Goal Setting for Improved Health and Fitness

It remains a fact that those who write their goals have a higher rate of success than those who don't. So if you want to be successful here's what I want you to do.

I want you to write down your top three fitness goals. Then break them down into short-term, mid-term and long-term goals.

Short-term goals are those you wish to accomplish in the next 12 weeks, mid-term in 6 months and long-term will take you a 1 year or more to reach.

Put some thought into this and keep in mind your goals don't have to be an outcome goals, they can be process goals.

Here's some examples of outcome goals: lose 30 pounds by my birthday. Drop 4 dress sizes by Spring Break. Lose 8 inches on waist by Memorial Day.

Examples of process goals: Exercise 3 days a week. Drink 8 glasses of water a day. Eat something healthy every three hours.

While outcome goals are great for your mid and long-term goals keep in mind you need to give them a due date and break them down into smaller daily actions. That's where the process goals are great - list the daily actions you are going to take for the next 12 weeks.

The difference between those who are successful and those who are unsuccessful are the daily actions they take. Those who succeed take daily actions not for a week, or a month or even three months, but daily until the goal is reached.

"You only fail when you quit"

So if you want to lose 20 pounds of fat by your birthday, you better make sure you eat right and exercise daily every day until that day comes.

If this is your long-term goal here's how you can break it down.
Long-term: Lose 20 pounds by Birthday and maintain it through the end of the year.
Mid-term: Lose 10 pounds of fat by the 4th of July

Short-term: Do three strength training workouts per week, 1 HIIT workout per week, and eat 5 meals per day every day.

Do this for all three of your goals and then make three copies of your goal sheet. Keep one by your bedside so you can read it every morning and every night. Keep the second in your car and read it at least once a day as soon as you get in before you start up - not while you're driving :) Keep the third in your pocket or purse and pull it out at least once a day and read it.

Hold Yourself Accountable

The last thing I want you to do is to get a calendar and use it to keep yourself in check. Every day you complete your daily actions give yourself a check mark and everyday you do not give yourself an X. The goal is to fill your calendar with check marks. At the end of the month give yourself some sort of reward for having 90% check marks on your calendar.

These steps are quick and easy and the road to finally reach your fitness goals. Take the time to do it and you'll thank me later.

Leave me a comment below and let me know how your goals are coming along so far.

For more on goal setting check out 14 Strategies to Reach Success

Myth Busters

Myth 1: muscle turns to fat when you stop lifting

Truth: when you stop lifting your muscles atrophy and your metabolism slows down because you have less muscle. In the end you lose muscle and you gain fat. Muscle and fat are two different things.


Myth 2: muscle makes you inflexible


Truth: Not stretching makes you flexible! Lots of people who lift don’t stretch. Those that do stretch can remain flexible while building muscle.




Myth 3: Women will get big from lifting weights (this one is a personal favorites)

Truth: Unlearn your old thinking and learn the truth. Women don’t have enough testosterone to build big bulky muscles. Besides most men have trouble bulking up even when lifting heavy.

The women in the magazines that look like men are taking something a little extra, if you know what I mean. Look at real women such as Madonna, Angela Bassett, or Demi Moore who lift weights. They have tone but aren’t huge.

You will build muscle which will increase your metabolism causing you to lose fat. More muscle + less fat = toned muscles. Losing weight without lifting leads you to be a smaller version of your flabby old self with no muscle tone. Some call this skinny fat.

Snacking on Fruits and Vegetables

Here's another great guest post from Angelique Marquez, R.D. of Simply Healthy Wellness. Enjoy!

In order to get 5 fruits and vegetables in a day, you will need to include one with every meal or snack. Try pairing your fruit and vegetable snacks with some protein and/or healthy fat, so they are more satisfying and stick with you longer.

Fruit Snack ideas:

Banana or apple with peanut butter (all natural, the ingredients should be: peanuts and maybe salt)

Apple or pear with cheese (laughing cow spreadable cheese works great)

Any sort of fruit with any sort of nut (almonds, walnuts, pecans, peanuts, cashews, pistachios...)

Trail mix of dried fruit and nuts works great too (especially before or after a workout), but remember that a little goes a long way, a handful is a good serving size.

