Banging Body Part 3

Now that we have went over our yearly goals, monthly goals & scheduling our workouts into our weeks.  How do we actually achieve those goals?  The first of the year it seems is the easiest time for people to keep their motivation high and motivate themselves to head to the gym daily.  As February approaches you start to see the numbers drop off and as March is here the numbers are drastically lower.  So now that you made your fancy year goals click here to refresh your mind on part 1.  Plus have your monthly plan set into place click here if you need a refresher on part 2.  Now read on for banging body part 3 and how to keep that motivation rolling.    

Now onto the motivation aspect what sets apart the occasional fitness fans from the diehard its a lifestyle fans, that is the million dollar question.  One of the key things you need to do to stay motivated to achieve your goals is to focus on the journey and not just the destination.  A lot of people quit their fitness habits in the first month or two because they don't see the scale budge.  How frustrating they are busting their butts and nothing is happening!!  That is the number one deal breaker for people.  Most people just give up and throw the towel in, what?? I'm here to tell you not to throw that towel in.  Life is full of ups & downs we don't throw the towel in on ourselves every time something doesn't go our way.  Fitness should be no different.  You need to focus not just on that pesky scale but how your feeling as well.  Remember those goals you wrote from part 1 not just that you wanted to do a certain activity you wrote how you would feel.  I know not seeing the results instantly can be a deal breaker in this instant gratification world we live in but slow and steady truly does win the healthy race.  

Above is an example of my personal January promise and what I want to accomplish this month.  I plan to create one each month this year on what I want to do not what someone tells me I should want.  I think that is our first mistake on not reaching our goals.  So you have a goal weight in mind did you pick that weight or you were told by a friend, magazine, tv show that you should be that weight.  Really start to look at your goals and what you want to accomplish.  So your task this week is to create your January promise.  Since we are a few weeks into the year you have an idea of what has worked for you and what has not thus far and plan accordingly.  Resist the urge to work on February lets take this one month/day at a time.   As always check out SaFire  Training for more fitness & nutrition information. 

In good health,

 Andrea 

Banging Body Part 2

Last week we went over setting goals for the 1st-4th quarter of the upcoming year.  In case you missed it you can read part 1 here.  If your ready to move on to part 2 for your banging body read on!  To help you reach your goals you need to start your fitness journey.  Make sure you have developed a plan or hire a trainer to help you with your plan.  Below is my own workout calendar for the month of January.  I typically do this for my own clients and decided that I should start doing this for my own workouts.

I understand things come up and you might need to switch your Saturday workout to Thursday during the last week of the month and typically that is okay.  Your next step after having your workout mapped out for the month is to put your workouts into your schedule.  You want to make sure these are appointments that cannot be broken.  They are non-negotiable if you want to go to a last minute happy hour but haven't got your workout in for the day you will have to skip happy hour.  It can be tough at first but you need to put your health first and realize there will always be happy hours in the future.  Notice to really get that banging body it is not just about saying it you have to do the work to achieve those goals.

After having your workouts into place the next step is to look at your nutrition.  Make sure you have planned ahead, if you fail to plan you plan to fail.  I'm sure everyone has heard that quote but it is so true!  People get busy, mid-week your home you forgot to plan ahead and now are at a drive-thru or eating every junk food you have in your cupboards.   I tell my  clients to plan on their day off usually everyone has a day off or even an hour off at some point in their week.  Resist the urge to just sit in front of the tv and zone out plan ahead instead.  You don't have to overwhelm yourself by planning your entire week in that one day though that is great if you can.  Plan what 2-3 meals you will cook & either freeze or eat the leftovers during the week.  This is one great way to keep up on your fitness goals.

So now that you have your goals set & a plan in place next week will be part 3 of having a banging body.  Hint, we will be discussing motivation & how you actually can reach those goals.

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Tips for losing the last 10 pounds

Banging Body Part 1

This year I'm trying something a little different for my own personal fitness goals and wanted to share with you the steps I'm taking to make sure 2014 is the year of my fitness dreams!  I have broken down my year into 4 quarters and will focus on each quarter as an individual.  In my post I have shared with you the set-up I'm doing for my first quarter January-March.  This year I want to focus on feelings because as we strive to reach our fitness goals truly we are looking to feel a certain way not just to hit this ideal weight, body fat percentage or run a race.  Usually we have a feeling behind the need for those goals.  So as your working on your own fitness goals for the next year think about not only what you want to accomplish but how you want to feel.  This is part one of the banging body series that will be coming throughout the month of January.

To really start your year off right begin my creating a spreadsheet or if your still a paper, pencil gal write your goals down in a chart format.  In the middle record your big goals for the next few months,in the column on the far left write down your ongoing tasks to reach your goals.  These can be small tasks that will help you reach your overall main goal.  Below that are 1 time events to really set yourself up for success record what date you will accomplish your goal.  On the far right record the purpose of your ongoing fitness plan.  So the why behind what your doing in your action plan.  If you don't know the purpose behind your madness it will probably not be accomplished.  So dive into your new year by setting realistic and measurable goals, don't be afraid to put yourself out there.

If setting goals still makes you sweat and you don't know where to begin below is a calendar to get you through January.  There are fun little challenges combined with fitness & nutrition ideas to help you start 2014 off on the right foot.

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In good health,  Andrea

Tips for losing the last 10 pounds

Vison boards, SMART Goals, Inspiration- Oh my!

