fit tips
Specific & Measurable Goal:
I’m going to work out at HAC to lose 15
pounds by summertime, and I’ll measure my
progress by taking a before photo and my
waist circumference, and weigh in every
Wednesday morning on the scale.
Now we’re going to go a little out of order.
Let’s set a timeframe. If the goal is over the
course of a long time, it may not be challenging
enough to motivate you, and if it’s over too
short a period of time, it won’t be realistic or
attainable. It’s January, and you’re looking to
lose 15 pounds by summer. On average, most
people can expect to lose 1-2 pounds per week
depending on how aggressive they want their
diet and exercise regimen to be. So 15 weeks
would put you into April. You have to remove
3500 calories a week in order to see a 1 pound
weight loss. Removing 3500 calories solely
through two nights of exercise a week is not
realistic. So from this point, you would need to
go back and modify your original, specific goal
to include the revelations here. By the end, you
might find yourself at:
SMART Goal:
I’m going to work out on Tuesdays, Thursdays,
and Saturdays, and I’m going to start packing
my lunch instead of buying takeout, to lose 15
pounds by the end of 15 weeks. I will track my
progress by taking a before picture, measuring
my waist circumference, and weighing in
weekly on Wednesday mornings.
So now you have a goal – a SMART goal. But
you still haven’t made it a habit. One of the
easiest ways to create new habits is to link
them to existing ones. It’s not exactly easy
to throw in a 60-minute workout between
brushing your teeth and putting on your
shoes, but maybe on Tuesdays and Thursdays
your spouse doesn’t get home until 6:30 pm
because they take little Johnny to soccer
practice, so if you get off at 5:00 and drive to
HAC, you’ve got 90 minutes before any familial
obligations. Let’s say you always do your
grocery shopping on Saturdays. Now
you can link your Saturday workout to
before you shop.
This scenario may not work perfectly for
you, but if you can find little breaks in your
schedule where you can remove a couple of
the obstacles in your way, creating the new
habit becomes that much easier.
Tip: If you have trouble holding yourself
accountable or finding the motivation, great
ways to get started are trying a class, finding
a workout buddy, or using a personal trainer.
We know hopping into that first class where it
seems that everyone knows the choreography
but you can be intimidating – fear not! They
were all in your shoes once. Plus, classes are
an easy way to make new friends at HAC!
And make it a good one! If you want to feel
more comfortable in your beach wear next
summer, try picking a reward like a couple of
extra beach days or a new swimsuit or other
summer clothing that you wouldn’t ordinarily
buy. Remember to make these specific, too:
“On May 5th, I’m going to go shopping for
myself, because all of my old beach clothes
won’t fit!”
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