Snackable Veggies:

Carrots, Snow Peas, Sugar Snap peas, Bell Peppers, Celery, Cucumbers, Zucchini, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Cherry tomatoes, the list goes on and on....These veggies pair nicely with some hummus, spreadable cheese, or with a dressing or dip.


Carrot tangent: You might want to wash and chop your own carrots. Do you really want the Pre-cut perfect little baby ones that have been rinsed in chemical solution...aka...bleach? They say it is not enough chemical solution to be harmful, but do they eat as many fruits and vegetables as I do? I prefer to buy organic when possible and wash with good old fashioned water. I choose to spend my dollar on what is healthier for my body and the environment. Of course, you can decide what's best for you and your family.

Get to snackin!

A little snack between meals will keep you from feeling famished and then overeating at your next meal. Start with the fruits and vegetables you enjoy most, and then get a little adventurous. Use snack time as a way to meet your nutrition challenge!

Angelique holds a bachelor's degree in Nutrition Science from University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She is a Registered Dietitian (R.D.) and cerified fitness trainer/instructor. She believes in a multi-facet approach to wellness. She is dedicated to improving the lives of many Las Vegas residents through wellness and disease prevention with proper nutrition.

For more from Angelique visit her online at www.simplyhealthywellness.com

If you like this post be sure to check out Four Nutrition Challenges for 2010

How to Tell if You’re Losing Fat

It’s always a good idea to check your progress with any goal that you set. With exercise many people default to checking their weight on a scale. While the scale is a good tool, it can often be misleading. The scale isn’t always the best tool. Here’s why.

First of all, as of now I want you to promise me that you won’t obsess about your weight anymore. I’m serious, the goal should be fat loss not weight loss. There is a difference. You can do a starvation diet and lose weight; you will lose muscle and slow down your metabolism, and look like a smaller version of your current self with little muscle tone. Some people call this “skinny fat” you’re skinny but still flabby. Is that the kind of fat loss you want? I don’t think so?

What you want to do gain muscle which will boost your metabolism and make sure the weight you do lose comes from fat not muscle. If you the scale reads the same weight and you lose inches around your waist and thighs and your body fat is lower; you’ve lost fat but not weight. You’ll have more muscle tone as well. This is why it’s possible for your weight on a scale to remain the same and another reason I like to take body fat percentages and body measurements. This tells you a lot more than the scaled does.

Most women will be healthy fit and lean around 18-22% body fat, no matter what the scale reads. For men it’s around 12-16%.

Think of it this way: Imagine there was a magic fat loss machine – a little booth you could step into and come out looking exactly how you’ve always dreamed of looking: the exact pants size and with the muscle definition you wanted and the right body fat percentage, with abs too (if that’s what you’re aiming for) but there was one catch – this magic machine somehow increased your bone density by 100%? So while you looked great you weighed 50 pounds more. So if you were 150 before now you’re 200 but you look amazing. Would you be happy with that or would that number on the scale make you want other results? Now what if the opposite was true; the magic machine made you lose 20 pounds but you looked exactly the same. Understand how you look and feel and how much you weigh are not necessarily related.

From Rachel Cosgrove’s the Female Body Breakthrough

If you lose 10 pounds of fat and gain 10 pounds of muscle you will look like you’ve lost 20 pounds but your weight will be the same on the scale. Don’t focus on the scale, but how you feel and how your clothes fit.

Alternative tools to the scale the check your progress

Skinny jeans
Get a pair of jeans that are a few sizes too small that you want to be able to fit into. Try them on every couple of weeks to check your progress. Avoid doing this daily! At first you may not get them over your thighs, then you’ll get them over your thighs, but not your hips. After a couple more weeks they get all the way up but you won’t be able to button them, then you’ll be able to button them by sucking in your stomach. Finally they’ll fit comfortably. You won’t need a scale to tell you you’ve made progress!

Measurements
Every month pull out a measuring tape and measure around your chest, hips, waist, and thigh. If you’re losing inches from month to month, you won’t need to worry what the scale says because you are losing fat and gaining muscle.

