Setting REALISTIC fitness goals - and sticking to them!

Another year, another resolution that this will be the year you get fit, eat healthier, behave a little nicer towards your in-laws… Sounds like a great idea, again. But what will make this year different than all the past years? Do you have a plan?

Being able to see the big picture is very important and necessary to your overall success. However, setting monthly or even weekly attainable goals will not only give you something manageable to focus on, but it also makes the daunting task of where to start or how to begin less overwhelming.

First, let’s start by understanding that fitness and feeling your best physically should be a way of life! Your mindset should be to embrace physical activity as a means to improve your health and quality of life. This first step is critical to staying on track! You must view exercise and fitness as a lifestyle change and not a one-time conquest!

Next, writing out how much weight you would like to loose in 6 months or how to transition into healthy eating habits in the next 3 months. Whatever your goals are, write them down and set a realistic time frame that you will be able to manage. The time frame will help you stay on track and give you a target to work towards. You can even gather inspiration from certain events in you life like a wedding you will be in or a class reunion that’s coming up, or the summer vacation that you have planned.

Then, as with any task, start at the beginning! In other words, if your goal is to be able to run a mile without stopping, you aren’t going to start off by trying to take on that entire mile on the first try. You have to take baby steps and walk before you run, literally! Set a goal to be able to run one mile in one month. On week 1, plan to dedicate 4 days out of the week to going to the track or getting on the treadmill. See how long you can run before you have to stop. Some people will be able to run for longer periods of time than others, but the important thing is to see where you are so that you can get an idea of how to improve. On week 2, try to run more than you walk. This might cause you to push yourself a little harder, but that’s ok! Don’t stop when you are tired, stop when you are finished! By week 3, you should be feeling stronger and ready to take on three laps without having to stop too much. The excitement of your success thus far and the knowledge of where you started verses where you are now should motivate you push harder! There’s nothing quite like the reward of seeing results! Week 4, bring on the mile! You’ve been working hard, you’ve been training for this moment, now execute! And once you’ve accomplished your goal, set new goals! Never stop striving to push further on your fitness journey!

If your goal is to drop 20 pounds in a month, the same concept applies. Set goals to loose 5 pounds per week. Pay attention to portion sizes, eat slowly, and stop eating when you are full. Make your meal cut-off time at 7pm meaning no midnight snacks or refrigerator raids. Try cutting out fast food or eating out everyday on the first week. On the second week, increase your water intake to at least three 16-ounce bottles daily and cut way down on sugary foods and beverages. On week 3, try to decrease the amount of bread or flour-based foods you consume and eat more leafy greens, fruits, and whole grains. On week 4, scale back on dairy products and make substitutions like olive oil instead of butter or almond milk instead of regular milk. Keep building on health-forward choices and you will see the positive results!

These are just examples, but this approach can be applied to any of your fitness goals! The key to adhering to your resolution is to take it one day at a time! Don’t beat yourself up if you miss a day or two, life happens! The important thing to focus on is your determination to make progress, even if it takes a little longer than you initially planned. DON’T GIVE UP! You can either be your biggest opponent or your greatest ally, but YOU hold the power. Choose to be great! Choose to stay committed to improving yourself!