D 2 B Fit Ezine 1

At Destined 2 Be Fit we stress the importance of setting goals fitness goals for yourself and actually creating a Fitness Deadline for yourself, that time in the future when you want to look and feel your absolute best by!

If you have a wedding coming up, class reunion or big vacattion, you're a step ahead of the game! You already have your deadline set, now you can work on your goals!

But why do we encourage this so strongly? What difference does it make if you set a goal for yourself or not?

We want you to really understand the importance of this step, and get you thinking about what your goal and deadline are!

A goal is a powerful tool, ESPECIALLY when it comes to weight loss. By setting a goal ahead of time you are able to track your progress. When you can see progress this serves as more motivation for you to continue on.

Setting a goal provides you a means of holding yourself accountable for achieving it. If you just make a general statement about what you would like to happen, such as lose weight, but you don’t set a specific amount within a specific time limit, it is going to be easier to procrastinate in making your lifestyle changes.

It is essential to set appropriate goals, here are some guidelines to help you. When you begin to write out your goals pay attention to your wording. Do not allow yourself to say, I might try to... or Maybe I will do this... use more powerful and action oriented words such as I will. Practice just for a moment saying these two sentences and think about which one makes you feel more powerful and in control:

This week I might try to get in 3 days of cardio. Or This week I will perform three cardio routines of at least 30 minutes or more!

Already you can start to feel a little more motivation based solely on the words that you are choosing to express your goal.

When you set your goals make them specific. Sticking with weight loss as an example, rather than... I want to lose weight... get particular by saying, I will lose 10 pounds over the next three months by increasing my cardiovascular exercise to 30 minutes three times a week and making healthy nutrition choices. Now you have a goal that you can actually track and measure. Setting a specific deadline by which you want to have your goal accomplished helps to create a sense of urgency which can also serve as a source of motivation for you, as well as hold you accountable for reaching your goal by your targeted date.

Set a goal that requires you to take some action. When you set fitness goals you are making a commitment to change your behavior. In order to change your behavior you must be specific about what the new behavior you are going to participate in will be. Again this provides another way for tracking your progress. If you set a weekly goal of walking for 30 minutes 3 times per week, and this week you only made it out 2 times you completed your goal by about 65%. You may want to consider keeping this as your weekly goal for another week or so until you have been able to implement it 100%.

It is important to keep your goals realistic. If your weight loss goal was ten pounds in two weeks time, this would not be a realistic healthy goal. The ACSM (American Council of Sports Medicine) guideline for healthy and maintainable weight loss is 1-2 pounds per week. You want to set yourself up for success, not failure, so choose goals that are challenging yet within your reach. Setting unattainable goals may lead to frustration which is a major cause for dropping out of your fitness program! Keep your goals realistic and you will feel a sense of accomplishment as you attain success. This success will serve as a great source for motivation as you continue on your fitness journey!

Start doing some digging and discover what goals you want to commit to! Join us on the D2BFit site today and share your goals with us! If you would like a free one month membership you can sign up for it online, or send an e-mail to Diana at contact@d2bfit.com and request one! We can't wait to get to know you!