More Total Body Transformation Tips: Get Smart!
Goals are key—they're what keep you going when things start to suck. Use these five principles.
SPECIFIC
Set out to just "be healthy" and you're selling yourself short. Vague goals give people too much leeway and can lower their motivation to push themselves, says Powell. So be precise and say, for example, that you want to lower your body fat by 10 percent or be able to run a 10-K.
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MEASURABLE
You should be able to gauge and quantify your progress, both in the short-term and long-term. Set micro (weekly) and macro (monthly) goals to keep yourself on track.
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ATTAINABLE
If you can barely find 20 free minutes in your day, don't set yourself up for failure by saying you'll run for 50 minutes three days a week.
REALISTIC
Even with the smartest plan and the strongest determination, your body can only handle so much. Sure, fast weight loss is possible, but if you drop more than about a pound and a half a week, you're most likely looking at muscle and water loss--not fat.
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TIME SENSITIVE
Deadlines create a sense of urgency and make your goal a priority, says Powell. Give yourself a year to drop 75 to 100 pounds, four to six months to train for a marathon (if you're a new runner), and two months to lose 10 percent to 12 percent of your body fat.
One More Quick Tip:
Change your scenery: Moving your workout outside, or just to a different part of the gym, can make it feel fresh and stave off boredom. (Looking for more tips to keep your workout feeling fresh?)
