So, you want to get healthier and lose weight in 2021? Great! But what are you going to do about it? Most people set great intentions at the beginning of the year, but have trouble sticking to their resolution as the weeks go by. That’s why I’ve made it my mission to help men and women get into better shape and lose weight by working out with kettlebells and making healthier food choices.
Hi, I’m Ryan Jankowitz and as a kettlebell instructor and nutritionist, I’ve helped many clients shed their spare tire. At the same time, my methods have also resulted in building lean muscle and improved mobility for these clients. My qualifications include holding a level 2 Russian Kettlebell Certification (RKC II) since 2011 and earning nutrition certification through Precision Nutrition.
Look, here’s the deal, weight loss doesn’t have to be hard. There are 2 things you need to consider when setting a weight loss goal. Those two things are working backward and cementing new healthy habits.
Work Backwards
First, let’s talk about working backward. If your goal is to lose 20 pounds by bathing suit season, so maybe June, then start with where you want to be and work backwards. If June is 6 months from now, then that would be 3.33 pounds each month. That seems doable, right?
Now, you have a reasonable monthly weight loss target to focus on. If you weigh yourself every week, then that will give you data you can track and determine if you’re on pace to meet your weight loss goal. The more data you collect, the more you can measure your results. So, start a weight loss spreadsheet or journal and track your numbers, what went right and what can be improved.
Creating Healthy Habits
Did you know that scientific studies have shown that creating a new habit actually takes an average of 66 days? So, after roughly 2 months a new habit will take less energy and determination than it previously did when you first started.
Let’s take working out for example. At first, it may seem daunting to stick to a regular schedule, but as time goes by and you continue to work out, it’ll be so much easier than when you first started. After a while, it’ll just be a normal part of your day just like brushing your teeth.
What are some healthy habits you can work on to reach your weight loss resolution? The 2 most obvious ones are eating healthier food and working out regularly. Other areas to think about include sleep and stress management, but those are topics for another day.
Let’s focus on nutrition. You probably already know how to improve your nutrition, but the problem is you haven’t made those changes yet. If you need a little help getting started, here are a few tested healthy habits regarding nutrition that you can easily do.
Easy Habits To Maintain
These habits include:
- Make a grocery list before you go shopping
- Look at the nutrition label and ingredients list of the foods you’re buying
- Drink more water and less liquid calories
- Eat fruits and vegetables at every meal
Making a grocery list before you go shopping will make sure you don’t make any impulse purchases like junk food. Sticking to your list will also help you plan your meals out each week, which will prevent you from eating fast food because you don’t have healthy food available.
Get into the habit of looking at the nutrition label and reading the ingredients list of the foods you’re buying. Don’t you want to know what you’re putting into your body? If a particular food has a lot of sugar, trans-fat or is very high in calories, then it’s not the healthiest choice. When you read the ingredients list and there’s a paragraph worth of ingredients, some of which you can’t pronounce, chances are it doesn’t belong in your body. The less added ingredients the better.
The more you make grocery lists and the more you read nutrition labels, the more you’ll make healthier food choices and ultimately lose weight. If you’d like to read about the power of drinking more water and eating more vegetables, please read this blog that I previously wrote.
Working Out
The combination of eating healthier and working out will speed up your weight loss results. Most people don’t stick to a workout plan because they don’t make it a part of their day and it’s just an afterthought. “Oh, I’ll work out when I have time.” The problem is you’re not making time, so you continue to put it off.
The easiest thing you can do is block off time in your calendar just like any other important event such as a dentist or doctor appointment. Whether it’s 20 minutes or an hour, get into the habit of scheduling your workout into your day. It’s less painful than going to the dentist and will result in fewer trips to the doctor.
I’ve found that working out with kettlebells is an incredible way to burn fat and build lean muscle in a time-efficient manner. I’ve helped dozens of people change their bodies by simply learning the basics like the Kettlebell Swing and the Goblet Squat. If you’re new to kettlebells, then here’s a great workout you can do that requires only 1 kettlebell. It’s a quick total body workout that will really get your heart rate up.
Beginner Kettlebell Circuit
Warm-up for 5 minutes – could be yoga type movements, jogging, or skipping rope – just get your heart rate up.
Push-ups x 5-10 reps (based on your current fitness level)
Goblet Squat x 5 reps
Kettlebell Row x 5 reps/arm
Plank x 20-30 seconds (based on your current fitness level)
Swing x 10 reps
Repeat as many times as possible in 18 minutes, rest if and when necessary
Cooldown – stretch or walk for 5 minutes.
Check out this video to see how to do each exercise with excellent form.
Allow yourself to imagine what it would feel like to create new habits for 2 months. If you knew those new habits would help you lose weight and get healthier once and for all, what’s holding you back? If you can address what’s been holding you back, create a plan of action and then follow that plan you’ll look back to this time and laugh at how easy it was to make the appropriate changes to lose weight and improve your health.
The fact that you’re reading this means you’re serious about making changes to your health. My experience as a nutritionist and kettlebell instructor has led to some incredible results for previous clients. Now, I’d like to help you as well. I invite you to download my FREE 5-Day Kettlebell Workout Plan. It’s a great plan to follow for beginners and I completely break down each exercise, so you feel confident working out with kettlebells. Click here to download your FREE plan.
