And most often, that came in the form of food. Within a year of graduating from college, I'd packed on a solid 10 pounds. Over the next six or seven years, I'd added another 15 to my frame.

Of course, some of that was muscle from my long-standing exercise habit, but I knew some of it was body fat, too. Transitioning to dialing in my nutrition was not easy. It became very clear that I was using food for more than just nourishment and enjoyment. I was using it to soothe deep-down, uncomfortable feelings.

And once I stopped overeating? I had to find other ways of dealing with them. Exercise is a great outlet, but I also talked to friends and family on the phone, made more time for self-care, and hugged my dog a lot. I also learned how to cook tons of healthy meals, which can be surprisingly therapeutic.

Spending time with my food helped me feel more connected to it, while also helping me be more aware of my food intake. Just because I was cooking healthy doesn't mean I never ate anything fun. Cutting your favorite foods out of your diet will only make you miserable and crave them even more-at least, that was my experience.

Instead, I learned how to eat them in moderation. I know, easier said than done. I couldn't help thinking, sure, they can eat that becau se they were blessed with amazing genes, but if I ate that, I'd never be able to look like they do.

But I couldn't have been more wrong. Yes, everyone has different genes. Some people can eat whatever they like and still maintain their abs. But the majority of fit people who eat pizza, french fries, and nachos every now and then?

They're enjoying them in moderation. What does that mean? Instead of eating the whole thing, they're having however many bites it takes for them to feel satisfied, and then stopping.

And they're probably filling up the rest of their day with whole, nutrient-dense foods. But here's the bottom line: Life is too short to stop baking if you love it or to avoid wine night with your friends.

Learning how to have just one cookie at a time, a few pieces of cheese, or two glasses of wine was a game-changer for me. Let's be real: No week challenge is going to transform your body for the long haul. Sustainable progress takes time. Creating new habits takes time.

This is especially true if you have 15 pounds or less to lose. You probably can't just cut out soda or alcohol and miraculously lose the extra weight you're carrying. The less body fat you have, the harder it becomes to shed it.

That means if you go balls-to-the-wall with your diet and workout routine for three months, yes, you'll see some changes and lose some weight, but you're probably going to be disappointed that you haven't reached your goal in this short amount of time.

You might also be disappointed when you gain the weight back because you've returned to your old eating habits. So how can you make sustainable progress?

This might be a controversial point of view, but I think putting visual changes and progress on the backburner is a highly effective way to enable yourself to actually reach your goals. By working on my relationship with food through cooking, constantly chasing PRs and movements that had been too hard for me before hello, plyo push-ups , I took the focus off of weight loss.

Yes, I wanted to progress, but I wasn't thinking about my weight or how I looked on a daily basis. This also allowed me to lose weight in a sustainable way, slowly losing fat and building muscle, rather than quickly dropping 15 pounds of both.

You know, that thing that happens when you meant to say "no" to the cupcakes at work and then ended up eating five. I used to do this all the time. Starting my "healthy" diet, messing up, starting, and stopping again.

What I didn't realize was that I was doing this because I valued perfection too highly. If I couldn't follow my diet perfectly, then what was the point?

In reality, perfection is simply not required. And pressuring yourself to be perfect? It inevitably leads to self-sabotage. By facing diet trip-ups and skipped workouts with self-compassion, I was able to accept myself as not perfect-just doing my best. If I had an unplanned cupcake, NBD.

It was simply back to my regularly scheduled programming afterward. One cupcake won't ruin your progress. Requiring yourself to be perfect? That will.

You can see in my before picture that I felt awkward taking it. My hips are shifted to the side, and my posture is tentative. On the right, my body looks different, but I'm also standing firm, tall, and confident. It's hard to observe changes in your own body over time, and many changes are not reflected on the scale or via girth measurements.

Try to participate in an aerobic exercise like swimming, jogging, or biking, at least every other day. In addition, try to limit your calorie intake so you are burning off more calories than you eat each day. For tips about creating healthy, balanced meals, keep reading!

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wikiHow Account. No account yet? Create an account. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Learn why people trust wikiHow. Categories Sports and Fitness Personal Fitness How to Get in Shape. Download Article Explore this Article parts.

Workout Goals, Exercises for Beginners, and Foods to Eat and Avoid. Video WATCH NOW. Tips and Warnings. Related Articles. Article Summary. Co-authored by Laila Ajani Last Updated: January 3, Approved. Part 1. Get active.

