All too often, people get caught up and overwhelmed by how far they have to go to reach their fitness goals. I fell victim to this mind set many times over the years and it is very frustrating. One of the most important changes I made this time around was to NOT focus on the ultimate goal. Instead, I set mini goals that would help me to achieve that ultimate one over a period of time, and I ONLY focused on each one of those.
By breaking my goals down into mini ones, I was able to keep a positive tone to my fitness/weight loss journey. I began to build a confidence in myself by reaching each of my mini goals and before I knew it, I was reaching larger goals without even realizing it.
Even now that I have reached my ultimate goal, I still set mini ones for myself in order to maintain the progress I have made.
Here are some of mine for this week:
- 1. Drink plenty of water - This might seem like a no brainer but it's easy to forget or not intake the proper amount.
- 2. Lift weights three days - Again, something I should be used to, but with the hustle and bustle of life, it's easy to skip or say I'll do it tomorrow.
- 3. Eat clean - Hands down one of the toughest, especially during the hectic week I have before me.
- 4. Do the fitness trail - One of my favorite forms of exercise but also one of the easiest to keep putting off.
- 5. Yoga or Stretch - This is one I have never been a fan of. I have always been the first to admit I skipped YogaX many times while doing P90X. I know it's important though and I have plenty of room for improvement here. Plus it helps to clear the mind and honestly, who can't benefit from that?!
Your goals for the week don't need to be extreme...even the simple ones can get you a step closer to the results you want.
What are some of your goals for the week? What would you like to achieve? Want to keep each other accountable?
I think setting mini goals is such a good idea - I so often get caught up in the BIG goal and this easily get discouraged when I'm not meeting it quickly. Doing weights is something I need to work on - I get so caught up on cardio that I forget to do weights often enough. I need to work on eating healthier, life has a way of screwing that up so quickly. {damn pms!} I think those are two big ones for me.
ReplyDeletePMS is THE worst...lol.
ReplyDeleteI know you've been hitting the gym lately, so you really should try adding some weights to your routine. They will help you build lean muscle which in turn helps you burn more calories, even when you are not working out!
I've had a few people looking for accountability partners, maybe I'll start a weekly check-in so people can be accountable, pat themselves on the back for reaching a weekly goal or confess so to hiccups in progress and get the support they need to get back on the wagon and make it a great week.
I think a weekly check in is such a good idea - it's always nice to have someone to hold you accountable or to see how things are going. And to voice concerns or whatnot to one another.
ReplyDeleteI tend to shy from weight training as much because I have a lot of muscle beneath the fat haha. And I'm afraid I'll end up looking bulky instead of toned. So I've always shied away from the machines. This week I think I'll get back to them.
You won't bulk up. Many women think that is the case but we lack testosterone which is what causes bulking. Women will become lean when lifting and all the new muscle takes up less room than fat and burns a hell of a lot more calories!
ReplyDeleteIf you decide to start lifting, I highly recommend taking your measurements before you start. You will most likely see the scale stay the same or creep up on you, but you will be burning fat and building muscle. That muscle just weighs more than fat while taking up less room, so you'll see your inches decrease.
Good advice.... thank you, it's something I needed to hear from someone and not just assume... I will begin lifting this week. Thanks, babe!
ReplyDeleteUsually I like to do workouts on a schedule, so that part is decided ahead of time. There are other areas of my life, though, where I am definitely overwhelmed by the mountain of tasks, and it would help if I took a few at a time, planned out over the course of a week. Thanks for the tip!
ReplyDeleteGood advice, Nikki! Although it's important to have an ultimate or long term goal, it can be daunting and overwhelming to try to focus in it all if the time. It can even be discouraging when we have setbacks. Smaller, short-term goals make more manageable stepping stones to the big goal! I think I need to put my small goals in writing now.
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