Goalsetting For Fitness Success

Are you on track with the fitness goals you set for yourself this year?  If not, don't beat yourself up for getting off track; it happens to the best of us.  We do, however, need to assess and find out why we continue to have setbacks that zap our motivation and discourage us from meeting our goals.  Just as you set goals for your business or daily activities, you can use the same strategy to achieve fitness success.  I've discovered that setting manageable goals is the key.  These goals are broken down into parts, then by months, weeks and days.  Here's an example:
OVERWHELMING GOAL:  "I will lose 150 pounds"
The thought of trying to lose 150 pounds can be intimidating.  If you don't have a plan, you'll have no direction and will lose your motivation.

MANAGEABLE GOAL:  "I will do cardio and strength training at least three days a week"
This goal is one you can put on your calendar and add to your daily activities.  Each day you exercise, you're working toward your ultimate goal to lose 150 pounds.

When you break your goals down into small, realistic and specific parts, you will view them as daily or weekly things to do rather than a problem you've been trying to conquer year after year with little or no success.

I have a personal training client who really struggles with her eating habits.  Her problem is that she eats lunch out with co-workers everyday.  She finds that she makes unhealthy choices when she eats with a group.  So instead of telling her to stop eating out with friends all together, I developed a manageble plan to help her combat this unhealthy pattern.  Here are just a few of the things she has done for better results.

• Prepares a healthy lunch the night before, so she can grab-and-go the next morning.
• Eats healthy snacks like almonds and baby carrots during the day so that she isn't as hungry at lunchtime or tempted to buy sweets in the afternoon.
• When eating out, she selects meals from the lighter-side menu.
• On the days she takes lunch to work, she eats, then takes a 30-minute walk.

Now she has more control of what she eats, has incorporated some exercise into her day and is well on her way to reaching her goal.

It takes planning, discipline and consistency to achieve your fitness goals.  Approach your goals differently this time around and don't pressure yourself to take them on in one big gulp.  Take one sip at a time and you'll find that they are much easier to accomplish.

Think about a manageable goal you can incorporate today to make a difference.