Tag: accounability

How to Begin Your Fitness Journey

On By roxygurl464In FitnessLeave a comment

So you’ve been thinking about getting in shape and starting a fitness journey of your own.  That’s awesome!  There are so many  benefits that come from exercise and healthy eating regimen.  Reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, decreased chance of pre-diabetes and avoidance of possible physical injury are just a few perks of a healthy lifestyle.

woman-hand-desk-office-largeBut where do you start?  How do you begin your own, personal fitness journey?  The answer is actually already within you.

Step 1:  Grab a sheet of paper and a pen and write down a list of answers to the following questions:

  • Start by asking yourself “why?”.  Why do you want to make a change?
  • Next, ask yourself “what?”.  What is your ultimate goal?
  • Finally, ask yourself “when”.  When do you plan to start?

Establishing the reasons for choosing a healthier lifestyle  will ultimately be the roadmap for your fitness journey.

Step 2:  For each one of the above questions, choose 1 top answer.  Just like using a GPS in your car to get you from point A to point B, your “when” will be your starting point and your “why” and “what” will be your ultimate destination.

Step 3:  Now that you have a clear picture of your starting point and destination, it’s time to draw out a map of “how” to get there.

If your “why” is wanting to improve your overall health and feel better mentally and physically, start by making small, realistic goals that can be achieved and continued as part of your daily lifestyle.  Try beginning by taking a daily brisk walk for 5-10 minutes a day and including more fresh fruits and vegetables to your diet.2016-11-06-09-55-48

After completing your small goals for a week or two, make adjustments in time and intensity to challenge yourself further.  Turn your brisk walk into a walk/jog combo or extend your time by 5 or 10 minutes.

Keep a journal of your exercise and diet.  The most advanced athletes today do this and so should you!  Even if your journal entries are as simple as:  “walked 20 minutes, intake:  2200 calories, weight 162 lbs” this is a great starting point.  You will be able to look back a previous entries and be amazed at how far you have come and reflect on your progress.
              

NOTE:  It is important that you are honest and accurate with your journal entries.  Read more about why from my post on Being Accountable.

For toning and building muscle, start off with 1 or 2 sets of 12-15 repetitions of lower weights with simple exercises like bicep curls, side lateral raises, lunges, etc.  Keep your main focus on your form and posture.  Once you feel comfortable with the weight resistance and confident in your form, you can increase the weight and lower the number of reps to 8-10 with the new weight.  Again, focus on form and posture and increase the number of reps before moving on to the next weight increase.  Repeating this process will give you results while avoiding injury or overtaining for beginners.fitness-1730325_1920

If your “what” and “why” is more advanced and you want to work towards a more specific goal, the assistance from a professional may be required.  Certified personal trainers and registered dietician have the scientific knowledge and experience needed to accurately, and safely get you on route to reaching your  goals.

Step 4:  Stay motivated.  Keep your goals and reasons why in mind.  Look back at the progress you have made and be proud of yourself.  Small successes are successes non the less.  Take progress pictures to remind yourself of the person you were and the person you are now.  Being aware of your progress will help keep you motivated and give you the drive to set and reach new goals.pexels-photo-136415.jpeg

No matter what your reason for choosing your new fit life is, know that simply making the decision to change for the better is a HUGE step in itself.  Keep your goals attainable and clear in your mind.  Remember, everybody had to start somewhere and everyone’s journey is their own.  Give yourself the chance to travel along your fitness journey and you will thank yourself later!

Being Accountable

On By roxygurl464In FitnessLeave a comment

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What does accountability mean to you?  Does it mean tracking macros or the number of steps you have taken in a day?  Or does it mean establishing a goal and doing all steps necessary to reach that goal?  Whatever accountability means to you, the key to being accountable is HONESTY!

Whether you’re reporting your progress to a personal trainer or just keeping records for your own personal knowledge, being 100% honest is the only way to decipher if the steps you are taking are effective or not.  We’ve all had “cheat days” where we indulge in foods or drinks that aren’t part of our scheduled diet or skipped a workout for whatever reason.  This is completely OK!  Again, we’ve all done it… I mean, donuts are freakin delicious, right?!?

But what happens when we choose to simply “pretend” our slip-ups never happened?  Who are we really cheating if we are not honest and accountable for our actions?  Ourselves, that’s who!  Having a perfect meal log looks petty on paper, but unless it is accurate, that is all it is, a pretty piece of paper.  How do we know what works and what doesn’t without the facts?

Here are a few ways to help stay accountable:

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Technology has made being accountable for your fitness progress easier than ever.  Most smartphones come with fitness apps pre-installed or  you can download one of the many available for purchase or, better yet, FREE!  Most of these apps offer a list of registered food items with the macronutrients already calculated per portion size.  There’s also a wide variety of wearable technology that can make tracking your daily activity, such as walking, easy as well.s

While these technologies are a great aid for getting an estimation of your progress, they may not be 100% accurate.  Human error plays a big role in some of the inaccuracies, and sometimes it is unintentional errors.  Forgetting to log a meal or not charging your wearable tracker are a few unintentional human errors that can lead to inaccurate progress logs.

Another method for tracking progress can be extremely accurate, however, it also requires a good deal of knowledge, commitment and accountability…that’s right:  the old-school notebook and pen.  By keeping a physical log of activities and meals, you get a visual snapshot of current and past progress.  In the beginning, measuring food portions, looking up macros and handwriting workout logs may seem time-consuming, but after a while you will be amazed at how familiar you’ll become with certain foods and exercise caloric expenditures.  Also, your notebook can be a good place to jot down quick notes or comments to yourself to review later.woman-hand-desk-office-large

Which ever method of progress tracking you choose, keep in mind that the key to any successful fitness program is within YOU and the choices you make.  Being accountable for your choices and honest with yourself will make reaching your goals possible.