Get up and go to the pencil sharpener, if possible. Step outside during your lunch break or walk to get a drink of water. Park on the far side of the parking area. of Health and Human Services Go to source Make a point of taking the stairs rather than an elevator when going home or to work split between stairs and elevator if you need to go up very high.

Get a standing or treadmill desk, or use an exercise ball instead of a desk chair. Cook, fold laundry, empty the dishwasher or ride a stationary bike. Do squats while waiting for your food to cook.

Walk around on your tiptoes, in a duck posture or in a semi-squatting position. Do aerobic exercise. Aerobic exercises are those that get your heart-rate up the most. Aerobic exercises will help you lose any weight, if that is your goal but exercising like this will be absolutely required, if you want to get in shape.

Try jogging or speed walking, either of which is an easy exercise to take up and is free! You can swim, which is a great way to work out your whole body. Be consistent! If you want to get in shape, you will need to get in some activity at least every other day.

Have a plan and follow it. Don't try to work out every day of the week. You should have at least 2 or 3 rest days total per week. Give your body time to rest and build muscle! Your resting time is essential. Laila Ajani Fitness Trainer. Find a partner! Studies show if you have someone else pushing you and doing the exercises with you, then it's going to be easier to stay on track.

Part 2. Create a calorie deficit. To lose weight while getting in shape, you will need to create a calorie shortfall. This means that you will eat fewer calories than are needed to maintain your weight, causing your body to begin burning fat. Cut sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats from your diet.

Sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats will contribute to keeping you from getting in shape. Avoid sugary drinks like soda, and anything which is high in saturated or trans fats partially hardened or hardened fats, margarine.

Eat balanced meals. You will need to eat a proper balance of protein, carbohydrates found grains , fruits and vegetables, and dairy.

There are different types of fats. Daily use of body composition exercises is an excellent way to transform body shapes. In addition, it allows a person to get control of total body fat percentage by using a series of simple exercises. Here are a set of simple body composition exercises everyone should know that transforms body shapes.

Squats have a great ROI. And you don't need hundreds of pounds on the shoulders to see that. Squats are great for working the lower body. Additionally, their simplicity often leads to unwanted results, such as injuring the back or knees.

Many people do squats incorrectly. Often this leads to spraining, tenderness, and pain in the knee and ankle. But if done correctly, the squat sculpts the lower body perfectly. A variation of the squat is performing it with only one leg. The push-up is the most basic yet effective and most challenging exercise you'll use.

Body composition exercises require you to learn to balance and stabilize your body weight. For this, the push-up is a perfect example. It can be difficult as it asks for control of a range of muscles. With the push-up, you engage the legs, shoulders, chest, arms, and the all-important core.

And like all of the exercises on this list, you can do push-ups anywhere. A beginner can start their push-up regimen with their knees on the floor. But it's advised you work your way towards the standard push-up.

Doing push-ups on your knees becomes effortless and offers nothing to fitness. There are many variations of the push-up. Each one is challenging and attacks core muscles. Excellent for home workouts, planks strengthen muscles and improve posture. They work the hamstrings, shoulders, glutes, and core.

The exercise is instrumental in the alignment of the spine. Fitness experts prefer planks to sit-up or crunch machines as those can gradually damage the neck and spine. Increase your stability and strength with a hip extension.

You can perform these on your hand or forearm. You're simply doing the plank with one side of the body. Get in the plank position, put all your weight on one leg and one side. Contract the glutes, extend the hip, and raise the upper leg off the floor. Keep the alignment to avoid any arching in the lumbar.

Then, extend the straight arm, keeping it aligned with the shoulders. Hold the position for the desired time. You can do reps with the same side or alternate sides of the body. The slide plank strengthens the external and internal obliques and glutes. In addition, side planks work muscles that support the spine and pelvis.

Do the side plank with the hand or the forearm, using only one side of the body, like the hip extension. Maintain, as always, alignment, balance, and core stability. You can either flex the bottom leg at the knee for better weight support.

The other leg, with its foot on the floor, should be straight. Raise the hips to keep the line straight from shoulder to ankle. If confident about core control and stability, straighten both legs, stacking them with hips lifted.

For more support, place the top leg in front of the bottom, allowing the top heel to touch the toes of the bottom foot. From a side plank, contract the outer hip and lift the top leg. Lift from the heel to activate the right muscles. Hold the position. You can also raise your arm toward the ceiling.

