Category: Goals/Resolutions

Setting Realistic Goals

1/1/2021

It is so easy to create excuses to keep us from starting habits for a healthy and active lifestyle, even if we know that starting it can greatly benefit us. We all want a quick fix, a magic pill to do exactly what we want done, a snap of the finger and BAM you look good and are healthy as a horse. But if I’m being honest, it doesn’t happen that way.
Sure there are trendy crash diets and workout challenges that help people achieve a goal in a short period of time, but that doesn’t last long. Those results don’t last, and usually lead to unhealthy habits that continue and repeat. To really get on track, it is okay to start small and to start slow. You want to get into a healthy habit and create routines. The goal is to create a lifestyle that you can keep up with, so you can enjoy life and love who you are.
It may be a new year, but every day is a new one, so why not get started now? The best way, that I have found, to keep me on track with my goals is to write down everything. So do it, write it all down - everything you want to accomplish, how you are going to accomplish your goals, the things that make you feel good - write it all down.
Create a list each week of what needs to get done. Set your priorities, so the most important tasks can be finished first. Create small goals each day/week that are easy and realistic for you to complete.
How do you make health a priority? Focus on movement, on drinking more water, on eating your fruits and veggies, on getting more rest and sleep. Think about why you are doing this, is it for yourself?
Some examples of these health and fitness goals can be:’

Get 3 workouts in a week, wake up and drink 1 glass of water.
Drink two 40oz water bottles a day.
Aim to go to bed at 9pm.
Set your alarm for 6am to wake up and get a workout in.
Add 1 serving of fruits/veggies to each meal, etc.

Think about what changes need to be made, how you are going to make them, and set those goals. Don’t let another excuse get in your way. The only way you are going to reach your goals, is by taking the first step and putting in the work.

In order to see the results, you have to start somewhere, you have to progress, you have to build, and you have to be CONSISTENT. Create a healthy habit, and make a lifestyle for yourself.
Get organized - Set your priorities - Get started - Hit those goals

Jenna Webster CSCS
@TheFitGirlWithCurls

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Making A Habit Out Of Fitness

11/30/2020

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“It’s a lifestyle.” You may hear a lot of gym goers and health enthusiasts say this all the time. And it’s true. It IS a lifestyle. It becomes something that is just a part of the way we do things on a day to day basis. It’s not a hassle to us, it makes us feel good, it makes us feel alive, and it’s not a burden to keep up with. But, if health and fitness is not a part of how you do things, how do you get it to become a part of your life?

The goal is to make health and fitness a habit in your life. By consciously making healthy choices for yourself on a day to day basis will become a part of your lifestyle.

4 Tips in creating a habit out of fitness and keeping your body in motion.

1. Make your rest days ACTIVE. Recovery and rest days from training and the gym are important for muscle development, strength development, it helps to avoid overtraining, and helps in injury prevention. But rest days don’t necessarily mean to sit around on our butts watching netflix for the entire day to only get up to check the fridge or hit the loo.
Rest days are about taking a break from your gym routine and training. But you can still move your body to keep your muscles in motion. This means, moving through very light activity like leisure walks or bike rides, going on hikes, swimming, yoga, playing sports and games with your friends and family, gardening, cleaning, doing something that you enjoy outside of the gym and keeping yourself active.

2. Avoid consecutive rest days. When planning our rest days, it can be very tempting to just give ourselves two days in a row - this tends to be Saturday and Sunday. This is fine if you are consistently getting into the gym and nailing your workouts. But for someone just starting off whose goal is to turn fitness into a habit, it's better to avoid consecutive rest days. One day is fine, the second day the motivation starts to dwindle, and the third day is a debate whether you should allow yourself one more day of rest “because it’s just ONE day.”
In my opinion, it’s better to split the rest days up when you want to keep yourself in control and moving towards your goals.

3. Train EFFICIENTLY in the time you have. Life is busy! No matter who you are, somedays/weeks/months may feel like you have no control and no time for your full workouts. But start thinking of the workouts as movements rather than a chore, and when life gets crazy and hectic - it’s okay to just go through the movements. If getting 20 or 30 minute sessions on some days stresses you out with everything else around you, focus on making a conscious effort to just get movements in throughout the day or or move through a quick routine of 4-6 exercises for 10-15minutes in your day.

