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Jonathan Mesta

Newbie Fitness Guide

As promised, a beginners guide to fitness. If I could go back in time and give any advice to my younger self this would be it to date.

  1. DON’T do your research. Now this sounds a bit harsh but let’s face it. The internet is a big place full of information and misinformation. Google anything and you are hit with a billion finds each one pointing to something bigger and better than the next. All this does is put you in your head and get you into a mental masturbation about taking action when you should just start. You can always learn more later.
  2. Get some numbers- You know the old “you have to eat less than what you burn and exercise.” (or eat more if wanting to gain.) A quick start could be download My fitness pal and track everything you eat for a week. No need to get fancy try to go on about your normal eating regimen and just account everything. No judgment and get a good idea of what you eat daily and weekly. Next find a BMR calculator, the Harris Benedict will do (http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/harris-benedict-equation/) and figure out where your daily expenditure is. It guides you on how to come up with a number and no it will be not perfectly accurate but it will do, from that number you need to subtract 250–500 cals a day from what you are eating to put yourself in a deficit (eating less than you burn) Why just 250–500 cals? I want to lose more! Slow down there cowboy/girl. To keep things simple to lose about 1–2 lbs a week which is a good pace for most people unless you are nearing the 300+ range. Slow and steady wins the race, trust me, and the small changes add up overtime. It takes about 3500 cals to lose/gain a lb of tissue so 3500/7 days=500 cals a day. Weigh yourself at least twice a week on the same days, 1st thing in the morning after the bathroom and naked or as close to as possible and chart your progress. Weight goes down? Don’t change a thing, weight stagnates for more than 2 weeks or goes up, subtract 250 more cals a day to get you back down. Aim for consistency.
  3. Start exercising- start somewhere, whatever you can do to get you moving and active whether it is playing sports or taking a walk around the block after work do something. You don’t need to go crazy and try Suicide 9000 XXX. It won’t get you there any faster and you will just burn yourself out. Find something you like and build on that, consistency is key.
  4. Take Pictures- You see yourself everyday and physique changes happen slowly, not in leaps and bounds. Day to day you feel the same but if you take a picture say even once a month and look at them in 3 months time, I promise you will see a difference. That can be a major push to keep going.
  5. BE PATIENT- This one is huge, remind yourself you did not get this way overnight. Bellies and rolls do not magically appear overnight, and like wise they do not go away magically either. You may be 10 years out of high school looking at your graduation picture thinking “what the hell happened?” Time happened. Pounds creep on over time from years of inactivity and caloric surpluses but yet we expect to look fabulous in 90 days or less. Sadly it just does not work that way.
  6. ACCEPTANCE- I wasted a lot of time hating myself and the body that I was in, I see a lot of people doing the same. Complaining does no one any good, I have always heard older people use that phrase and now I understand it. Complaining changes nothing, no one cares, and it makes you soft. You want something to change, you have to take action. That being said, your body is where it is at. It’s not bad or good, you are not less of a person. We all fall short somewhere and you let your health slide but that is okay, the past is gone and all we have is the now. Now you are choosing a new direction. Now you are a healthier you, act like it in mind body and spirit.
  7. CONSISTENCY OVER PERFECTION- My tips are more than simple, but here is why. Dieting and exercise is a skill like any other. And if you are severely overweight/obese, you probably do not like the sound of either one of them. Most of us the 1st time we try something we suck at it, horribly. This is no different, it is going to be a tough road already no need to try to make it harder by aiming for perfection. Start crawling first and when you make it to your knees and wobble around then we can start finding your feet and taking big boy steps.
  8. SURRENDER TO THE PROCESS- This is a life long journey, if you want to be healthy and you want to be fit, there is no going back. If you try to go back, you end up back where you were. The old you has to die and you must be reborn. We are all a culmination of habits, and healthy/fit people have certain habits, unhealthy/unfit people have certain habits. If you try to do a 360 turn right away chances are you will crash and burn miserably, it’s too much too soon. Baby steps, make a small change every other week, even once a month. Whatever keeps you moving in the right direction. Take the stairs instead of the escalator/elevator, park further away, sub out a zero cal drink in place of a regular one. Once on a paleo kick I gave up sweet tea because I was doing no sugar, I realized it was not that big of deal to me and it is rare for me to have sweetened tea. Did it change my life? Not completely but hey a few hundred calories less at dinner and lunch outings adds up over time.
  9. FIND JOY IN IT- This one is simple but if you cannot find some kind of enjoyment in exercising and dieting then you will not survive. Not saying that it is enjoyment like getting a massage while being fed grapes but enjoy getting a good workout in, releasing stress. Seeing the changes in your body over time and building the discipline and mental power to say no to things for the sake of a greater plan. This is not easy, that is why most of the world is out of shape, but it is very rewarding. To give a personal example, as a kid I was always too chubby and weak to do monkey bars. I hated them, I would watch all the kids do them and be off to the side because they would want me to join but I couldn’t and I was embarrassed. But I would always try my hardest when no one was looking only to fail. My dad hoisted me up several times and would cheer me on, but I could only hang on for a few seconds before gravity won. Fast forward and at my new gym they have a Crossfit rig set up which has “adult monkey bars” if you will. After a workout one day I was exhausted but I sad what the hell and decided to try. I made it smooth across on the first try and I almost cried. That moment tasted better than any cake, or pizza that I have said no to 100’s of times while cutting. It felt better than any buzz or game winning beer pong shot when I would skip parties or going out to get my workout in. Moments like that are what you come to live for. Such a small thing, but I will never forget it. It took me 23 years to get across those monkey bars but I finally did it. I earned it, nobody but me.

This is not a super detailed list or all inclusive by any means. But it is enough to get someone started in the right direction. Be positive, track your calories and your weight, get some exercise, and find the joy in training :) till next time!