This is an extreme challenge for the core and shoulder. Burpees are one of the top body composition exercises out there. They make the heart pound and send the heart rate jumping quickly. Burpees are top-notch solutions for endurance, coordination, and power. But they are challenging and, in the beginning, exhausting.

The burpee combines the push-up and squat with a jump. Burpees are often modified to align with specific fitness levels. Depending on an individual's fitness level , the burpee, in the beginning, can be exhausting.

But if you wish to blast the muffin top, the burpee is a great way to go. The lunge engages abdominal and core muscles.

So, targeting your quads with squats and lunges and targeting your biceps with biceps curls, for example, will likely be effective. If you decrease physical activity and increase food intake, especially after age 50, your levels of testosterone and growth hormone are likely to decrease — which can make you susceptible to storing fat and losing muscle, Catudal says.

If they happen despite your best intentions, reduce your intake of starchy carbs and focus on doing compound strength-training movements. Plus, you end up burning calories at a faster rate after the workout called the afterburn effect as your body recovers.

That means you might focus on strength-training moves for your chest and back one day, your legs and arms another day, and your core a third day. Or, you could choose your own pairings. RELATED: Everything You Need to Know About Rest and Muscle Recovery.

A hidden perk: Your workouts will continue to feel fresh as you rotate your efforts among body parts. Stacey Colino and the personal trainer Phil Catudal are coauthors of the book Just Your Type: The Ultimate Guide to Eating and Training Right for Your Type.

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This is one example of why knowing your body composition is much more useful than knowing your body weight. There are many methods to assess your body composition. Some are very simple and easy to use, while others are advanced and complicated.

However, there are some simple methods you can use at home to give you an idea about whether your body composition is improving. One technique is tracking the circumference of different body parts 2.

At home, you can also track the circumference of other body parts, such as the hips, arms, legs or chest. For example, decreases in waist circumference are typically a sign that you are losing belly fat 3.

Gram for gram, fat takes up more space than muscle. Of course, it is very important to measure the same way each time so that you get more accurate results. However, taking pictures of your body every few weeks or months can be one way to assess how your body is changing. In addition to these simple methods, there are devices you can buy that measure body composition.

BIA sends small electrical currents through your body to see how much your body resists the current. This information is used to predict your body fat percentage 5. If you do choose to use a BIA device, be sure to use it in the morning before you eat or drink anything 7.

Any of these changes will lead to a decrease in your body fat percentage, which is viewed as a single number that describes your body composition. Nonetheless, a good place to start is with some basic principles of nutrition and physical activity. In simple terms, if you consistently eat more calories than your body uses, you will gain weight — typically as fat.

Likewise, if you consistently eat fewer calories than your body uses, you will lose weight. Often, they are processed foods, such as ice cream, pizza and chips, that are highly rewarding to the brain This is partly due to their low protein and fiber content.

After considering how many calories you eat, think about whether you are eating enough protein and fiber. Protein is important for everyone, but you may need more if you are active or trying to gain muscle or lose fat It is more satisfying than carbs or fat, and your body also burns more calories processing protein than these other nutrients 11 , Fiber also has several health benefits and can increase the feelings of fullness and satisfaction after eating 13 , It can be obtained from a variety of plant-based foods, including beans, whole grains, nuts and vegetables For adults up to age 50, it is recommended that men consume 38 grams of fiber per day, while women are advised to eat 25 grams per day Keeping your calories, protein and fiber in check is a good place to start if you want to improve your body composition and health.

Physical activity and exercise are other crucial components for improving body composition. They not only increase the calories you use, but they are also necessary for optimal muscle growth.

Since body composition can be improved by decreasing fat mass or increasing muscle mass, this is an important point. Your muscles need to be challenged by exercise, particularly weight training, to grow and get stronger However, many types of exercise can potentially help with fat loss The American College of Sports Medicine states that — minutes of exercise per week may lead to a small amount of weight loss If you exercise 5 days per week, this comes out to 30—50 minutes per day, though they recommend minutes per week or more to promote significant weight loss While these recommendations focus on body weight, it is important to remember that some forms of exercise will build muscle while you are losing fat.

This is another example of why thinking about your body composition, rather than just body weight, is a good idea. There is some evidence that people who have poorer sleep quality have worse body composition than those with good sleep quality Regardless, it is a good idea to consider whether your sleep habits can be improved.

