"I don't believe that you have to be better than everybody else. I believe you have to be better than you ever thought you could be." - Ken Venturi
I've gotten so much feedback from people this past week as people are trying to set their own personal fitness goals and evaluate what they want from themselves this year. There are some that fell off the workout wagon over the holidays and just can't seem to get back into the groove for the new year. Those extra 10 pounds aren't just going to come off by itself, so what do you do? I've been asked: How do you even get started? How do you find the time? How do you have the willpower?
There is no cookie cutter answer to those questions. Because everyone's motivations have to be personal and unique to that person. Vanity, wanting to loose weight and look better are usually everyone's initial motivation to hit the gym. But why is it that over 50% of new gym members at the beginnng of the year, stop going after Valentine's Day? It's not only motivation, but it's also expectations. We have become a society of people that want things to happen instantly. We want instant gratification. If we didn't, we wouldn't of devoured that whole package of Oreos while watching Grey's Anatomy last night ;) riiiiiight?
When expectations of what shows up on the scale don't match up with what is in our brains, people easily get discouraged, give up and the cycle never changes. If you truly want to make weight loss and fitness a goal, you have to be realistic and make attainable short term goals. You want to get serious about what your plans are, then you have to treat it seriously -- almost like a part-time job or like you are a student, studying for a test. Sit down. Write out your schedule. Find blocks of time where you could sqeeze in at least 30 minutes of some sort of activity, whether it be a home workout or go to the gym. Once you find that time and trust me, there is always time - then you start setting your goals.
It could look something like this:
Monday - 30 minute treadmill session; make lunch at home from scratch
Tuesday - 20 minute yoga workout - all snacks today are fruit or veggies
Weds - 20 minute walk after dinner
Thurs - 30 minute weights - make lunch at home from scratch
Fri - 20 minute walk after dinner
The completion of each goal should be celebrated! You did what you set out to do! Just don't reward yourself with more food! That is a no-no! -_- Some of you may look at that and say, "Well, how am I supposed to see results fast this way?" and I say, you might not. You might not see results on a scale for weeks. The point of this is to get yourself motivated to behave a certain way. To get your body into a particular routine. You'll notice new changes that don't require a scale. Your energy levels may be up. You might be sleeping better at night. You may notice that maybe you aren't craving certain foods anymore. And all those changes are valid changes in your life. They are change into the right direction. The scale will eventually follow, I promise! Use these changes to inspire you to keep going, one small goal at a time. Once you start attaining those goals, then start making new ones, BIGGER ones -- especially when those become too easy for you.
If for some reason, you had a bad day and didn't meet your goal -- don't beat yourself up about it. Accept it as a slipup and pick right back up where you were. Many will be like, "I messed up already, I might as well keep going and I'll start over next week." No, no noooooo!!!! I beg of you not to think that way. The glorious thing about every new day, is that each day is a new opportunity for you to make yourself better than yesterday. This is a mantra that I have begun to live by and it's so amazingly freeing to my soul. All the things I may not have done today or messed up on today, I can improve upon tomorrow. And that's the whole point of all this in the bigger picture -- to strive to make yourself happier and healthier today than you were yesterday.
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