If you’ve been following along you know I just recently started a new fitness program, after having a baby. I was on rest from 28 weeks on, so I had been out of the game for 6 months!
I was still meal prepping, getting the water in, and coaching others, but no workouts.
Starting again brought me back to 7 years ago when I started my fitness journey at over 250 pounds. It is so different getting started from not having moved for months, or even years!
I wanted to share my top tips for those of you just getting started, as well as invite you to join me in another round of the starter program I am doing now.
1 – Expectations. Set them. Sometimes people come to me and they want to lose like 20 pounds in a month and I say okay, well 20 pounds x 3500 calories in a pound of fat, over 30 days … can you burn 2300 calories EXTRA a day? This kind of thing blows minds. People don’t stop and take their goals, compare them to their life, and really ask, is that reasonable to ask of myself, or am I setting myself up for failure? Pick a goal that is challenging, but possible. Be honest with yourself!
2 – All or Nothing is Usually Nothing. We all know the people who sign up for the gym, buy new shoes, get a new water bottle, throw out all their food, quit drinking, give up sugar, and make a huge resolution every 1st of the year. Heck we probably ARE those people.
3 weeks, or even 3 days, later, it’s all out the window. Sometimes they went so hard in their first workout, they can’t walk the next day and the whole thing ends there. You know what I’m talking about!
The thing about “all or nothing” is that “all” is unsustainable, so it will always end up being NOTHING eventually. Give yourself a plan, adding in one new thing each week, making small changes, one at a time. You will last much longer, and have better results in the end.
3 – It’s Not a Contest. It’s not a competition between you and the girl in the video, you and your coworker, you and that other mom that seems to have it all together. Most of all it’s not a competition with who you used to be.
Comparison is the thief of joy, and even comparing yourself TO YOURSELF, is still a bad idea. Work with what you have ,where you are, and keep your eyes on your own paper 😉 It’s your journey and it’s for you.
4 – Ask Questions & Research. Don’t be afraid to ask questions! Use your resources. Ask your friends, ask Google, ask me. Once you get a response, research for yourself. Everyone is different and no one answer fits everyone. Trust your gut and move forward with what you think is best.
If it turns out that wasn’t the right answer, no worries, you are one step closer to the right one. This is why I love that Shakeology has a bottom-of-the-bag, no questions asked, return policy. Maybe it’s not right for everyone, but you can find out with no risk!
5 – Plan for Activity, NOT Results. Don’t set out to lose X # of pounds, or “fit into those jeans” etc. Those are not things you have direct control over, so why bother? Instead, plan to fit in 20 workouts in the next 30 days, or follow your mean plan perfectly 5 days each week, and so on.
Plan for what YOU CAN CONTROL not the results. I’d say take at least a month before stepping on a scale and always take pictures monthly, they tell a way better story!
I really hope these tips help you!
If you think you are ready to start a fitness plan, please reply to this email so we can chat. I had so much success with my first few weeks back, that I want to help others get started as well.