With the year winding down quite a few people are focusing on their 2014 goals.  As one of my clients said 2014 has a much better ring to it then 2013 does.  So depending on how your year went you might feel the same way.  So with a new year approaching what are your goals?  Don't go another year without putting goals on paper.  As I was telling my guy if you don't have goals where are you going in life?  How do you know you ever reach that destination?  I feel quite a few people live each day on a hamster wheel not really focusing on achieving something.  The achievement doesn't have to be something huge it can be something as simple as saving up to buy a new ipad, or learning how to snowboard, taking that trip to Sweden that you always wanted to do, maybe its losing those last 10 pounds & keeping them off.  Whatever you're striving for write it down and post somewhere you can see it daily.

I have recently read a book entitled Desire Map by: Danielle LaPorte it really is a wonderful book if you want to get down to the nitty gritty of writing goals.  Every goal she records she records how she wants to feel next to it.  So she is not only striving towards a goal but recording how she wants to feel when she achieves it.  She makes a great point of saying its the journey to the goal that will make or break achieving the goal.  If the journey is awful & tortures one how likely will they meet that goal?  Most likely they will quit that experience and forget about it & throw in the towel on goal setting, saying it doesn't work for them.  So when you tie a feeling to the goal really focus on that feeling because that is what you are truly striving for not the goal itself.  You feel the goal for example going to Sweden will make you feel excited to fill a childhood dream.  This is what you are remembering while you're saving money from every paycheck to attain your goal.

Finally when setting any goal or working on your vision board follow the SMART acronym.

 S-specific

M-Meaureable

A- Attainable

R-Realistic

T- Time

 Make sure you have recorded a date with all you're goals and not just said you will learn how to snowboard in 2014.  Try and be specific such as By March 31st, 2014 I will have learned how to snowboard and feel overjoyed at the fact that I tried a new sport.  In that example you have the date listed, what your goal is and then finally how you would feel after achieving that.  So give smart goals a shot in 2014 try a new goal setting procedure to help you reach whatever goal you set out to achieve in the upcoming new year.  

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Tips for losing the last 10 pounds

In good health, Andrea

Check in with that resolution

How is that resolution coming?  Just like this person in the picture above are you making small steps to get there or did you try to jump up all the steps at once?  I know studies show the person who starts making those small changes usually end up making their goal(s) stick.  The one who tries to overhaul their entire life to achieve the goal usually doesn't fair so well in 4 months from now.  So take a look at your goal, what can you do to achieve it today that is small and sustainable for the next year?  Start with the subtle shifts you can make in your life that won't throw you off course.  If it is a workout goal shoot for 3 days a week to start.  If you try to workout everyday, 1. You will burn yourself out.  2. You need a rest day, it is not good for your body to workout everyday.  So take a second look at your goals what can you do to break up your goals into small and reasonable tasks and goals.  If yours are already broken up see if you can add a second goal to your list.  Try this little things and eventually they will add up to one great goal achieved!

Check out SaFire Training for more information on achieving those goals!

New Year, New You Challenge

New Year, New You what are your resolutions for the upcoming year?  Don't have any?  Well that is all right but try to think of a goal you want to accomplish this year.  Not necessarily a resolution just a dream goal such as starting a new business, losing 20 pounds by the end of the year, going on a vacation, creating a bucket list.  Think of it as a journey and not just as a resolution.

So what is something you would like to accomplish to create a new you over the course of the year?  Make a plan, write it down and make it happen.  If you don't write down what your goal is you have less than an 80% chance of achieving the goal.  So your plan doesn't have to be detailed just etch out a little something and try to stick to it.

Start your challenge today!

Measure Up!

Well it is almost the end of the year and most people will start the new year off with a fitness goal of sorts.  Well before the new year starts and before you set your goal, measure up.  How do you really know what your goal is if you haven't stepped on a scale in months, you haven't measured your waist or hips in years.  You think you know but really own up to your numbers have no shame.  This is where you are today, that is not where you will be in a few weeks if you really put your mind to it.  Here are some tips on what sites you should measure to get your goals started.

Take these vital signs from your body to set your fitness goals:
1. Weight
2. Measure chest
3. Measure waist
4. Measure hips
5. Measure both arms
6. Measure both thighs
7. If possible get your body fat tested

The above numbers should guide you in the direction of your new years fitness goal.  Stick your goal on your refrigerator, a mirror or on your dresser.  Place it somewhere you can see it everyday and hold yourself accountable.  I will share my goals with you as well to give you an idea of what your goal should look like.

My Personal Fitness Goal
I want to get to 155lbs which is losing about 6-7lbs for myself.  My main goal is to get my body fat percentage around 17-18%.  I am currently around 22%.  I would like to achieve both goals by June 1st, 2013.

Bust through your plateau!

How are you going to break through that plateau?  You have been stuck at the same weight and nothing is budging well this time of the year is difficult to break through but I'm here to let you in on some tips.  Below are 6 ideas to help you re-commit to that healthy lifestyle you have been living.

1. Make sure you are getting enough sleep 8-9 hours a night

2. Eat breakfast every morning within an hour of waking

3. Mix up your cardio- If you always do steady state try intervals if you always do intervals throw in a couple steady state workouts.  

4. Make sure you are switching up your lifting routine monthly.  If you have been doing that mix it up bi-weekly. 

5. Log your food for a week to see if there is a nutrition issue.

6. Make sure you have a rest day or even check out a yoga class on your rest day.

Try the above tips out and see if you can break through those last few pounds to tone up that body and reach your fitness goals!