It's hard to believe that it is already February 2012! The last 4 weeks have flown by for me, how about you? By now, the crowds at the gym have started to give way, as many people have already given up on their new year's resolutions for fitness and/or weight loss. So the question is, how do you stay on track? After a year of being dedicated to my own fitness goals, here are some tips that I have found essential to staying on track and not quitting!
1) Have a plan of attack! If I didn't have an organized workout plan to tell me which days to do what, I would probably walk into the gym, look around, get overwhelmed, and walk back out. Or fall victim to the "hamster wheels" and ignore the weights completely! It is essential that you know what you are going to do at the gym each day, before you get there. The internet is a wealth of information of 4, 8, 12 week trainers that will pre-plan your workouts for you. I personally recommend www.bodybuilding.com and the LiveFit Trainer. Or, if your gym offers a personal trainer, then by all mean, work with one of them! Their job is to help you reach your goal and to hold you accountable! Just make sure to have a plan. Fail to plan, Plan to Fail!!!!
2) Bulk cook your meals for the week! I can personally attest, that the weeks I do NOT bulk cook are the weeks that I make mistakes with my nutrition. It is so much easier to stay on top of your nutrition if you have a refrigerator stocked with pre-measured healthy meals. Why do you think Nutri-System is so popular??? Because it created "no-brainer" heat-and-eat meals for the people who pay for them. You can do the same thing easily (and more cheaply!) by setting up one day a week to bulk cook your meals. Sundays seem to work for most people, including me. But whenever you fire up the grill, etc, instead of just cooking for the one meal you are getting ready to eat, throw on the fire a week's worth of chicken, turkey, etc....cook brown rice in big batches....steam your veggies....and then grab your plastic storage containers and measure out your pre-portioned protein/carb/veggies. (for me, 4 oz protein, 1/2 c. brown rice, and veggies.) Now that your fridge is stocked full of healthy meals, you will be much less tempted to go for fast food, or other unhealthy grab-and-go food, when it is time to eat!
3) Find a support group/ accountability buddy! Peer pressure works both ways, you know! If you surround yourself with people who care about the same things you care about, then it will be much easier to stay on track. Let your friends and family know about your fitness/wellness goals and ask for their support. Maybe one of them will decide to go "all-in" with you! Feed your mind with healthy things too, books, magazines, etc....because if your trying to get fit and you're watching Paula Deen on FoodNetwork, well then that is going to create some negative cravings now isn't it? ;-)
Message Boards online are also great support. You can join us on Facebook or you can plug in to any number of other groups such as BodySpace , etc. Accountability and positive influences are key to keeping you motivated and encouraged. Chances are you will find not only inspiration, but also someone who is or has been where you are right now!
The road to fitness will have it's ups and downs for sure. We all have bad days, we all have slip ups and make mistakes. But hopefully, with these tips you will be able to stay on track with your own fitness goals.
We can do this!!!!
