New Year! New Goals! New You!

Are you looking back at 2008 and wondering when exactly your New Year’s Resolution flew out the window? If you’re like most people, it was probably somewhere around the end of the first or second week of January. Why is it that each year, we get hyped-up about New Year’s Resolutions, but they quickly get swept under the rug?

As we approach the start of 2009, I’ve been reflecting on my previous resolutions – only to realize that I’ve had the same resolutions regarding getting fit and losing weight for the past 10 plus years! This is sad because it means that each year I gave up on attaining my goals, in most cases within a few weeks or a month of the New Year. I asked myself why this happened? Why did I fail? Was it because I lacked willpower or commitment? Was it because I just wasn’t ready or that I just didn’t really care, deep down? I could use the excuse that I was too busy and life just got in the way. I got sick too often and I was just plain tired. Those statements are true, but in retrospect, not necessarily good excuses. Unfortunately, I could come up with many more excuses, but when it comes to achieving goals of health, fitness, and self-improvement, there are no “valid” excuses.

What could be more important than getting fit and healthy? I know life gets busy. I’m a single mom and a high school teacher, which is no 9-5 job. It seems like I have very little “me-time.” Fitting in that 30-60 minutes of exercise every day has been a challenge for me. However, we all really need to put ourselves first; doing so will positively affect every other aspect of our lives. I know this; it’s the difference between knowing the path and walking the path. This is where I’ve had to change my attitude, so that I put my knowledge into practice.

If I cut through all crap, all those lame excuses that I told myself to justify my inadequate follow-through and commitment, I think my failure came about because I didn’t put enough effort into planning my strategies for successfully attaining my goals. I didn’t commit the time to myself everyday. I didn’t have a solid plan and I didn’t have a support system to help keep me on track. I did make some progress in ’08, but not the strides I had intended at the New Year. I did lose about 15 pounds, gain some lean muscle mass, and make some strides in cardio endurance. However, I didn’t fully commit to achieving my goals and therefore fell short of what I had intended when I set my resolution.

So, what am I doing differently this year, you might wonder? As you may know, I became an Independent Beachbody Coach this year. That means I’m trying to help as many people as I can achieve their fitness and weight loss goals, while also achieving my own. This helps keep my focus where I want it to be, on fitness, nutrition, and meeting goals…both personally and professionally. I am committed to a "pushing play" regularly (following the plan as it laid out), and helping others plan their assault on their goals (and fat) as well.

I now have that carefully designed plan in the form of a Beachbody exercise program. In the last year, I’ve done Power 90 and P90X, rather inconsistently, but surprisingly still got some good results. It bothers me though, to think of the results I could be sporting right now, if I had stuck with it and put more of my energy and focus into it. Now, I’m just starting Beachbody’s newest program, ChaLEAN Extreme! It includes 3 one-month phases (Burn, Push, & Lean phases) and mixes up 15 different workouts among the 90 days. I know that all I have to do is follow the prescribed workout rotation (which changes it up to prevent plateaus & boredom), as well as the nutrition plan and I will be successful! It is a two-part equation though, regular exercise (strength training & cardio intervals) and clean-eating habits that work synergistically to create amazing transformations. I want to become one of those amazing transformation stories, so I'm going to work at following the program.

THINGS I'D SUGGEST IN SETTING FITNESS GOALS:

1. Set a goal that you REALLY care about. This goal should excite you, and yet challenge you, or it’s highly unlikely that you will achieve it.

2. Pick one or two major goals and write them down on paper (perhaps one personal goal & one professional goal). The fewer goals you set, the more likely that you’ll achieve them. As they say at Beachbody: Decide. Commit. Succeed!

3. Decide on an exercise regime. Beachbody has a lot of program variety to meet different exercise styles and from beginner to advanced levels. The great thing is, that compared to gym memberships (can run between $400-$800/yr) these programs are quite inexpensive and are at your fingertips whenever it’s convenient for you. Plus, you get to work out in the privacy of your own home, so you won’ t have to spend money on gas, parking, cute gym outfits, memberships, trainers, etc. or waste the commute time either. Plus, it’s likely that with consistent effort, that your results will surpass those of your fellow gym buddy, anyway!

4. Write your daily exercise schedule on your calendar each day…in PEN! Make an appointment with yourself. Treat it like a job. Whatever is going to work for YOU! It is said that the best time to exercise is in the morning right when you wake up. That way, the craziness of life hasn’t flooded your day yet. I know from personal experience that it is way too easy to succumb to excuses at the end of a busy work day, after cooking the family meal, helping kids with bath time and homework, when you’re beat and just want to sink into the couch. Get your workout done early & you’ll feel better about your day!

5. Start right now! Who says you have to wait until January 1st? Get a jump on the New Year now!

6. Focus, Focus, Focus! Keep your goal(s) on the radar every day. Don’t lose sight of them. You must work toward reaching your goal daily. You may need to push things that don’t support or relate to your goal to the sidelines. Clearly, this doesn’t mean neglecting your kids or partner, but it may mean saying no to organizing the PTO bake sale or volunteering for that extra committee at work.

7. If your goal is a big one, break it down into more manageable chunks or phases. Many of the Beachbody programs do just this. Many follow the goal setting principles of breaking down a big goals into smaller phases. For instance, both ChaLEAN Extreme and P90X both have 3 one-month phases and then a maintenance phase, (called Lean for Life in ChaLEAN Extreme) which is basically the phase you can follow throughout your life.

8. Find a support network. This could be a group of peers or friends who are committed to reaching similar goals. I’d be happy to be your free fitness coach and support you in reaching your goals, just let me know how often you want me to check in and get on your case if you’re skipping workouts! Plus, Beachbody has taken this into account and created a forum for supporting one another, while allowing you to track your workouts, invite friends to workout "virtually" together in the online SuperGym, and interact in the message boards, etc.

9. Remember, fitness is a journey and nobody’s perfect. There are bound to be bumps in the road. You’ve got to remember to fuel your body properly or you’ll run out of gas (eat 5x/day…3 small meals & 2 snacks every 2-3 hours). Keep in mind that some days you might make a wrong turn, but don’t get lost! Don’t be afraid to ask for directions when needed, in order to find your way back to the road that will get you where you were headed. With consistent effort, you WILL get where you want to go…it’s only a matter of time.

10. Reflect on your progress regularly. Modify your goal if needed and set new goals once your original goal has been met. Most Beachbody programs, for instance, have more advanced programs that you can graduate to once you achieve your initial goal or complete your first round of a program. For instance, add the Deluxe Upgrade DVD#7 to your ChaLEAN Extreme mix, or take on P90X+ after P90X, Slim Series after Slim in 6, Rockin’ Body after Hip Hop Abs, etc.)

So, what do YOU want to achieve in 2009? If you want to create new, healthy habits and learn to take on the lifestyle of a fit person, I’d be happy to help you on your journey. I’ll be here to help you along the way, but I can’t do the workouts for you. I will journal my own fitness journey and hopefully my struggles and successes will resonate with you. As you know, I’m working toward achieving my goal, as well. However, if you’re ready for the challenge, it’s a journey I’d like to take on with you, my friend.

~Cass

www.beachbodycoach.com/cassr