An age old topic that has touched many women is exercising. Everyone seems to want the body of Beyoncé, but they don’t know how to go about it. Well let me be the thousandth person to tell you, it is NOT easy. I took on the fitness journey earlier this year with goals to look like the Queen herself, but it is more than just going to the gym twice a week. It takes dedication and versatility. You can’t expect to achieve the body of a celebrity because you dont have the same resources they do. However, you can come use your resources to get the body you want. Three HARD ways to achieve your body for the ages.

1. Nutrition

This is the most important aspect of achieving the body you want. Many people believe that you can workout and eat bad as long as you run three miles at the gym. That’s wrong. You will not see any improvement, nor will you be benefiting yourself. You can achieve the body you want through nutrition alone and use weights and working out to finish it off. Eating right is how you lose the stubborn fat. Sometimes you may notice that the upper half of your stomach is toned, but you still have fat towards your lower half. The lower half is a product of what you’re eating. Once you change your eating habits, the weight will shed faster than if you only worked out.

You should eat five to six small meals a day. These meals should be the size of your hand and your snacks should be fruit, nuts, and things of that sort. You don’t have to starve yourself, but you need to know what your goal is to determine what foods you should eat. If you want muscle gain, eat more protein. If you want to lose fat, limit your sugars (which you should do anyway) and limit your carbs, you don’t have to cut them out. The misconception is that all carbs are bad, but they aren’t if they are complex.

Complex carbs are high in fiber, boost your metabolism, and keep you fuller longer. Good examples include whole grain bread, quinoa, brown rice, beans, nuts, seeds, oatmeal, fruit, sweet potato, and vegetables.

Simple carbs are low in fiber and nutrition, empty calories that turn to fat and make you feel tired. This includes white bread, fruit juices, sugar (white and brown), white rice, muffins, candy, pretzels, chips, and sugary cereals.

Once you differentiate the two, start picking more complex carbs and watch how it causes fat loss.

2. WORKOUT

I know this is pretty obvious, but if it were that simple, you’d already have the body you want.

First things first, do cardio and HIIT. I am assuming that you probably want to lose fat and tone up your body. If thats the case, your biggest concern after nutrition is working out. I know that not everybody is keen on running miles or walking up steps, but a more fun alternative is jumping rope. Some of you haven’t jumped rope since the 80s when you used to double-dutch in Brooklyn (or wherever you grew up), but it’s just as effective as running if not more.

MensHealth.com wrote, “According to research, jumping rope at a moderate pace roughly equivocates to running an eight-minute-mile. Plus, it burns more calories per minute and engages more muscles than swimming or rowing, while still qualifying as a low-impact workout.”

Another workout you can throw under cardio is a classic burpee. Do you remember those good ole exercises? It’s a full body workout used in strength training and it’s guaranteed to kill you after you’ve finished a set. If you want to strengthen your legs, back, and arms, this workout is for you. Try doing two sets of 10, just to get started, maybe even one set, if you have not worked out in a long time.

Last but not least, the illustrious suicides. In simple terms, its running back and forth. If you don’t know what they are, here’s a link that will explain: Click me Baby! Now, these are pretty effective in terms of burning fat and making your legs look like a 10. They also help burn fat in your stomach because they are highly intense. Try doing this for 5 minutes a day (which isn’t long), but trust me you will be worn out by then.

3. Motivation

Please keep in mind that nobody can force you to workout. You have to want to do it. Do whatever will get you in the mood, if that means watching The Rock workout on Youtube by all means, do that. Whatever it is that motivates you, keep that in mind. This is not an overnight process, but if you eat right and exercise, you will see improvement within a month. The scale may not always read your weight right, so don’t depend on that. You can however use a measuring tape and wrap it around your waist. Although the scale numbers won’t change, those numbers can.

If you slip one day, that is fine. Keep going and do not stop. Most importantly, don’t look to someone else’s body as a guide because everyone’s body is different. You may lose weight faster than your friend or vice versa!