For your movements throughout the day, try to set a timer to get up and walk around/pace every 30minutes for 5-10minutes.
Another movement that can be done is seated squat repetitions from your chair (sit down, stand up, sit down, stand up)
Walk up and down a flight of stairs for a certain amount of time.
Make it a point to leave things in walking distance to force you to get up and get to them. IE: Tv remote, cell phone, etc.

4. Get an accountability partner. Accountability is something that will externally motivate you to get your workout and movements in! Having a friend/family member who has the same goals as you on your team, or hiring a fitness trainer/coach to help guide you in the right direction, even the accountability of joining a group fitness class can help you stay on track.

The idea is having somebody help you live up to your promise to yourself. This person will help you stay honest and can help push you each day to do what you said you would. Even on those tough days that you just don’t feel like it. Sometimes when we have that little push from someone, it can help us get moving - and there are never regrets on those days after a completed activity.

Friend or family member. You can tell them your goals, and maybe they will want to join in on what you are doing. You can do things, like challenge each other to move on a daily basis by tracking with your fit watch or phone. You can plan to work out together a certain number of days in the week. If you live at a distance from one another, you can make a pact to text each other before and after doing your workout. Cheer each other on! Motivate each other! Allow this person to help you reach your goals.
Get a Trainer. I may sound biased, but a personal trainer is a great way to help keep you accountable for your health and fitness goals. Find somebody that you feel like you can work well with. They will work with you in creating a program specific to your needs and goals. Scheduling with them will cause you to make your gym appointments, and hit those workouts every week. And if your trainer gives you workouts to do on your own, then you will have the support and motivation from your trainer.

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New Year's Resolutions - Don't just say it! Do it!

12/26/2019

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New Year’s Resolutions can be a cliché that can either help you grow, or for many of us, be something that makes absolutely no changes because we don’t follow through with the thought. The most common of these clichés is to workout more and eat healthier. If this is your resolution every year, and you decided to try for it once more, let’s talk about setting it forth and becoming successful.

How are you setting yourself up for success? Other than the overall goal of “workout more” and “eat healthier”, have you set any achievable goals for yourself? This does not have to be something to fail at. You can really succeed, as long as you have a plan. Speaking the words of change out loud is not going to magically give you the body you deserve, make you faster or give you better endurance. Speaking the words of change is not going to magically make you buff or give you the 6 pack of your dreams, drop your resting HR, or even lower your blood pressure. But, Planning, hard work, consistency, patience, and routines will help get you there OVERTIME. So even though you may be starting in the new year, don’t think of this as a 1 year only road. You have to create the habit, stick with it, and it will become a part of your lifestyle.

Let’s start a habit and keep it consistent with these tips:

