I started my fitness journey as a result of a New Year's Resolution back in 2015. At that point in my life, I was unhappy with the way I looked and it was negatively impacting my self-esteem. I even started wearing loose clothing which was something I had never done because I grew up a skinny kid.

The picture on the left was me at the start of 2015 while the one on the right was me around May 2018. Although it took 3 years to get to where I initially wanted to be, I could have easily done it in a year. I spent so much time spinning my wheels which is why I'm writing this article. I want to give you some tips to help you along your journey and I'm hoping that I could pass off some wisdom in hopes that you'll learn from my mistakes.

Disclaimer: I am speaking from experience. This is what has worked for me. Please consult your physician or healthcare professional before starting an exercise routine or changing your diet.

1. Take progress photos

The first picture is the most important. Remember these are for you, so don't feel embarrassed; no one else has to see them. I'd recommend taking one from the front, side, and back. Do this once a week. These will help you when you feel like quitting. You can always look back to these pictures and see how far you've come. In addition, while I think it's helpful to use the scale, for someone just starting out I would just stick with the photos. The scale can change drastically due to water or glycogen in your body.

2. Track your workouts

How do you know if you're improving if you're not keeping track of it. One of the biggest things that have helped me make improvements in the gym was tracking my workouts. This has been especially useful when I did a year of powerlifting.

If your goal is to build muscle, the same concept applies. Maybe last week you were only able to lift a certain weight for 6 reps. You don't necessarily have to move the weight up to make progress. You can shoot for 8 reps with the same weight this week. This brings me to my next point. Tracking your workout also allows you to set small, short-term goals which, in turn, help you achieve the big goal. You can keep track of them in a small notebook or on your phone (there are plenty of apps that can do this).

3. Sustainable diet

When I first started, I didn't know anything about diet. I thought that as long as you went to the gym, you could eat whatever you wanted. This resulted in a year or so of slowly making progress. I always wanted abs, but I could never seem to get them. It wasn't until I prioritized my diet over my training that I started seeing the results I wanted.

I would argue that diet plays an even more important role than training. The key thing with a diet is to not think of it as a diet. Don't think of it as a short-term thing. Instead, try to see it as a lifestyle or something that you could see yourself doing in the long run. Personally, I use a combination of intermittent fasting (IF) and tracking my macronutrient intake (IIFYM). I'll release an article in the future to go over these, but the main takeaway is to find a diet that fits your lifestyle and stick with it. If it's difficult to adhere to, then chances are you're not going to stick with it.

The most important thing to realize is that this is a journey. Do not get discouraged if you're not seeing the results today; it takes time so have fun with it. Try out different workouts to see what you enjoy. As you begin to make progress, help out those around you. Trust me, people will be asking you what your secret is.

Thanks for taking the time to read this!