Getting Fit for '15

Happy Monday everyone! I've got a Motivation Monday post for you for the first time in forveverrrrrrrr. *gasp* I know, I know it's crazy. Today I wanted to share with you a really awesome method you can use to set your fitness/weight-loss goals that's both effective and super easy. The other day I was thinking about how I feel like I've kind of plateaued/fallen off the bandwagon, which I've mentioned in previous posts, and that I'd like to set new goals for myself.  I googled it and came across a ton of articles talking about the "Get Smart" method for setting goals. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, and Timeframe, which when broken down, totally makes sense.

After sifting through the articles, I decided I'd run back to my blog and do a post for MM where I'd walk through my own personal goals while explaining it at the same time. Kill two birds with one stone! Yay for multitasking! If you're curious to see which articles I'm basing my post on, you can check it out here and here.

So here we go!

Setting super vague goals like "lose weight" or just "being healthy" gives yourself too much room for disappointment with nothing definitive to work toward. So instead say you want to lose 5 pounds or lower your body fat by 10 percent. Or even that you want to feel lighter, happier, etc from living a healthy lifestyle/hitting the gym.

For my personal specific goals:

• I want lower my body fat by 10% (since I'm not seeing any difference on the scale, but in how my clothes are fitting) 
• lose 1 pant size
• Workout three times a week (whether at home or at the gym)

In addition to being more specific, try to create goals that are process-goals (working out 3x) versus outcome-goals (losing pant size, etc). It's changing your daily habits and processes that will help you on your journey rather than focusing on just the numbers,

After you've made your goals more specific, it's time to, well, measure them. For example: If you're going to focus on losing pounds, measure how many pounds you've lost each week. Half a pound? Great! A full pound? Awesome! The little victories will get you pumped and help motivate you to keep going. On the other hand, if you've done more process-based goals, write that down as well. You wanted to walk more? How long? How far? How many days a week? Keep track of everything and see what you accomplished at the end of the week. Then, if you need to you, you can make changes accordingly for the following week.

For me personally, my gym pact helps to keep me on track with how long I work out and how often. Next week I set it up to go to gym three times. In order for a workout to count, it has to be for at least 30 mins, whether I'm at home or in the gym.

So basically, here it is:

• Workout once at home for 30 mins
• Workout twice at the gym for 60 mins
• 40 mins of weightlifting
• 20 mins of cardio

I think this step is pretty self explanatory. If you have a hard time finding enough free time to run to the bathroom during the day, it's safe to say that telling yourself you'll workout for an hour a day is only setting yourself up for failure. Again, you want your goals to be something that's smaller and easy for you to achieve so you don't get discouraged. Start small and work your way up. (i.e. try to sneak in a twenty minute workout during lunch by walking instead of driving, do exercises at your desk, etc.)

My goals are easily attainable right now. I only work 12 hours a week because I'm going to school full-time, so I make my workout schedule fit around my classes and work. Of course, it's summer right now, so while I am still in school, my class is online. I workout at my gym twice a week with a friend, then once at home in the morning at some point during the week.

Set a goal for yourself that you can actually visualize yourself reaching. Like I said before, you can start small and always work your way up as you progress through your fitness journey. I wouldn't recommend starting off by saying that you're going to lose 60 lbs in two months. Your body can only handle so much and while it is possible to lose weight fast, chances are you're not losing fat, you're losing muscle and water weight. Aim to lose between half a pound and a pound and half each week for healthy weight loss.

Deadlines definitely create a sense of urgency within people. By giving yourself a time limit, it'll make your goal a top priority. Start off by giving yourself a definite start date for your lifestyle change. Once you've done that, take into account everyday life factors that might affect your start (school, work, relationships, etc) and try to resolve any issues before you begin. Once you've done that, give yourself a time frame and start making short-term goals. These short-term goals will act as building blocks to help you achieve your ultimate long-term goal, whatever it may be.

This week my short-term goals will be:

1. Drink at least 4 bottles (24 fl oz) of detox water a day.
2. Burn at least 100 calories during a workout.
3. Eat six meals throughout the day (bfast, snack, lunch,  snack, dinner, snack).

Also be sure to account for setbacks. Remember that it takes 21 days for a habit to form, so these changes you're making will take time, and that's ok! The point is that you're making an effort to change your lifestyle for the better. Go ahead and give yourself a big ol' pat on the back.

I hope these helped you as much as they did me. Good luck to you on your fitness journey and in both making and achieving your goals!