Photos
Another way to check your progress is to take a photo of yourself. Guys can do this without shirt and wearing shorts and ladies and wear a swimsuit. From month to month you’ll see your progress as your waist shrinks and you lose the excess fat and start to see more muscle definition all over. No need to oil up and get a tan like the magazine ads though :)

Keep in mind weight loss is not always linear. While most people can lose 1-2lbs. a week on average through healthy eating and exercise some weeks you can lose 3lbs. and others you won’t lose any. That’s why it’s called an average. Again shift your focus away from weight and keep the focus on working hard every workout and eating right every meal everyday 90% of the time.

One Thing That Will Help You Get the Body You Want

How many times have you won the lottery?

How many times have you got in the best shape of your life in a few short weeks with little effort.

Try, never and never.

You should know by now that quick fixes don't work. Stop looking for the easy way out. It's time to try a new approach. If you want to get what you haven't got, you have to do what haven't done.

That's worth repeating; If you want to get what you haven't got, you have to do what haven't done.

"You only fail if you quit"

You wanna know how to win the lottery? Here the answer - embrace hard work and take daily actions. It won't come overnight but as long as you keep going you'll eventually get there. If you're doubting me it's because you usually quit too soon. Keep on keeping on!

Here's a secret, those who have the body you want are either the hardest workers in the gym or they have better genetics than you.

Since you can't do anything about your genes you've got to be a hard worker. It's that simple.

"It's not going to be easy, but then again nothing worthwhile ever is"

Make a promise to yourself that from today on you're gonna work hard and take action everyday!

7 Strategies to Eat Healthy Without Dieting

Every time I turn around it seems there's a new miracle fat loss gimmick for dieters. These fad diets aren't the answer; the answer is healthy eating. Luckily for you eating healthy doesn't have to be hard. To succeed you need to have a plan. I've listed seven strategies to make eating healthy a lot easier without the restriction and dangers of dieting.

1. Get off the “See Food Diet”
If you're like me when you're hungry you'll eat whatever you see. When you get the junk out of the house there's no temptation to eat it. Replace chips and cookies with fresh fruits and veggies and dip them in hummus.

2. Have a cheat day or cheat meals
This allows you to enjoy the foods you love without the guilt. The secret is eating clean 90% of the time.... so if you eat 5 times a day, seven days a week (35 meals) you should only have 3-4 cheat meals weekly. This is how you can eat ice cream, pizza, fried chicken, whatever - guilt free.

3. Carry shakes and bars as a backup plan
If you plan to be in the car, on a plane, shopping, or anywhere that could get in the way of you eating a healthy meal be prepared. Prograde has the best tasting bars and shakes without the artificial ingredients found in others.

4. Stop nutritional freestyling
Eating whatever you want and skipping meals is a recipe for disaster. Be prepared by planning your meals in advance and shopping for healthy foods on a regular basis.

5.Eat every 3 hours
This helps you avoid the point of total starvation. I don't know about you but when I get here I'll binge on first thing I can find. Avoid this point at all costs. Numbers 3 and 4 will help you with this.

6. Avoid temptation
When someone brings doughnuts in office practice a little self discipline. If you can't, know that you're choosing to use a cheat meal.

7. Enjoy your cheat meals away from home
This strategy works well because you won't have any left-over's in the house to tempt you later. If you buy a two liter soft drink and bring it home you'll be cheating all week until it's gone; have it at the restaurant and when it's done, it's done.

I put it out there for you, now it's up to you to do it. Even one or two of these strategies can have a big effect on fat loss.

All these tips are golden, but #1 is the key for me. Leave a comment with your favorite tips - I wanna know what works for you and which one's you're gonna try.

Tony

Abdominal Training Revealed

Okay, so originaly I promised you two Core videos. But then I thought, I've got more great exercises for sculpting abs that I wanted to show you - so here's the 3rd video!

Again, you won't find any crunches here... If you like doing 500 crunches a day with nothing to show for it, sorry this video is not for you. However if you want something that'll get results in a short amount of time then check it out.





Remmber, there's no quick fix. You've gotta be consistent to get great results.

To keep it fresh try doing the core workout 1 on Monday, Core workout 2 on Wednesday and the 3rd workout on Friday.

Make sure to check out the first two videos here:

The Core Workout Part 1

The Core Workout Part 2