For many of us the new year brings on one major goal…fitness. For me, January brings on a wave of guilt as I look back in awe at all the sugar I’ve consumed over the last few months. Even when I’m trying my hardest, that time span between Thanksgiving and January 1st can often mean lots of cookies, salty meats, heavy meals. It’s a time of substituting raw, green veggies for cheese coated casseroles.
Before I go on, let me be clear. I’m not trying to guilt you. I love vegetables cooked down and covered in cheese. I love ham and cookies and eating at places you only get when you visit your home town. I’m not anti-indulgence. I’m pro-balance. Now is a great time to bring our lives back into balance: our jeans are a little tighter, our stomachs are still not sure they want more starch, and we are eager to bring a fitness goal to fruition.
I’ve spent years working out and working in gyms. {In fact, not teaching fitness classes any more feels most weird at this time of year.} Over time I learned some things that helped me and my clients keep on track. This year, hopefully I’ll be taking my own advice as I attempt to reenter the fitness game—very gently. {For those of you wondering why…I’m still recovering from a summer back surgery. Turns out those take a frustratingly long time to fully heal.}
Decide what your objective is. There is a big difference in the way you’ll approach a one-time, concrete goal {more on concrete goals here} verses a lifestyle change.
This fitness goal: “I want to lose weight and look better,” is actually a lifestyle change. You can diet for a while, lose a few pounds and have a little short term success. However, if you really want to keep weight off and live inside a a healthier body you’ll need a lifestyle change. {More on that in a moment.}
On the other hand…this fitness goal: “I’m going to run the Crescent City Classic,” is a concrete, one-time goal. The approach here requires putting together a training timeline and exercising in a specific way. The first step in fitness success is deciding on an objective.
Success in a lifestyle change will require…change. It’ll require change in diet, activity, and mindset. These changes are hard because we have to fight against habit to get there. At first the choice to say “no” to that Diet Coke and “yes” to a glass of water might seem painful and backwards. But the more you make that choice, the easier and more natural it will become. A lifestyle change is all about retraining your mind to naturally choose new, positive choices.
Something that I’ve seen really help folks make a big change, is to turn the broad, lifestyle goal into smaller more concrete goals. Take it a week at a time. {Examples in this post.} Don’t look ahead at your whole life and all the hard work it will be. Instead, focus on the coming week. Make good choices for the next seven days. You can do it. It’s only a week.
I believe in the power of group mind. It’s one reason I became a fitness instructor. Teaching kept me accountable to my fitness routine. As an instructor I kept others accountable as well. Once you start going to a class, and make some friends, it becomes a lot harder to start skipping. You know your friends will ask where you were, or the instructor will say, “We missed you on Tuesday. Is everything okay?” When those comments arise, deep down you want a better excuse than, “I skipped.”
All that said, I definitely recommend joining a gym and finding a class you love at a time that works for your schedule. The accountability there can be key.
However, if you really hate classes {but I don’t know how you can} or they don’t work for you…find another system of accountability. Get a friend or spouse on board who can encourage you and check in on your progress.
Don’t be a closet dieter. There is no reason to be ashamed, embarrassed or secretive about your fitness goal. This is exciting and something to be proud of. Make your goal known. Nothing will crush your fitness dreams faster than being surrounded by un-supportive friends and family. Make your goals known so that those closest to you can support you—instead of offering you a second helping of potatoes.
Spend some money on your goals. You know I’m pretty darn thrifty. For me to tell you to spend money is very rare. But in this case, I’ll tell you to do it. When you invest your hard earned dollars into something, chances are you’ll utilize it.
It doesn’t have to be a lot of money. Even a modest investment can be enough to keep a goal on the right track. Buy a gym membership, register for a 5K, join a community accountability group like Weight Watchers.
Know that most of your success will come in the kitchen. It’s just a fact. You can work out all day and still not get the results you want if you aren’t fueling your body with the right foods. On and off– even when I was teaching four classes a day—I would hate the way I looked. Every time, it boiled down to what was happening in the kitchen.
Be mindful of the season. I ran into a friend a few weeks ago. When we started talking about health and diet, she reminded me that lots of our diet success can come from choosing the right approach for the right season. She told me that last winter she tried a raw diet. It didn’t go well. Icy veggies and raw smoothies are hard to stomach when you are facing a brutal Practically Canadian wind chill of -50˚. Pick an approach that fits the season.
Don’t drink and start drinking. Cryptic, yes. But here’s the thing…one of the quickest changes you can make to your diet is simply swapping your drink choice. As you take steps toward a fitness goal you can expedite your success by eating your calories instead of drinking them. Cut out soda and carbonated beverages. Unless you are an actual athlete, of college or professional level, cut out the sports drinks. They won’t do you any favors. Look at the calorie count on those fancy coffees…it’s nearly a whole meal’s worth. Cut them too. And lastly, cut out alcohol. It slows your whole system down.
Instead of those things, buy a bottle you love and start drinking water like it’s going out of style.
I know you can do this. Take it one step at a time. Remember to look over the first two posts in the series for more inspiration on setting and reaching goals. This post specifically touches on setting deadlines and timetables in regard to fitness goals.
Amy
