Weight Loss Goal
In today’s society, having a weight loss goal seems to be the norm instead of the exception. Whether it be 5 lbs. or 50 lbs., most people say they know what to do yet in reality they don’t because they are unable to maintain the changes they make. This is why you should work with a trainer. How many times do you want to lose the same 20 lbs.?
A Quick Glance Back
We are going to focus mainly on what is ahead for you; the past is the past and it is best to leave it there. However, in order to make the best start, we need to take a look at what may have sabotaged your previous efforts to get in shape.
- Impatience. Because we live in a society that is used to instant gratification, it can come as quite a shock to find that fitness doesn’t happen fast. I don’t care how many infomercials you watch or Facebook posts you read that promise you a 6 pack in 6 weeks, it is not going to happen. There is no short cut to fitness. If you grew frustrated in the past because results didn’t happen as fast as you would like, prepare yourself now for a different attitude: we will celebrate small results and be patient as the transformation happens.
- Lack of Planning. The biggest sabotage in any fitness plan is lack of planning. If you have tried fitness and failed, it is almost certain that you came up short in the area of planning. Without forethought and intentionality, you cannot eat a healthy diet, get enough sleep each night, and stick with an exercise routine. This time, I will help you plan before you start.
- If you have attempted to get fit with little support, you are not alone. Many people try to change their lifestyle on their own. The trouble with this approach is that those around you will probably not value what you are doing. They will intentionally or unintentionally sabotage your efforts. For example, they may resent the time you take to workout, or they may ridicule you for the radical changes you make to your diet. However, you will have support this time, and the difference will shock you.
Forward From Here
Today you start fresh and leave the past behind. Yes, you may have quit during your previous attempts to be healthy. That doesn’t matter now. What matters is what you do today, tomorrow, and next week.
These tips will help you make a strong start and make this time different.
- Don’t be afraid of the space between your dream and your present reality.
This is where patience and courage comes in.
What is your dream or your goal? Do you want to lose 20 pounds? Do you want to run a mile? Do you want to eat a diet that energizes you? Maybe you want to exercise 6 days a week.
Do not let the distance you have to cover cause you to give up before you even begin. Recognize that this will take some time. Every single fit person you know started somewhere short of where they are now. How did they get to their present condition? By taking it one day at a time, celebrating every victory, and getting up when they fell down. You can do the same.
- Failing to plan is planning to fail.
Have you ever heard of the tyranny of the urgent? It means that if you don’t have a plan, the matter that seems to be the most urgent at the time will get attention at the exclusion of the others. Without a plan, your own health will always take a backseat to what seems the most important at the moment—and that could be as simple as catching up on the shows saved on your DVR! Having a plan will keep less important things from creeping in and sabotaging your health.
Count on it: if you do not plan for fitness and health, it simply will not happen. This time, make a plan.
Before you even start your new healthy lifestyle, decide:
- When and how you will get your exercise (Personal Training? Online Fitness? Running outside in the mornings or after work?)
- What foods you will eat and how you will ensure that you have access to those foods (Have you planned and prepped your meals for the week? Do you have a small cooler that you can take along with you? How much caffeine will you allow yourself?)
- How you will arrange your schedule so that you get at least 7 hours of sleep each night (Do you need to get the kids in bed sooner or prepare your lunches on the weekends to save time in the morning?)
Without a strategy, you set yourself up to fail. Plan on succeeding! Take time right now to jot down ideas to overcome the obstacles that you know will arise. Be prepared for them, and you will breeze through them.
- No one can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra to play it. -H.E. Luccock
It is no secret that the biggest predictor of whether a person succeeds in their fitness and weight loss efforts is accountability. I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: getting fit is not easy. If it were, two-thirds of Americans would not be overweight or obese because more people would be doing it! In order to make sure you succeed this time, get some support. This is where I come in, as do the others in your class or training sessions.
The people in your support system will be genuinely interested in how you are doing. They will encourage you when you lose your motivation. They will cheer when you exercise even if you don’t feel like doing it. They will talk you out of eating those brownies. They will expect you to tell them how you are doing. And they will not let you fade out of the program. They will come after you if you start slacking.
Are you ready? Let’s get started today.
