The start of any weight loss and fitness program brings about a steep learning curve.
Especially if you are doing it on your own.
In fact, sometimes that learning curve is so steep that it can put you off very quickly and even makes you feel sick.
That’s because there is so much to discover by yourself on your way towards your SMART fitness goals:
how to set MEANINGFUL goals that you can’t wait to reach. Not all goals are created equal. And you often hear people talk about SMART Fitness Goals… they are a great starting point, but they are based on logic. And you know very well that it’s the emotions associated with your goals that’ll keep you fired up to reach them. Not the logic. So you really need to put some thought into this.
how to STRUCTURE YOUR MEALS so they help you reach YOUR goals. It’s easy to be lazy and pick up a meal plan from some Instagram influencer who looks good from THAT angle. ? The thing is, what works for them most likely won’t work for you. So, what’s the point in copying them? You need to learn what works for you and then do more of that. Forget about everyone else!
how to EXERCISE in a way that doesn’t kill you but makes you stronger. You may think this is the easiest part and yet so many people get it totally wrong. Especially those who’ve gone past the magic age of 40. This is when your body starts to behave in ways that leave most women completely baffled. So they workout harder. For longer. And that’s where they go wrong…
how to HONOUR YOUR METABOLISM and team up with it instead of going to war with it. You’ll lose, anyway. ?♀️ The secret is in taking the time to learn how your unique genetics respond to your environment. Then act in a way that supports the expression of the genes that keep you healthy, fit and strong. You might think I’m stating the obvious, but you’d be surprised at the sheer number of people who do the exact opposite. Consistently. And then moan about being stuck. ?♀️
how to replace your will with SKILLS. The latter will get you that much further than your willpower alone. Because willpower is a finite quantity and, sooner or later you’ll run out of it. But, if you learn the skills needed to read the signals that your body sends you all the time you’ll always know what needs to be done in that moment. And later on. It’s a bit hard in the beginning, but then it becomes second nature.
how you can MAKE IT ALL FIT around your lifestyle. And not the other way round or you’ll almost certainly become resentful of the changes you made. You’ll most likely focus on what you had to give up to make room for your new healthier lifestyle instead of everything you’ll gain because of it. So change your perspective and see how you can reconcile the two so that any changes are smooth and seamless.
HOW YOU KNOW if what you are doing is working for you. In other words, how to monitor your progress. Oftentimes people focus on just one or two things to decide if their fitness program is working for them. But the truth is, there are different parameters that will tell you exactly what’s going on when you haven’t shrunk at all, not even a smidgen. This part of your fitness journey is crucial, because ultimately it will influence your willingness and enthusiasm to carry on and actually reach your SMART fitness goals.
These are only a few things that come to mind.
Depending on your situation there will be more.
There’s always more, to be fair…
The thing is, when you start out you are all excited about your shiny new fitness project and, for a short period of time, you are an icon of commitment and determination.
We’ve all been there.
You weigh all your food, you count all your calories, you do all your workouts, you tell everyone that you are doing it and try to rope in as many people as possible because now you are an evangelist and everyone on the planet should follow your example or be damned.
But… what if your fitness goals aren’t suddenly so smart?
After the first couple of weeks the initial excitement starts to wane and you become a bit sour from the experience. Your willpower deserts you and, unless you’ve gradually replaced it with skills, you are in trouble.
You worry that you aren’t seeing any tangible changes and you begin to lose faith in whatever program you chose to follow.
The problem is most likely that you stumbled at number 1 in the list above: you didn’t set your goals in a meaningful way. By that I mean, a way that gives you a clear direction and therefore little milestones that you can reach ever week or every day to keep you moving forward. But not only that, your goals actually mean something to you that goes beyond fitting into your old skinny jeans.
Doing this involves a lot of soul searching and uncomfortable conversations with yourself. But once you found the courage to articulate the real reasons you set yourself your SMART fitness goals, they’ll be easier to reach. Every choice you’ll make after that will get you that little bit closer to your ultimate goal.
On top of that, you are most likely not wise about ways to go about number 7 in the list above: progress with a fitness journey can be invisible at times, but if you know what to look out for you’ll be able to reassure yourself that it’s happening.
And that will keep your fire burning, constantly fueling your desire to stay the course until you see the chequered flag. ?
The perfect companion for your fitness journey
That’s why, back in 2018, I created my “Super Simple Fitness Planner”: to help people with number 1 (set their SMART fitness goals) and number 7 (monitor their progress) in the list above. Everything else I teach in my programs and challenges.
The planner IS super simple, but not stoopid.
I stripped it down to the bare basics to leave the room for you to be creative but spare you the agony of spending hours every day scribbling shit in a book.
Who’s got the time to do that? Not you if you have to cook and workout! 
If you are going to focus on your weight loss and fitness soon, this will be your perfect companion.
You have two versions to choose from: the digital version that you can download and start using immediately for less than a GROM (my favourite Italian ice cream) or… you can order a physical version from the good folks at Lulu.com so you can keep all your scribblings in the same place!
The choice is yours! ?
