It's time to get more specific. To me that's what separates an attainable goal from a daydream.
When I have really wanted to achieve something as far as getting in better shape, I needed to be specific about what it was I wanted, writing it down, and most important: have a specific step by step plan with proven results behind it. Then it's just a matter of executing by doing what it takes every day.
With fitness it all builds over time. When you see a successful program like P90X or CrossFit, they each will give you a steady dose of this principle of incremental improvement, coupled with great structure.
As I've talked about many times before, the reason I love programs is you have structure and accountability which many times you don't have when you make it up yourself. At the same time, I have found that once you start to master the general principles of an effective regular approach, following just one program may be less necessary.
What is the advantage of gaining that level of knowledge and experience? Well the more variety you can inject into your exercise program, the better your results. Plus it will be less likely you quit from boredom.
First Things First. You Need to Do A Structured Full Body Workout Program
The reason I advise this is because you need to understand the power of structure, proper form, variety, daily accountability, and recording your results for incremental improvements. If you haven't done something like Power Half Hour from Beachbody or the ever-popular P90X, or a gym program like Cross Fit, you should do so and experience all the positives.
If you have, don't worry about this pre-requisite and go on to the suggested workout I am sharing.
About the Diet Thing: How Can I Not Be On A Diet and Still Get the Body I Want?
Well I will spare you the cliche' about diets being a failure. This isn't necessarily true by the strictest definition. We need to have a general structure for what to eat and to a lesser extent: how much? This structure is a diet even if it doesn't come from a book or TV doctor.
What I want you to do is explore the possibilities of eating all you want of the right things, but also enjoying yourself with some of the wrong things for a day or two a month. You can and probably would be better off in the long run by not being overly strict. When we are talking about eating or working out, we want to focus on doing things that are both effective and sustainable. This means that we need to able to make it part of our regimen for years and years to come without great inconvenience. Being too strict is unsustainable generally.
So here is the plan: Check out the basic concepts of the paleo nutrition plan and put them into practice for about 80% of your total food intake. The key is to eat all you want and not worry about calories.
A Workout You Can Do 5 Days A Week to Get An Awesome Body in About 12 Weeks
The Ground Rules: We want you working out 5 days a week for 30 to 45 minutes under timed conditions. Write everything down so you can track your progress. The order isn't overly important except that if you go heavy arms with my pull-up workout, you are better off taking a day between working them again. This isn't set in stone, but it's a decent idea.
Day 1--A combination of legs and pull-ups. This is the very formula found in the P90X "Legs and Back" workout. You don't have to use that one exactly, but I do think it is really effective. The thing about pull-ups and leg resistance work is they reshape the body fast. If I had a choice of never lifting weights again but keep pull-ups, I'd probably take it. They really work you. If you can't do one pull-up, use a chair to push off with your legs until you do.
Day 2-- High intensity cardio. I am a big fan of Insanity with Shaun T. If you aren't into a program, go do 10 to 15 50-yard sprints with minimal rest. High intensity cardio is sorely lacking in most of our workout programs. It's a shame because it's hugely important in getting the most return for your time.
Day 3-- More high intensity cardio. You can do sprints again, but change-up the distances and reps. Also add 10 minutes of body weight work on the back-end. Try like a 5 minute abs routine and 5 minutes of body weight work. Jump on YouTube and you can find too many of both to count.
Day 4--Power Yoga. It really doesn't matter which program you choose. Yoga is the fountain of youth and will make you stronger and better at everything. You also will experience a more calm focused mind.
Day 5--Weight training circuit with core work. This is where I would do an upper body workout like 10 Minute Trainer or Power Half Hour with Tony Horton. If you don't have access to these programs, Google a total body workout program with weights. Make sure it is short, timed, and that you keep track of your results so you can seek improvement each time.
Then take a couple days off but stay active. With my workout, you won't be so burned out that all you want to do is sit.
Cheryl Boswell is a writer and researcher on home fitness and health products. You can save time and money by getting FREE in depth news, features, and reviews on home exercise equipment, workout programs, health, and nutrition, including discounts and best prices at her blog. Check out a recent article here: http://bodyslimdown.com/power-half-hour-a-tony-horton-30-minute-workout-gem/ Cheryl and her associates have been writing extensively on the "Three Desired Body Outcomes" and particular suggestions for people to reach the one they want. So check it out!