When the jeans you swore you just wore, no longer fit, it can be quite a wake-up call.
But whether you are motivated by the fit of your clothes, or that wedding next year you’ve been invited to, it’s time to start setting up goals so that there are no more upsetting jeans moments.
First things first, establish what your bigger overall goals are and write them down to keep you accountable.
Is your bigger goal to lose five pounds or seventeen? Be specific. Do you want to be able to run a 10k?
Is there an event you want to look your best at? Or, what about trying to lower your body fat percentage before your next doctor’s appointment?
Got that on paper?
Good. Now let’s move on.
1) Baby step
Rather than going cold turkey on eating clean and ditching all the questionable bad habits right away, try chipping away at your bigger overall goal with smaller, more short-term goals.
Nutrition:
- Fill your plate with vegetables and skip the bread, potato and rice carbs.
- Drink a warm glass of water in the morning before breakfast with a lemon.
- Substitute fruit for dessert.
- Swap out half and half in your coffee with almond milk.
- Eat a side salad before you eat a big meal to save on calories.
- Aim to eat three balanced meals a day.
Exercise:
- Walk twenty minutes every day.
- Schedule a workout class with a friend.
- Take your kids to the park and play on the monkey bars.
- Ask a trainer at Kaia to show you you some good, at-home exercises
- Schedule your workouts for the week on Sundays.
2) Long-term goals
While long-term goals can seem sort of fleeting, they are good because they give you a goal to accomplish within a reasonable amount of time. Goals that seem doable build confidence and don’t feel like too much pressure.
Nutrition:
- Eliminating all processed foods, sugar, fried foods alcohol, etc.
- Meal prep for the week.
- Getting your whole family to join in the fun and eat the same healthy foods you do.
- Drinking 8-10 oz. glasses of water a day.
- Eating 25g of fiber every day.
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Aim for 4-7 servings of veggies!
Exercise:
- Completing a 5k, 10k, triathlon, or marathon.
- Doing yoga every week.
- Getting in 2-3 days of cardio and 2-3 days a week of strength training.
- Book a fitness vacation.
- To be able to do a pull-up.
- Continue to challenge yourself, yourself.
3) Re-assess and re-affirm
We often forget that we need to consistently work at something, even when we reach a goal. Maintaining your progress is key and often requires a frequent assessment of how well your goals are being met, and how well those continue to serve your bigger overall goals.
- Get a yearly physical.
- Keep a food and exercise diary. My Fitness Pal is great!
- Do your clothes fit comfortably?
- Are you staying social and not “hiding” because you’re unhappy with your weight?
- Participate in our Kaia FIT tests to measure your physical achievements
- Take your measurements and body fat every eight weeks.
- Track your heart rate with a heart rate monitor and modify your target heart rate as needed.
- Are you gym shoes helping or hurting?
- If you’ve plateaued, try progressing to heavier weights, more resistance during cardio, or try a workout you’ve never done. Keeping workouts fresh will also keep you excited about working out.
- Monitor how you feel. If you’re not proud of yourself, write down any small accomplishment in a gratitude journal. Every accomplishment is one step closer to your goal!
Need help filling out your goals’ list? Reach out to us at Kaia for support!