Well, it’s official, we are well into the season where New Year’s resolutions have gone and died. I have never been a huge fan of NY resolutions because let’s be brutally honest with each other… what’s the point? It’s pretty much socially acceptable to create a huge list of self-improvements and just gradually drop them off your list one by one. Oh well right? Who cares if you actually keep the resolution, because New Year’s resolutions are always broken. That’s why we are going to just forget about those long gone, useless resolutions and start a new trend. Goals. We are mid into the year right now, so many of you are best friends with the treadmill. Summer is GTL season – we all know that, but what are you going to do when that Thanksgiving turkey starts calling your name? Or that chill in the air makes for perfect couch snuggling – ALL THE DAY LONG. Fall is right at our doorstep, and with it comes the lull season when it comes to physical fitness. Not this year, because this is the year we make and keep our fitness goals. This is the year that we see results. This is the year that we kick that turkey in the butt – after we eat a leg or two…This is the year that we resolve to keep on keeping on.
What is one thing that you can think of that EVERYONE and their mother resolves to do when a New Year rolls around? I will give you a hint… it rhymes with “twerk out.” Working out and physical fitness is one of the most widely used New Year’s resolutions, and it is something that people seem to strive for all year long. Everyone wants that J-Lo booty. Or.. everyone has had a similar moment as I had this last week and walked past a mirror while getting ready and saw more cottage cheese than in the dairy aisle at Publix. You know.. those moments when you are like, “oh snap.” “Where did that roll come from?” And I am not talking about a dinner roll. Though I wish I had one right now because I am starving on a plane (Story of my life. That will be the name of my biography one day – Starving On a Plane) Anyway, back to the point. The same rules that applied the day after the new year still apply now when making your fitness goals. But you have to remember whether it’s a New Year’s resolution or a mid-year fitness goal: Where there are resolutions, there are equal if not more opportunities to break them. For the rest of this year though, in 2017, we are not breaking a single dang one of them! I am sure you have it all under control cough cough 😉 but either way, I am going to help you not only to keep your newly made fitness goals but to crush them with some helpful Do’s and Dont’s. Always remember… We are Sparta!!
DO: Set attainable goals – One of the reasons why we give up on our goals so easily is that we set them too high. I am definitely not telling you to lowball your goals. You need to push yourself, but don’t set a goal to climb Machu Pichu by the end of January when you have never been hiking. You work yourself up to big goals. Little goals make excellent stepping stones to big ones.
DON’T: Be too hard on yourself – Fitness is very abstract. The journey is different for every single person on the planet. So don’t start off your journey by comparing it to someone else’s and getting discouraged. Don’t make me remind you of the tortoise and the hare.
DO: “Pinspire” your workouts. I am addicted to Pinterest. It is such a great, FREE resource to find workouts, healthy recipes, and fitness motivation, so USE IT. I do all the time! I have found some of my favorite workout routines on Pinterest, and speaking of that J-Lo booty, below is my favorite bootayyy workout from Christinacarlyle.com (click on the photo for her amazing post!!) that I happened upon in the Land of Pinterest that has changed my life (or should I say lift??) forever.
DON’T: Eat your Goals – This one is the hardest for me because I just love food… and margaritas… and food. I have been having an endless love affair with Dominos this week – so I KNOW THE STRUGGLE. If you have ever heard the saying abs are made in the kitchen, you have heard the truth. There is a saying that I like even better that is also true, “everything in moderation.” Don’t deny yourself your cravings because you will just binge on them later. Been there done that. One destroyed jar of Nutella later… Now let’s just talk about how we wish abs were made in a blender with tequila and lime…
DO: Accept help – Nobody said you have to do it alone. In fact, it’s better when you don’t, because you have someone that can help keep you accountable and to help push you to your limits. Whether it be a friend, significant other, nutritionist, or personal trainer, if you need help, just ask for it.
DON’T: Be intimidated by the “meat heads” – This is crazy to me, but one of the reasons people avoid the gym is because of all the very intense fitness junkies that tend to reside there. I know how you feel, before college I had no earthly idea what a dumbbell even was, much less how to use any of the machines. Going to a big box gym scared the living daylights out of me, but I made myself go. I soon realized that all those muscle heads that I was so intimidated by were too busy flexing in the mirror to notice whether I was working the ab machine right. Remember it’s your journey! It has nothing to do with the Arnold Schwarzenegger look alike growling in the corner of your gym.
DO: Mix it up – Your muscles love to be confused… So don’t do the same thing every time you go to the gym! Think of your workout like a well-balanced meal – you need all of the components for the healthiest outcome: cardio, weight training, stretching and cool down.
DO: It for YOU. Exercise is one of the best decisions you can make for your body. But if on Tuesday’s… you only go to the gym because of the hottie policeman that graces the treadmill in the corner with biceps that can be compared to small watermelons… Hey girl.. that’s okay. *Not saying I do that 😉 THOUGH… if I did do that I could tell you that I almost walked right up and demanded to be arrested.
This month I will be focusing a lot on physical fitness and posting my favorite healthy recipes and workouts. It’s time people. Time to prepare for the days where snowflakes make movement all that much harder. So get off that couch and get to making those goals!!
Xoxo,
Megan Marie