Here’s a simple way to set and achieve your goals even if New Year Day has passed.
By January 1 many of us have eaten or drank ourselves into a larger pant size (or two) in just a matter of weeks! Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day health and fitness were the furthest thing from our minds. Our goals were surviving all the heavy partying and road traffic created by holiday shoppers.
But, now, both are brought painfully to the forefront as we storm out of the bedroom sporting a long sweater used solely to hide the embarrassing fact that we have lost the battle with our pants’ buttons. We now have some goals. Lose the weight or else!
Full of resolve and ambition, we vow to lose weight, get in shape and end the pattern of abuse we’ve inflicted on our bodies (I can just hear all the livers in America give up a sigh of relief).The Enthusiastic StartSo, we start our journey by rolling into action! The first few days are spent shunning the left over sweets and dumping the near-empty bottles of rum down the sink. We join the gym and go everyday, marking the calendar with a giant “X” as a public display of our commitment towards our new life goals. As we beat our chests we know that this year is going to be the year we actually get it done. We just KNOW it is!As we get ready for day #6 of our new healthy lifestyle we catch a glimpse of an email from work. Seems we just got appointed to present our new customer acquisition strategy at today’s board meeting and we’ve got to be at the office early. We are still hot to reach our goals.
Work or Gym Goals?
“Ok, no problem,” you think, “I’ll get to the gym after work!”But, it turns out to be a day from hell and you work late into the evening. You’ve eaten a late lunch and ate way too much because you missed breakfast and you were STARVING. You’re too tired to make it to the gym tonight, but it’s ok because you just worked out five days in a row. You can take one day off, right?And so it begins… the slow (actually fast) slide back into your old habits as you work too much and don’t have much time left over to take care of yourself.
Enter The Pity Party
We spend the next few days either moping about or being pissed that we gave up on our goals to get in shape so easily. Life is just too demanding for us to find time to learn a whole new lifestyle and we start to look for solutions.Quick fix diets and thoughts of exercising every day swirl in our heads as we start panic as we see another year slipping by before us.We think, “I can’t keep doing this. This has got to STOP!”Now’s the time to take a brief step back. Breathe. Think. Relax. Put the past behind you and try a more sensible approach.
Hit The Reset Button! Step 1
Let’s try it again and this time build a plan that takes our demanding responsibilities and busy life into account. It’s Go Time.First, start by setting your goals. But, be realistic. Don’t try to lose 30 lbs in 3 months. Instead, plan to lose 1-2 lbs per week. Not only will you have lost 22 lbs to 44 lbs by time summer, but you’re 78% more likely to keep it off! Plus, you’ll be achieving your goals every week. There’s nothing more motivating than reaching your goals!
Hit The Reset Button! Step 2
Second, set a realistic action plan. Many of us rearrange their lives in order to get in shape. I say forget that. Instead, try to change as little as you need to change in order to get results. For example, start by exercising three days per week for only thirty minutes each time. This 60 second video shows you how you can boost your metabolism in only 90 minutes per week. No time to go to the gym? Check out this article on how to set up a great home gym on a budget.
Hit The Reset Button! Step 3
Third, track your food and see where you need to make the most change. Are you drinking too much alcohol? Cut it back! If you need to do it in stages, the cut alcohol consumption by half the first week. Then in half the next week and so on. Do this for each poor habit that prevents you from reaching your goal.
Hit The Reset Button! Step 4
Fourth, track and measure your results. Keep a food journal. Report everything you eat and drink even if it’s not ideal. If you screw up or make a poor choice, then track it anyway. You’ll get direct feedback as to the consequences of your small daily habits. That includes the positive impact of the all the good choices you make! You might be pleasantly surprised. Watch out for “Healthy” Foods that could actually cause you to gain weight.
Hit The Reset Button! Step 5
Finally, weigh your self and take body fat measurements only once per week. Many of us are looking for immediate feedback. But, that’s not the way it works. If you lose 1 lb per week, you would only see a approximately 2 oz reduction in weight per day. Truth is your weight can fluctuate a few pounds per day based on atmospheric pressure, outside temperature, stress levels, amount of sleep and more. So don’t track your weight daily. Once per week is more than enough.
This Time You’ll Hit Your Goals
These quick tips are more than adequate to get you started on the path to success when so many other people have failed. Set your goals in your sights, create an action plan, slide it in to your busy life where it makes the most sense and then track and measure your results on a weekly basis.Feel free to ask any questions in the comments below and we’ll do out best to answer each and every one of them.
If you still you’re not sure where to begin, then fear not! We can help you with that. You can click here to inquire about where to start
Tony Bianchino is a Nationally Certified Personal Trainer and Nutrition Specialist
See more about Tony on our website Out Run Your Fork.com
Yours in health,
Tony Bianchino
Out Run Your Fork Personal Training and Nutritionweb: www.outrunyourfork.com
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