It’s November… 2024 is right around the corner! Have you thought about what your personal goals are for the next year? Do you have health and fitness goals that revolve around losing weight, gaining muscle, or maybe both? Are you struggling with the idea of where to start? Have you tried multiple things and nothing seems to work?
Wherever you are in your fitness journey, there are four simple tasks that when combined, will get you the results you are looking for. Last week we made a post about this on Instagram, but we wanted to give you a full explanation of what that means for you. (Disclaimer: you might not like it!)
The four tasks are simple: hit your macros; do your workouts; get your steps in; HAVE PATIENCE. All four have to be done in collaboration or else you are risking putting in a lot of work without seeing progress. There are many theories, ideals, philosophies, tactics, variations of what to do when starting the process of “getting into shape”. There is not a one-way path for everyone, each person’s goals look different and so will their route to achieving them. The one thing that holds true is that if you dial in your nutrition, get your workouts in, move throughout the day, and give yourself time and grace; you will see results. Guaranteed. Let’s break down what this means.
HIT YOUR MACROS
Macros is a huge word in the fitness industry right now. It is short for macronutrients. Basically it is talking about your proteins, carbs and fats. Depending on each individual’s height, weight, sex, activity level, fitness level and personal goal; their macro targets are going to vary.
Someone that is looking to lose fat is going to need targets that put them into a calorie deficit (meaning they are eating less calories than they are burning) each day while still focusing on getting enough protein so they don’t lose muscle along with their fat. Someone that is looking to put on muscle, is going to need to have targets that put them into a calorie surplus (eating more calories than their body burns in a day) while also focusing on getting enough protein so they can continue to build muscle without adding too much fat.
It can get complicated and sometimes overwhelming when looking to start tracking your macros. Working with one of our coaches can help you decide what your goals are and what targets you should be aiming for to hit these goals.
Regardless of what your targets are… the important thing is to hit these targets EVERY DAY while you are working towards your overall goal. The more often you hit your targets, the quicker you will start to see results. Have you ever heard the saying “abs are made in the kitchen”? Dialing in your nutrition, being aware of what you are putting into your body and being consistent are going to be your biggest game changers.
DO YOUR WORKOUTS
Again, the specific workout is going to vary from person to person. The best workout is the workout you enjoy because that is the workout you are going to be able to do consistently. It is recommended to try get a minimum of 150 minutes a week of structured exercise. That can (and should) be broken down into smaller increments throughout the week.
Once you are further along in your journey and you decide that you have more specific physique goals you are aiming for, then the type of workout may need to be adjusted and designed for that goal. The important thing is that you are doing your workouts consistently. If you are not being consistent with your workouts, progress will be slow and small. You have to push your body to new limits to see the change you are looking for.
GET YOUR STEPS
We’re eating well, we’re working out, but what about the rest of the day? A workout is only a small portion of a healthy lifestyle. Your workout may only be 5-10% of the calories your body burns in a day. The rest is burned from bodily functions happening inside and your daily activity, or your NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis). In order to make sure that you are moving enough, aim for 10,000 steps every day. For many of us, this can take some time to get used to. Try including walks after dinner, and parking farther from stores to get your extra steps in. You can’t sit on your butt all day and hope to see change.
HAVE PATIENCE
Okay… we’re doing the thing. We’ve worked to create(and stick to) a solid nutrition plan, we’re exercising 3-5 times a week, we’re getting the(10,000) steps in daily… now what?? The honest answer: put your patience pants on! It can take weeks, months and even years to hit your goals depending on how far away you are starting and how compliant you are with your plan. If you haven’t given yourself 3-6 months with a diet/exercise plan before quitting because you didn’t see the results you hoped for… you haven’t given yourself enough time.
The good news is that time is going to keep passing anyway, so we might as well let it pass while are working each day towards our goal. When you look at it this way… in 6 months we will either have 6 months of progress, or 6 months of excuses. The choice is yours!
It really is as simple as sticking to these 4 things each day if you want to see steady results. If you are struggling with where to start, reach out to our coaching staff and we would be happy to help get you started! We have multiple programs available that are designed to fit your needs.
**article is intended for educational purposes only and should not replace medical advice.**