Get Back On Track & Stay There
The past month I “fell off the wagon”. I’m going to share my tips on getting back on track.
First of all, it’s normal to fall off the wagon. Sometimes other things are more important than fitness. For example, we moved from Alabama to Iowa and I’ve been focused on organizing our house and getting back into work. I haven’t had the time or the energy to workout. But things have settled and I’m ready to get back into the swing of it so, here are some tips!
Identify goals
This is the first step when you are wanting to get into an exercise routine and improve nutrition. I like to identify one weight related goal and one fitness related goal. For example, I want to lose 10 pounds in 10 weeks. Or, I want to increase my back squat by 15 pounds in 12 weeks.
Set a Realistic Plan
Now that you have your goal, how are you going to reach it? The next step is creating a plan. To reach a fat-loss or muscle-building goal, two things are required, nutrition and exercise.
I recommend tracking calories. I know calorie tracking isn’t for everyone, but it is a really great tool to learn how much energy is in food and how much your body needs. Remember, you don’t have to track forever. Another way to reach goals without tracking calories is habit tracking. Setting a goal to eat protein with every meal or one serving of vegetables at dinner is a great place to start. Meal prepping makes healthy eating extremely convenient. It’s much easier to choose healthy foods when I already have the meals ready to go in my fridge.
When it comes to exercise, it’s best to have a plan for each workout. This will help you stay on track and progress in the gym. There are plenty of free training programs available. If you want a strength building program check out my program “iron guide”. It’s designed to build muscle and increase strength. I also have a high-intensity strength equipment based program available called HI iron guide, for those who love high-intensity training. You can also create your own training program!
Execution
This is the final tip to getting back on track, follow-through. It’s great to have goals but you actually have to put in the work. Writing my goals on a sticky note and placing it on my mirror or my desk helps me stay focused. Another way to stay motivated is to do weekly check-ins with yourself. Grab your weight once a week, did it increase/decrease/stay the same? Average calories every week, did you reach your goal/go over/go under? Reflect on your workouts, how much did you increase on your squat this week? Being able to reflect on how much progress you make each week is really motivating!
These are my tips for getting back on the wagon and staying on it! Remember, no one is going to do it for you. You are the only one responsible for your health and happiness. Get out there and make your goals happen!
