Hi guys, Kris from Custom Fitness here, your personal trainer in Amarillo. Today I am sharing with you my favorite ways to look amazing! If you have any questions or would like some extra help with rocking your bod, give us a call at 806-322-3188. We’re happy to help.
You’ve been sweating, and working your tail off for 2+ hours in the gym every day to get lean and sexy but no one is noticing. You long to hear those sweet words of success…”You look AMAZING!, What have you been doing?” but to date, no one has uttered them and it’s already been 2 weeks!
Before we get to the hacks (yes, you can scroll down to get there quicker), I have to let you in on 2 VERY important points of interest:
First, it usually takes a solid 4-6 weeks of work to see some big results happening. You can start to see and feel small changes within the first 2 weeks (and you should expect to) but for others to notice, it will take some time. And by the way, if you’re not seeing changes in the first 2 weeks, you should be investigating the efficiency of what you’re doing rather than just going with the “more is better” mindset.
Second, (or perhaps this should be #1) don’t doubt your success because someone else hasn’t noticed. This is your trophy to hold not theirs so don’t give them that power over your success! You are an awesome person and deserve every success that you work hard to achieve.
Okay, that’s my soapbox, now on to the hacks. Best part of these hacks is that there is minimal work to do because at least 50% of your visual success lies in these foundations.
Life Hack #1 – Posture
If you want to appear as though you’ve lost weight, leaned up, build some muscle, etc. For goodness sake, stand upright and act as though you have some confidence. In our society, rounding our shoulders and spine while letting our abs “hang out” has become the definition of ‘posture’.
So stand up straight and hold that core in nice and tight. People are watching.
Life Hack #2 – Clothes
Too often, I work with people who refuse to wear clothes that fit. It’s either a size medium woman in an XL shirt or a small framed man in pants that can stay on. (I won’t go into the hundreds of other examples.) I have seen many people avoid the tailored look because they are afraid to show off the hard work they put into their bodies. Also, it happens that when you lose weight, your mind tries to trick yourself in to believing you still “can only fit” into your old wardrobe. Kick those thoughts to the curb. When it comes to appearance, your clothes fitting gets it done! Now, I’m certainly not telling you to wear pants that look like they’ve been painted on or shirts that are so tight your biceps rip the sleeves. Instead, we want a flattering fit. You know, the clothes that when you put them on you get that “Just right” feeling. This helps give the appearance of that all important confidence factor. And keeps you from looking tiny and frail in clothes that are just too big or showing every roll and crease in clothes that are too small.
Life Hack #3 – Water
Well, well, here it is again. I know you probably think I’m a bit obsessed with hydration (as a personal trainer in Amarillo – drought city – I have to be), but if you haven’t tried this hack out before, you don’t know what you’re missing! For the next 2 weeks, challenge yourself to drink 50-60% of your body weight in ounces of water EVERY DAY. (For example, if you weighed 175 lbs, you need to be drinking 87.5 – 105 oz of pure water daily.) Notice, I didn’t mention beverages “mixed” with water (ie. Coffee, tea, etc.) that’s because beverages like that don’t add to your hydration levels but rather take away from it. One more thing, you have to drink it throughout the day rather than all at once. This will keep the body in a position to absorb and use the water rather than just making a new form of Niagara Falls.
Okay, that’s the what, here’s the why- When you fully hydrate yourself daily, you will begin to see a huge difference in your appearance. Your hair, skin and nails will take on a new look you never knew they could and your energy will soar while your sleep will be enhanced as well. If that’s not a reason to try a simple 2 week challenge, I don’t know what is. Drink up!
Life Hack #4 – Rest
So you’re standing tall and straight, engaging your core in clothes that fit well while you chug your water throughout the day but if you stayed up late and only got 3 hours of sleep (hey, I said the water will enhance the sleep you get, not magically make you feel like you got 8 hours when it was really 3) your body, face and mind are going to show it. Your fatigue will quickly pull you back into a less confident state with rounded posture and a craving for any caffeine you can find. Your sleepless night will show on your face under your eyes and in your brow. This does not help the “amazing” factor.
So, to look like a million bucks, you have to get rest! How much? It is wise to stick with the recommended 7-8 hours each night, but be sure to get to sleep before 10:30pm so you can get plenty of that wonderful REM sleep where you body is recharging itself, regenerating itself and renewing itself. Without that sleep, you’ll likely feel as though you took an extended nap the next morning instead of rested and refreshed.
There you have it, my 4 best hacks for looking amazing that will have heads turning in no time. The next time you need a little pick me up, put the 4 of these together and see what happens.
That’s all for today. If you would like a little help in how to better include these hacks in your everyday life or if you have any questions about our personal training, nutrition counseling, or group classes and programs, please contact us at: info@customfitness.biz or 806-322-3188. At Custom Fitness we are YOUR personal trainers in Amarillo, Texas.