When starting any exercise or diet program, it is important to set achievable short & long term goals. "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail" is the old saying that still holds true today. Unfortunately, not only do most of us fail to properly set goals, when we do set goals, we set the bar pretty high.
I know when I first started lifting weights back in the day; I was reading the typical muscle and fitness magazine that glamorized body builders. Reading about how the body builders were training, what they eating, and what supplements they were consuming (injecting?). I thought to myself that if I could just be a quarter of what they are, I would be happy. Luckily I learned that their training, eating, & supplement usage was outside the realm of the realistic life I wanted to live.
When setting fitness goals, such as a 5km time, pull-ups, or bench press, it is important to analyze where you are at now and where you would like to be. For example, if it takes you 40 minutes to finish a 5km race, try reducing your time by 1 minute a month for 12 months. Realistic? I think so!
If you are setting a weight loss goal, stop! I hate the scale and you should too. It's one number that takes into account everything and means nothing. How much water did you drink today? What clothes and shoes are you wearing? What foods did I eat yesterday? Why does the scale at work say I weigh more than mine at home? These are just a few of the things we think about when we see the number on the scale. When beginning a new exercise program, it also doesn't account for the muscle you are gaining and the fat you are losing. I'm sure people you know have been discouraged by starting an exercise program and not seeing results on the scale, so they give up! Instead, try measuring the circumference of your hips, thighs, and waist in centimeters and try losing a total of a few centimeters from around your body every month.
If you're planning any diet changes, start off slow and don't do anything drastic. Don't try going on a no fat or no carb diet. Why? Besides the fact that no carb and no-fat is unhealthy, they are also unrealistic. Everyone is going to eat carbs and fat at some point in their lives, so it would be a better strategy to learn to live with them than trying to avoid them. The point of any diet modifications should be permanent, long term changes. If you are trying to give up soft drinks, measure how much you are drinking now and cut back 1-2 cans a week until you aren't drinking anymore of them. Bottom line; learn to live in moderation of food you deal with every day, not simply restricting them.
In recap, when setting your exercise and diet goals, make sure they are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely.
Specific - What are you going to do to accomplish this goal?
Measurable - If you can't measure it, you can't achieve it.
Attainable - Not easy, but not impossible. Most require some effort.
Realistic - Set the goal that will provide excitement when you achieve it.
Timely - Set both short and long term goals.