Write down your goals and make them specific.
1. Now, when I’m mentioning goals I’m not talking about the big picture of “eat healthier” and “workout more”. You need to think about smaller goals that are more achievable. These goals will be your building blocks to getting to the grand desire. These can be things that you consistently throw into your program. Let’s start with 3 simple goals that are reachable on a daily or weekly basis and that are very specific to what you want to achieve. An example of a good goal is, “I want to get myself into the gym 4 days a week for at least 30 minutes.” Another idea of one is, “I’m going to introduce a new vegetable to my dinner each week.” Another is, “Last week I was only able to do 6 repetitions with correct form at a certain weight. I’m going to keep the weight, and focus on building up to 8 repetitions.” Each of these those goals is specific in what we want to achieve, and how we are going to do it.
2. By giving yourself specific goals that can easily be met, it makes the healthier lifestyle resolution easier to attain. Just remember that success happens slowly, overtime, with work, and not with a snap of a finger. You have to allow yourself to make small changes to move forward on the road you want.
Schedule out a plan.
1. Don’t just think about what your schedule is for the week. Lay it all out on a calendar. Whether you plan it for the entire month, each week, or just daily. Planning ahead will help keep you accountable for what you are trying to achieve.
2. Write out your work schedule (when do you leave for work, when do you get home, when do you have your lunch break or any free time during the day). Write out your social plans (are you doing happy hour after work, or meeting a friend for dinner?) Check to see where you have any openings in the schedule you just laid out for yourself. Do you have 20/30/45/60 minutes before you leave for work to hit the gym or do a home routine? Do you have time during lunch or after work? What days in the week are you available to do your cooking – Is it only 1 or 2 days? Plan to cook in bulk for leftovers.
3. Succeeding in your goals is all about prioritizing the things that are important to you. If you add these goals to your daily/weekly schedule, then you have already made the step in allowing it to become a part of your lifestyle, now you just have to execute the plan.
Skipping is not an option when forming a habit.
1. It’s one thing if you have been active and consistent and know how to bounce back from a week off. But, if you are reading this, you are most likely having trouble sticking to this. Don’t allow yourself to skip the days that you planned for yourself. By doing this, you’re lowering the level of its’ priority and not allowing yourself to create this habit. Don’t make excuses for yourself, be consistent, and persistent.
Find the things that you enjoy.
1. Get on a consistent schedule by doing a form of movement that you like, and/or finding people that you can share your workouts with. Find healthy foods and recipes that you enjoy. This way, it doesn’t seem and feel like chore and becomes more attainable.
2. For working out, if you enjoy classes try different ones until you find the class you really enjoy. Find the class that helps give you the energy boost you need, or the calming mind that you seek. Try different things until you find what it is you really like. Grab a buddy to hit the gym with for resistance training- this way you both can keep each other accountable, push each other, and have some good laughs and conversations when you are at the gym. Get a trainer if you enjoy the company, but want to focus on just you. Find ways to enjoy what you are doing, set a great playlist and/or listen to a motivational podcast.
3. For eating better, find different fruits, veggies, and recipes, that you enjoy. Eating healthy does not need to be boring or dull. Learn how to cook with natural seasonings and flavors, add some zest to your meals. Eating can be an emotional thing, so enjoy fueling your body with the proper nutrients, and enjoy giving your body more energy by eating more fruits and veggies in different dishes.

Don’t be the cliché that doesn’t follow through with your resolution. If you want a change, you and only you can make it happen. So, let’s get started!

Jenna Webster CSCS
@TheFitGirlWithCurls

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Shredding For the Wedding 5/7/16

5/18/2016

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I shredded for the wedding!

I am now a married woman. We had a wonderful wedding last week that was filled with love and fun- lots of fun. The stress of the wedding planning was finally released and it was a joyous time. Leading up to the event, other than the usual wedding stress of how things were going to flow and getting all the decoration details in order, I, just like many other brides, had the thought in the back of my head - the worry about how my dress would fit the day of.

Maintaining my figure and staying toned is pretty much always my goal. This was the same goal I had for the dress. So in order to keep me focused on this goal, I had to think of a different- more specific one, that would force me to stay in a weekly routine.
Take note, even if your goal is different from mine like weight loss, you need to find a more specific one to help you stay on track with fitness.

My more specific goal:
For about a year now I have been talking about training for and running a full marathon. I have done several half marathons, but never the full 26.2 miles. And with the wedding, I found that it was the perfect opportunity to get myself on a more strict workout regimen- so I signed up!!!!
(The wedding was May 7th but the race is in June, so my training has still continued, even after the I do's.)

As soon as I signed up for the marathon, I sat down and wrote out my 4 month training program for both me and my now husband (of course I dragged him into it! Workout buddies make everything fun :-D ).

Flexing for the wedding

Vogue. I was feeling myself

The workout regimen is extremely important in helping with anyone's fitness goals, but nutrition is also a key factor. I eat a lot of fruits and vegetables on a regular basis, and I get my protein from legumes, meat, and some dairy products. I continued with my normal routine. I did try to stay away from the processed foods as much as I could.

