Simple Strategy To Achieving Your Health Goals

People often start a workout program with no plan. They simply want to be fitter. While that’s a noble goal, it doesn’t provide any direction or give a place or way to start. You can use a simple strategy for achieving health goals called SMART. SMART is an acronym for specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time frame. It all starts with making your goal specific. That’s the S in SMART. If you want to lose weight, how much weight? If you just want to be fitter, you have to decide what that means. Does it mean running further without dropping in exhaustion or lowering your blood pressure?

Your goal should be measurable and attainable.

You have to be able to measure your progress somehow. Are you going to measure weight loss in pounds or how many inches you lose? When are you going to weigh in or take measurements? Is it going to be once a week, once a month, or every other day? If you want the body of a tall slender movie star, but you’re only 5’2″, is that attainable? There are some things you can’t change. You can’t change your body build. Some people do have a larger, sturdier frame than others do. Those people may have broader shoulders, no matter how much weight they lose or exercise they do.

Be realistic and give yourself enough time to achieve your goal.

Everyone wants to lose weight or reach their goals quickly. It’s not always possible. If you want to lose weight or improve your muscle mass, flexibility, or endurance, it won’t happen in a week or two. It took time to gain the weight or get out of shape and it’s going to take time to reverse that. If you weigh 120 pounds and are 5’6″, losing 40 pounds isn’t realistic, or healthy for that matter. Keep it real.

Set a time to achieve your goal.

If you’ve ever been a procrastinator, you probably realize you have to set a date to complete a task or you’ll never do it. It’s the reason students often find themselves cramming for tests or trying to research and write a paper the night before it’s due. Once you set a time to achieve the goal, you can break down the goal into easier, smaller sections. If you need to lose 20 pounds, give yourself 10 weeks and set your weekly goal for two pounds every week or make it easier, set your goal for 1 pound a week for 20 weeks.

• Remember you don’t have to achieve everything at once. Tackle one goal at a time if it’s too overwhelming or start a change and when it becomes a habit, start another. Change the one that’s hardest to do first.
• Create rewards you’ll give yourself when you achieve the goal. It makes it more fun. Maybe you’ll treat yourself to new clothes or an active vacation, like scuba diving or skiing.
• Don’t make it feel like punishment, but more like a challenge. Be kind to yourself. If you fall off the wagon by skipping a workout or eating a pint of ice cream, start fresh the next day.
• Track your progress. Break down your goals into smaller units that you can achieve more quickly and track your progress every week. If you’re consistently not achieving your weekly goals, reevaluate the goal and your plan to achieve it.

For more information, contact us today at Get RIPPED! by Jari Love