Day 3

I know Day 3 is a strange place to start but the 1st 2 days were a flurry of activity....I was thrilled when I learned that I had won a year membership to Tom Venuto's Burn the Fat Inner Circle in a blog contest (Thank you, Tom Venuto!) and have officially entered his 49 day Transformation Challenge! This is the ultimate companion to my own New You Resolution!  Busy getting organized, posting the before pictures, starting stats etc. I have never entered a contest before and am finding it extremely motivating, the forums in the Inner Circle are full of information and make it easy to surround yourself with like-minded people, all working towards the same goals despite many starting in very different places. The overall attitude in the forums is very positive, people reaching out to support and motivate people they have never even met. And talk about accountability... regular entries to a journal are a part of the contest and a real sense of community leads to a desire to succeed both for yourself and all the others cheering you on.  Looking forward to the next 46 days of the journey and I will keep you posted.  How are you doing on your New You Resolution?

Setting goals (and acheiving them)!

Photo by marcus-jb1973

Setting goals is so important in the quest to make changes in any aspect of your life. Without goals we lose direction and often take the attitude of "doing it tomorrow." Goals also keep us honest...did you achieve a goal or not? Goals should be something you can measure and be sure to make yourself accountable to the goals you set- write them down, tell others and set a date to attain them by. Health and fitness goals may include a variety of measurable, objective components: body composition/body fat percentage, weight (not your best option if just starting with a resistance program as the scale my not change as quickly), inches lost, adherence to workout program (days per week), minutes of cardio, sets/reps/weights increase and the ever popular (and a good one!)"how your clothes fit." Pick something that works for you and set goals both short and long term!

I personally reached a goal this week with regards to body composition, I admit, enjoyed a grin to myself and then...set the next goal to lose another 2% bodyfat. Reaching a goal renews my motivation to adhere to my program. Enjoy the moment of attaining a goal and celebrate (not with a Big Mac and a large fry!) but then it is not the time to sit back and consider it done but then time to set another goal and keep the momentum going. Look back where you came from (keep a journal/photos of your progress) and congratulate yourself on all the positive changes, hard work and sacrifices you made to get here and remind yourself why you are doing it! Look forward to where you want to be, set new goals and stay on track! Place small reminders of your goals in visible places to help keep you on track all day.

Start right now set a goal and make yourself accountable, write it down, make it real and get after it!

I'll get you started....I shared my goal, post your health and fitness goals here now! Share you goals and surround yourself with like minded people and you'll be surprised by the boost of motivation and little daily reminders to stay on track.

Kicked my own butt

Ok, have to admit I was less than enthusiastic about getting out of bed before 5 am but as I always tell myself the only workout I ever regret is the one I skipped. So I headed out....

Today's workout:

Split squats
Sumo squats
Deadlifts
Hip Thrust
And a variety of abs exercise during 'rest' times...
And finish it off with a kick butt cardio session.

Result....energized and feeling good!

New You Resolution

Let's try something different....instead of deciding to set another New Year's Resolution this year get started today and we'll call it a New You Resolution. Think about it...and be honest... how many years have you set a resolution and actually stuck with it? New Year's resolutions are a recipe for disaster in a lot of cases. We spend months before building up to the big day, usually spending more time living it up in anticipation of the fear of losing the freedom to eat what we want and dreading starting at the gym....that adds up to even more holiday pounds and harder habits to break.  Then...the big day arrives and wow have you got a lot to face! And since it only comes once a year if you mess up that deal with yourself it is a big drop off the side of that wagon!
Let's mix it up and start now, don't wait for New Year's, with a plan to make little resolutions each day to get headed to achieving that new you. See desserts at holiday gatherings as your cheat meal for the week not an excuse for complete overindulgence for the next 2 months, deal with a food hangover and then you try to go cold turkey on January 1st.
Join a gym now instead of trying to get started with the rush of other  newbies that have set a New Year's resolution. Just watch the gym, for the 1st 3 weeks of the year it will be packed, after that all that remain are the regulars that were there on December 31st because they made a resolution to change a lifestyle. I'll be there, how about you?
 The bottom line....start now making healthy changes you can LIVE with (not stick with for a few weeks) because you desire a healthier life! Who's with me? Let's get started now!