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16 Tips To Help Get You Fit For 2016

1/1/2016

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HELLO 2016 GOODBYE 2015

It's a New Year! Can you believe it? Make this year a better one, a fit one, and a healthy one. Your focus this year and the ones to follow should be to improve your way of life so that you can live an active and healthy lifestyle with longevity. Be happy, Be strong, Love your Life, and Love your body. Here are a few tips to help you get into shape.

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New Year New You. 2014.

1/1/2014

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Happy New Year Everyone! The best thing about the new year is that you get to start over. I love it because I get to look to the future I have ahead of me and see what I need to do in order to better my life. This year is a big one for me, I am going to push myself to where I want to be. When I am re-certified, I will be able to help people work for living a healthy and active lifestyle through exercises and counseling. But here is where I am going to start. With my blog posts, I will give advice and tips for living and maintaining an active lifestyle.

What's your new years resolution? If it is to live and maintain a healthy lifestyle, you are looking at the right page. Every year, this seems to be the biggest resolution on everyone's list, sometimes it's the resolution each year. This is good. It is a great start for you to announce to yourself, your friends, and your families that this year you will eat healthier and exercise more. The next step is to begin to be more physically active, and to watch the types of food you eat.

14 Tips To Help you Get Started On An Exercise Program and Eating Healthy in 2014

It can be tough to start a program, especially if you think that going to the gym is boring. Hopefully these tips will help guide you.

Find activities that interest you. Something that keeps you alert and motivated, keeps you excited, and coming back for more. Find activities that will give you a good work out and will also give you enjoyment.
Do activities that you can share with a partner or a group of people. Having company when exercising can help to keep your motivation up.
Take up a group exercise class that you will enjoy. (Yoga, Zumba, Boxing, Cross-Fit, Aerobics Classes, etc.)
Try something different. Don't be afraid of something new, you never know, you may really enjoy it. Do an activity on the weekend or during your days off that gets you moving - something that you would never think to do. (Rock climbing, go to a Trampoline Park, Ice Skating, Roller Skating, take a Dance Class). Whatever you decide, make sure you have fun with it.
If you have questions or need help, don't be afraid to ask a personal trainer.
Eat small and frequent meals throughout the day. This will keep your metabolism up. Your body fuels off of carbohydrates, so having small servings of carbs frequently throughout the day will help keep your body running and energized.
Eat a good balance of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.
Eat Fruits and Vegetables.
Eat a variety of different foods. By eating a variety of different foods, your diet isn't going to be boring with the same thing all the time. But more importantly, you will be able to consume more nutrients by changing what you eat.
Eat very colorful foods. Eating colorful foods goes along with number 8. Different colored fruits and vegetables contain different nutrients.
Avoid calorie filled beverages. Things like juices, sodas, beers, wines, and alcohols should be avoided if your goal is to lose weight.
Try to cook more and dine out less. This will be good for you because you know how much of something you put into your own food.
Avoid eating at Fast Food Restaurants.
Avoid eating Fried Foods and Foods high in sugar and salt.

Don't keep putting off exercising.
Today is your day to start moving!
"Yesterday you said tomorrow." - Nike

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Always Keep Active

Setting Realistic Goals

Making A Habit Out Of Fitness

4 Tips in creating a habit out of fitness and keeping your body in motion.

New Year's Resolutions - Don't just say it! Do it!

Shredding For the Wedding 5/7/16

I shredded for the wedding!

16 Tips To Help Get You Fit For 2016

HELLO 2016 GOODBYE 2015

New Year New You. 2014.

14 Tips To Help you Get Started On An Exercise Program and Eating Healthy in 2014

Author

Categories

Archives

Always Keep Active

Setting Realistic Goals

Making A Habit Out Of Fitness

4 Tips in creating a habit out of fitness and keeping your body in motion.

New Year's Resolutions - Don't just say it! Do it!

Shredding For the Wedding 5/7/16

I shredded for the wedding!

16 Tips To Help Get You Fit For 2016﻿

HELLO 2016 GOODBYE 2015

New Year New You. 2014.

14 Tips To Help you Get Started On An Exercise Program and Eating Healthy in 2014

Author

Categories

Archives

16 Tips To Help Get You Fit For 2016