Alcohol consumption is another factor that may affect body composition. Since alcohol contains calories, it can contribute to excess calorie intake and fat gain Some research has also shown that individuals who consume a lot of alcohol are more likely to be obese Read this news in brief form.

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Here's what that means for your nutrition and training: Get your heart pumping and stay active every day. Lift moderate weights with short rests and a quick training pace.

To lose fat, use a calorie calculator to help you establish a caloric deficit. Avoid junk food if weight loss is your goal. To learn more about how to train for your specific body type, check out the guide, "Training Tips to Match Your Body Type. A fast and sweaty workout program will help you control your weight while holding onto muscle.

Here are the most popular ones from BodyFit:. Looking to dial in your nutrition for weight control and maximum energy? Consider tracking your macros. These are the amounts of protein, fats, and carbohydrates as well as alcohol making up your diet. Paul Salter, RD, shows you how to set them for your goal in the article, "Macronutrient Calculator: Find Your Macro Ratio for Flexible Dieting and IIFYM.

Supplements can help you accelerate your results once you have your calories and training in place. Krissy Kendall, Ph. For over 10 years, members of BodySpace have been helping each other build their best bodies, regardless of their background or body type.

Join a fitness community that's over 2 million people strong! Your answers indicate you are a mesomorph. This can mean you have a naturally fit build and can gain muscle and burn fat more easily than other body types.

Here's how it can impact your exercise and nutrition:. A mesomorph can handle high volume and heavy weights. Push yourself in the gym with one of these popular programs from BodyFit:.

Looking to gain muscle? Lean out? Either way, consider tracking your macros. Supplements can help you accelerate your muscle-building and fat-loss results once you have your calories and training nailed down.

Your answers indicate you are an ectomorph. This means you might burn fat easily, but struggle to add muscle. Here's what that means for your nutrition and training:. Want to grow? A systematic program featuring moderate to heavy weights can help you add muscle without burning too many calories.

Looking to dial in your nutrition for solid muscle gains? Supplements can help you accelerate your muscle-building results once you have your calories and training nailed down. Your answers indicate you have characteristics of both mesomorph and endomorph body types.

This means you might build muscle easily, but might struggle to keep off body fat. Your answers indicate you have characteristics of both ectomorph and mesomorph body types. The three basic human body types are the endomorph, the mesomorph, and the ectomorph.

These categories, or "somatotypes," were developed in the s by psychologist William Herbert Sheldon. And while some aspects of Sheldon's system have been debunked, contemporary research has confirmed that body type does have implications for athletic performance.

For example, a study in the journal PLoS One found that mesomorph men performed better than ectomorphs on squat and bench press tests. Their conclusion was that body type could predict as much as a third of strength potential. On the cardio side, a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that combination mesomorph-ectomorphs showed the greatest ability to improve their aerobic capacity in training.

Despite what it might feel like at times, you're not completely bound to one category or the other! Research has shown that both diet and training can influence your somatotype , allowing you to change the script over time.

Here's what all three body types should know to help make the most of their potential. An ectomorph tends to be thin, and struggles to gain weight as either body fat or muscle.

They can eat piles of food and stay looking the same, even when gaining muscular weight is their biggest goal. People who battle to gain muscle are often known as "hardgainers.

Ectomorphs tends to have a lean build, long limbs, and small muscle bellies. Even if an ectomorph manages to put on weight, they may still look skinnier than they are, particularly in the calves and forearms. Being an ectomorph doesn't mean you're doomed to be weak, though. You can still get remarkably strong , and you can be every bit as fit and healthy as someone who looks larger and more muscular.

But if you want to gain weight, you'd better be prepared to eat like you've never eaten before. The mesomorph has a middle-of-the-road build that includes the best of both worlds. They tend to have wide shoulders , a narrow waist, relatively thin joints, and round muscle bellies.

In short, if you're a mesomorph, you have a natural tendency to be fit and relatively muscular. Does this mean you can do nothing, eat everything, and get away with it forever? Definitely not! You should still eat well and train according to your body type , but you may be able to "bounce back" from being out of shape more easily than the other two body types, gaining muscle and burning fat with comparative ease.

An endomorph tends to gain weight easily and struggle to lose it. Their build is a little wider than an ectomorph or mesomorph, with a thick ribcage, wide hips, and shorter limbs.

They may have more muscle than either of the other body types, but they often struggle to gain it without significant amounts of accompanying body fat. If you ever feel like you gain 5 pounds simply walking past a donut shop, you may be an endomorph.

