Shore Fit
By Bonnie Dodd-Miller
Many of us have wonderful intentions and big goals when it comes to our fitness, but how can we create long-lasting habits that will stick? These tips can help do just that.
Habits are powerful things. If someone told me that working out at 6 a.m. was going to be fun a few years ago, I would have laughed. I’ve done it and I’ve taught many spin classes at that hour, but it was never consistent long term.
But recently I decided that I needed to start my day for me because as life goes, I usually place myself on the back burner.
I rallied up a friend, which has now become three friends, and we hit the gym, Monday through Friday at 6 a.m. It sets the tone for an amazing day and it’s one less thing that I have to think about.
My schedule can get a little hectic, so this is a great time slot that is dedicated just for me. Now it’s become a habit. It’s something I look forward to and don’t want to miss even when I want to hit the snooze button.
It’s important that the habits you set for yourself align with your goals. Write down your goals and track everything. Write down your exercises, your sets, your repetitions and the weight you’re using. This will show how you progress.
The people who are most successful in the gym set clear-cut goals. It is far easier for them to remain motivated during the process leading up to that end goal.
Not only are they setting goals, but they also focus on accomplishing one thing at a time. For instance, my current goal is to curl 25 pounds per arm. I started at 17.5 and my current is 20 pounds, and I’m ready to move forward with a 5-pound increase.
My goal is strength in my upper body and I’m getting there. I document everything which helps and can be time consuming.
If you take on too many goals at once it can lead to feeling discouraged because when you accomplish one of those goals, you feel a sense of failure not having fulfilled the others.
When you change your approach to goal setting and focus on one key goal at a time, you become more successful.
It can be tempting to change your whole lifestyle all at once. You have your goal, you know what it’ll take, and you’re ready to go all in. This approach can work for some people, but not for everyone.
For example, if your goal is fat loss, you may decide you’re going to completely clean out your pantry, buy and meal prep healthy foods only, workout six times a week, and maintain a drastic calorie deficit until you’ve reached your goal.
However, in this scenario you’ve alienated food groups from your diet, committed yourself to meal prepping and working out for the foreseeable future, and cut out far too many calories from your diet.
You could have success doing this for the first week or two, but what happens when you’ve forgotten to meal prep and have to eat something on the fly that may put you over the calorie deficit you’ve set for yourself? You’re going to feel guilty and disheartened. Believe me, I’ve been there.
Focus on adding things in slowly. Meal prep a couple of your meals and start out counting your calories to see your current consumption. As you get used to meal prepping, figure out a way you can maintain a slightly lower calorie balance. Then determine other positive changes you can make in your life.
You have to have fun with it or it won’t last and that goes for your workouts, too.
The most motivated gym goers actually enjoy being there. They have fun with their workouts and since they have fun with their workouts, they don’t want to miss them.
The last and the most important point took me a long time to learn. Those who are most motivated and successful in the gym put things in perspective.
You must see the larger picture in life. So, when you miss a workout, you understand it’s just one missed workout. You don’t need to start over or give up.
What you need to do is realize that you’ll have thousands of other workout days to crush, so when you accidentally go over your caloric limit for the day, you don’t go into panic mode.
Just move forward because every day is an opportunity to reset and refocus. Remember, we are all human and nobody is perfect.
Bonnie Miller is certified fitness instructor at the Ocean City Aquatic and Fitness Center and Atilis Gym in Galloway. She is a mom of three and resides Somers Point.
