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Are you looking for guidance on a beginner diet plan and workout routines? If you’re ready to get in shape, this blog post will outline the best way to get started right with a healthy diet and exercise plan.

My goal is to give you some simple guidance on sustainable habits that can help you reach your nutrition and fitness goals as a beginner..

The first thing you want to do before starting your new healthy eating and workout plan, is to schedule an annual visit to your healthcare provider. It's important to check your blood work and get an overall picture of your health before starting any new regimen.

If your primary care provider finds any concerning results, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or high blood sugar they may refer you to a registered dietician for individualized guidance. It will be important to incorporate their medical advice into your personal plan.

Before we get started, my number one tip is to have PATIENCE with yourself. Give yourself time to educate yourself and learn what you do and don’t like. Start small and build on your habits slowly.

Going all in and overwhelming yourself with too many changes at once can be a sure fire way to self-sabotage and throw in the towel!

Beginner Diet Tips

Just getting started with eating healthier? It can definitely be the most confusing part of the process! With so many fad diets and misinformation out there, it's important to know the essentials of a balanced diet.

Whole Foods

When deciding what to eat, you want to make sure your diet plan includes a variety of whole foods. This means foods that are minimally processed and provide the macro and micro nutrients your body needs for overall health.

For an enjoyable and sustainable approach, ask yourself where you an add in more healthy foods like:

Whole grains
Lean meat and other proteins
Vegetables and fruits
Healthy fats
But also, leave room for your favorite foods

That’s right! If you’re in this for the long haul, it's a good idea to make sure your nutrition plan allows for your favorite foods. Restrictive diets are often unsustainable and unenjoyable!

Choosing the Right Nutrition Plan

I personally find macro counting an extremely effective way to make sure your eating habits are matching your wellness goals. However, the most important thing is making sure you are nourishing your body in a way that you enjoy and can work for the long-term.

As a nutrition coach, this is exactly what I teach you to do!

If weight loss is your goal, it's important to understand how to calculate a proper calorie deficit. You can learn more about calculating calories and macro counting in my blog post The Best Foods for Easy Macro Counting and Tracking.

You can also find simple, sustainable nutrition tips and information on eating healthy on the My Plate Plan website

There are so many nutrition plans out there, but the best nutrition plan is the one you can stick with for the long-term. So please, please, please, skip the fad diets and give yourself time to figure out what really works for YOU.

Beginner Workout Routines

When getting started on your fitness journey it's important to know what type of goals you want to work on.

Some common beginner goals may include:

Losing body fat
Increasing lean muscle mass (building muscle)
Improving cardiovascular health
Increase flexibility
running a 5k

Your new exercise routine should be appropriate for your current fitness level and FUN! There are so many different forms of exercise out there, so don’t be afraid to try new things.

If you can afford a personal trainer or small group training sessions, this may be a great way to learn the basics. They can help you create a plan that works for your goals and lifestyle.

I know it can be scary to take that first step, but remember everyone has a starting point.

Weight Training

I spent much of my adult life not understanding the importance of weight training when it came to my overall health. For years, I thought I should avoid lifting heavier weights and instead focus on lighter weights, more reps and losing weight…constantly chasing those last 5-10 pounds.

Keep in mind the scale is not the best measure of fat loss when building muscle and the scale may stay the same or go up with effective muscle growth.

Today, I realize the benefits of weight training, lifting heavy weight and actively working on muscle growth.

If you are tired of chasing a lower number on the scale, now may be a great time to focus on getting STRONGER.

The great thing about weight training is you can easily fit it into your schedule.

Here are some examples of weekly weight training sessions.

2 full body workouts (2 days per week)
2 upper body workouts plus 2 lower body workouts (4 days per week)
2 upper body workouts, 2 lower body workouts, 1 full body workout (5 days per week)

As you can see, you can weight train for as little as 2 days per week or as much as 5 days per week. It just depends on what works for your daily routine.

Nutrition for Building Muscle

Proper nutrition is really important when building muscle and weight training. You’ll want to make sure you’re getting adequate protein intake for proper muscle growth and preventing muscle loss.

I definitely recommend grabbing my FREE 3-Day Macro Quickstart for a simple way to get started with understanding macros and how you can use macros to control your fitness results. It’s important to note that unless you are a beginner it is very difficult to both lose weight AND build muscle at the same time.

I know I felt a little lost when I started weight training, but it is hands down the best thing I’ve ever done for my physical health. Weight training does require equipment, so you could check out your local gym or start building your own gym at home.

I got started with just 5 and 8 pound weights. As I gained strength, I invested in heavier weights and it was the best investment.

I personally love working out at home and if you’re nervous to join a gym or workout in public, home workouts are a great option. For some ideas on setting up your workout space, check out my post on The Best Equipment for Your Home Gym.

Cardio workouts

There are many forms of cardio workouts from dance, to HIIT (high intensity interval training), running, cycling, etc.

However, you don’t have to be dripping in sweat to get in an effective cardio workout.

In fact, Zone 2 cardio has been shown to be one of the best ways you can improve your cardiovascular health. For a more in-depth understanding of Zone 2 Cardio, listen to this podcast by Jordan Syatt.

Basically Zone 2 Cardio is a brisk walk/slow jog pace where you can still hold a conversation, but are exerting yourself and getting your heart rate up.

As someone who does not enjoy cardio workouts and sticks to low impact workouts, I love that taking a brisk walk with some hills is just as much if not more of a benefit to my heart health than jumping all around with an intense cardio workout.

The Importance of Daily Physical Activity

In addition to your workouts, you want to focus on your overall daily activity level.

This means getting more steps in with daily activities, looking for ways to take the stairs, park further away in the parking lot, and get outside for a walk.

Things like daily chores, hobbies, grocery shopping and just being active in general makes a huge difference. My husband decided to compare how many steps he gets in on days he goes into the office versus working from home and the difference was shocking!

Once he saw the difference, he now actively gets more steps in when working from home.

Those steps add up, are good for your heart health, and add to your daily energy expenditure (calorie burn).

I don’t obsess over the numbers, but I aim to get 5000 steps in minimum each day. I track via my Apple watch, but most smartphones have a step counting feature even without a watch.

Summary

When you’re a beginner, it can be daunting to start new healthy habits. It may take a little longer to reach your goals when focusing on enjoyable and sustainable habits vs. a quick-fix. However, it's so worth it!

Schedule an appointment with your primary care physician
Decide on your personal fitness goals (weight loss, muscle gain, cardiovascular health, etc)
Follow a balanced, sustainable way of eating that matches your goals
Follow an exercise program that includes strength training and cardio
Create a daily activity/movement/steps goal
Most importantly - KEEP IT SIMPLE and focus on building one habit at a time

I hope you enjoy the information and resources provided. Make sure to check out my Feel Your Best Formula Podcast for weekly motivation, tips, and discussion on how you can create the best healthy lifestyle for your needs.