This definitely doesn't mean that an endomorph is somehow less healthy. They can actually have some strength-training advantages due to their additional muscle mass. But if and when they decide to lean out, it'll take hard work!

You can perform these on your hand or forearm. You're simply doing the plank with one side of the body. Get in the plank position, put all your weight on one leg and one side. Contract the glutes, extend the hip, and raise the upper leg off the floor. Keep the alignment to avoid any arching in the lumbar.

Then, extend the straight arm, keeping it aligned with the shoulders. Hold the position for the desired time. You can do reps with the same side or alternate sides of the body. The slide plank strengthens the external and internal obliques and glutes.

In addition, side planks work muscles that support the spine and pelvis. Do the side plank with the hand or the forearm, using only one side of the body, like the hip extension. Maintain, as always, alignment, balance, and core stability. You can either flex the bottom leg at the knee for better weight support.

The other leg, with its foot on the floor, should be straight. Raise the hips to keep the line straight from shoulder to ankle. If confident about core control and stability, straighten both legs, stacking them with hips lifted. For more support, place the top leg in front of the bottom, allowing the top heel to touch the toes of the bottom foot.

From a side plank, contract the outer hip and lift the top leg. Lift from the heel to activate the right muscles. Hold the position. You can also raise your arm toward the ceiling. This is an extreme challenge for the core and shoulder. Burpees are one of the top body composition exercises out there.

They make the heart pound and send the heart rate jumping quickly. Burpees are top-notch solutions for endurance, coordination, and power. But they are challenging and, in the beginning, exhausting. The burpee combines the push-up and squat with a jump.

Burpees are often modified to align with specific fitness levels. Depending on an individual's fitness level , the burpee, in the beginning, can be exhausting.

But if you wish to blast the muffin top, the burpee is a great way to go. The lunge engages abdominal and core muscles. It builds stability and balance. With a powerful core, you can avoid lower back issues. Lunges also help improve posture, coordination, and balance. Likewise, lunges support the strengthening of buttocks and legs while improving hip flexibility.

The exercises enhance functionality and impact everyday, natural movement. Sit-ups and crunches also boost core strength.

As they encourage intestinal function, sit-ups and crunches can also improve digestion. There are easy variations on an incline, while holding weights, etc. that allow continued challenges to the core.

Do take note neither of these exercises specifically target fat. They simply work the abs and other muscle groups. These exercises help burn calories and improve the appearance without weight loss.

Sit-ups are a multi-muscle exercise. They not only make the core strong but potentially produce that six-pack everyone admires. There are a variety of sit-ups you can add to your workout. What separates the crunch from the sit-up is the former focuses only on the ab muscles. Another difference is when overdone, crunches can cause beginners severe back pain.

You may have read about celebrities doing 1, crunches at a time. Don't bother. Stick to 25 to 30 reps a set and do several sets during a single workout. Like sit-ups, there are different ways to perform crunches. In the end, exercise does not have to be a gym experience alone.

Getting clients to see how they help themselves by working out any chance they get is not simply good for fitness. It's good for mental health as well.

And the confidence gained will encourage greater diligence when clients see their trainer! Products 3D Body Scanner Use Cases Health Clubs and Personal Training Body Composition Analysis Medical Aesthetics and Body Contouring Case Studies - Trainers Case Studies - Members Testimonials Locations About Blog Our Team Global Distributors Careers Patents Business Portal Create an Account Log In.

squats Squats have a great ROI. Here are some tips on performing squats correctly: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Stretch arms out to the front.

Slowly lower the butt like you're sitting. Maintain your balance and don't trip. Keep the back straight. As you bend, the knees should not be in front of the toes. As you drop, breathe out.

Keep heels pressed to the floor. Thighs should be parallel to the floor. Toes, hips, and knees should point forward. Return to start position, breathing in. Clench the glutes. Stand in squat position but with one leg with the other leg extended out in front. Begin the squat, maintaining stability and balance.

Keep the extended leg straight. push-ups The push-up is the most basic yet effective and most challenging exercise you'll use. Tips for performing a correct push-up: Kneel on the floor with the head facing downward.

Press palms to the floor, keeping them beneath your shoulders. Keep arms fully extended and straight. Stretch your legs back. Your weight should rest on the balls of the feet.

Keep the spine straight. Slowly begin to lower your body. Do not let your body touch the floor. Hold the position for a few seconds. Push back up. Throughout, the head should face downward.

Do 10 reps. Then take a break and do another set of