14 Tips to Get Fit in a month

"Get fit" is often used as a synonym for "lose weight" or "tone up," but this challenge is about a lot more than just looking better in your workout clothes. Think of it as a month-long plan to make your life better. The steps that follow are meant to help you put yourself first, one day at a time.

Set a goal

On the first day, make a plan for what you want to do over the next 30 days. Make a list of all the reasons you want to improve your health that doesn't have anything to do with how you look. Doing these things will help you stay motivated.

Makeover your pantry

Look over the food you have on hand. Toss any that have been overly processed or have ingredients or additives you don't recognise. Also, get rid of any foods you really don't like but bought because you thought you "should" eat them. Healthy eating is about having fun and getting the nutrients you need, not about deprivation and willpower.

Consider the scale

Check how you feel before you step on the scale. Some people see weight as a piece of information. For these people, weighing themselves once a week might help them lose or keep their weight in a healthy, long-term way. But if the thought of getting on the scale makes you nervous, skip it and think about how you feel instead. If you're trying to lose weight, focus on how your clothes fit instead of a number.

Balance your diet

If you haven't been very consistent with what you eat, try adjusting your portion sizes naturally: Research shows that eating off smaller plates (try 9-inch ones) and with smaller cutlery helps your brain see portions differently, so you feel full without eating too much.

Use avocadoes

Good fats like avocado help reduce swelling, improve blood flow, and keep your heart healthy. Avocado is also tasty and filling. On toast, use ripe avocado instead of butter. You can also swap it out for something healthier in recipes like baked goods to get more nutrients and fibre. Put 1/2 tablespoon of avocado for each tablespoon of butter.

Do exercise daily

Every hour on the hour, walk, stretch, or even squat. Even if you exercise, research shows that sitting for long periods makes you more likely to get a long-term illness. Here are six easy things you can do every day to sit less.

Boost your veggie game

Fruits and vegetables vs. doughnuts, sweets, and chocolate to show the difference between healthy and unhealthy foods.

One of the best things you can do for your health is trying to eat five cups of vegetables a day, which is about the size of five tennis balls. Vegetables not only help keep your immune system and digestive system healthy, but they also reduce inflammation, lower the risk of almost every chronic disease, and even help keep your mind healthy. Today, eat one more serving than usual. Choose raw veggies with hummus or guacamole, veggies roasted in the oven, veggies sautéed in EVOO, or a salad with a vinaigrette made with extra virgin olive oil. When making a meal plan, start with the vegetables and build around them.

Tweak your lunch

Try an open-faced sandwich with a side of veggies, slaw, or salad instead of giving up all carbs. Or, choose a lettuce wrap and add a side dish with carbs, such as a baked sweet potato or fresh fruit.

Add a hot ingredient to dinner

Foods like chilli peppers and hot sauce raise your body temperature, which means you burn more calories while you eat them. You could dice up a hot pepper and add it to a salad or stir-fry. Researchers have found that eating more hot peppers is also linked to better heart health. This is because hot peppers can lower "bad" LDL cholesterol and raise "good" HDL.

Eat an egg at breakfast

When you start the day with a meal that is high in protein, you feel full and satisfied for longer. Eggs are one of the easiest and most tasty ways to add more protein to your morning meal. You can eat them scrambled, over-easy, or in a sandwich. If you can't eat eggs or don't want to, try a veggie scramble made with mashed chickpeas.

Stretch daily

Stretching is just as important for overall fitness as cardio and strength training. It makes you less stiff, increases your range of motion, improves circulation, relieves stress and tension, and helps you stand up straighter, stay balanced, and move better. Also, you can stretch gently at any time without any special tools.

Work out at the right time

A sweat session in the morning keeps your metabolism going strong all day. But if you don't feel like working out in the morning, listen to your body and find the time of day that works best for you, so you're more likely to keep up the habit.

Eat meatless meals

Pulses are beans, lentils, peas, and chickpeas. You can trade meat, fish, or poultry for pulses. Pulses are full of fibre, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, and they have the most plant protein of any whole food group. They are also naturally gluten-free, easy to find, cheap, versatile, good for the environment, and linked to many health benefits, such as weight loss and a lower risk of type 2 diabetes.

Drink a lot of water

Water should be your main drink, and you should try to drink 16 ounces of it four times a day. If you don't like how plain your water is, add some natural flavours to it.

You can still have a glass of wine now and then. Your coffee in the morning is fine, too. Here are 6 ways to make it even healthier.