working out. I am going in-depth on the method that has worked for me for over four years. When many people first start working out, they buy in to the mainstream assumption that you need a gym membership to be in shape. Let me tell you why that is complete nonsense. Before you get into advanced weight training, it's important that you build a base first. Specifically, a cardio base. Your heart is a muscle that can be trained and improved, much like your biceps and triceps. Having a strong cardio is necessary for living a healthy life, because it makes everything you do so much easier. One way to build up your cardio base is to do aerobic workouts such as walking, jogging, biking, and swimming. Doing body workouts like push ups, sit ups, and pull ups are also good ways to increase your heart rate. Once you have built up a solid cardio base, you will be increasingly more successful doing weight training compared to if you started cold turkey. If you have a gym membership, or enough equipment so that you can workout in your own home, then you should begin weight training after 1-2 weeks of straight cardio. I won't go into detail on specific workouts you should do with weights, because honestly I don't know how to explain what I do. However, I can share some helpful tips. Firstly, don't do hard full-body workouts, instead, target specific areas of your body to work on certain days so that you can work on others without them affecting each other. For example, working out chest/back one day, and working out legs the next. This allows for a better recovery and reduces the risk of intense soreness and injury. Secondly, do NOT workout on consecutive days, especially if you're first starting out. I recommend working out 2-3 times a week with days of rest in between in the beginning, and then building up to 4-5 days a week when you become increasingly more fit. Having rest days is critical for your body to have a proper recovery. Thirdly, do some cardio before every workout to get your heart rate going. When I'm in the gym, I always do a 15 minute run before I lift weights. Doing this will not only build up your cardio, but you will shed fat while building muscle at the same time. Lastly, stay active in the gym by doing circuit workouts. What do I mean by this? Let me explain. Let's say that I'm working out chest and back, and that I want to do three sets of bench pressing and three sets of lateral rows. instead of doing one set on the bench press, sitting there doing nothing for a couple minutes, then doing another set, alternate between the two workouts. Do one set on the bench press, then go do one set of lateral rows right after, and alternate until you reach three sets each. This makes it so that you don't spend time sitting around, allowing your body to relax, and speeds up your workout.