Yesterday we discussed the first step to making your resolutions a reality this year. Let’s get to the next step.

Step Two- The What and When: What do you want to accomplish and when do you want to accomplish it by?

So we already figured out the obvious: you want to look better and maximize your sexy! So, now we need to establish what objective goal(s) need to be accomplished in order to realize this subjective dream.

In other words you need to know what you’re starting with. You also need to be able to track your progress in relation to your time line. Since I work with women in a group setting and you probably do not have access to lots of equipment at home I like to keep things as simple and cost effective as possible in keeping track of your “look better” progress. So in order of importance from least to most important, here is what you need to do:

1.) Scale Weight: This is by far the least important goal, but it gives a number that’s worth tracking. Though body fat percentage would be a much better method of tracking progress, it is simply too inaccurate on a small scale and too costly on a large scale. The key is to taking your initial weight before you start and then not weighing more than every 2 weeks. I have found most people to do better with tracking their weight every month. As women there are simply too many variables for controlling your body weight and the natural fluctuations based on diet and menstrual cycle, so the less frequently you do this the better. If the scale is just too de-motivating for you in general, then just skip this one altogether if you must, because the next two markers are far more important.

2.) Dress/Pant Size: This is probably the most simple and effective unused method of tracking whether or not you look better. I think it’s safe to say that if you are dropping dress and/or pant sizes that you will be looking better, right? So go into your closet and pick one pair of pants that you’d like to ultimately fit into as your end goal. I tell my clients to assess how they are fitting in their preferred pant size tracker on a weekly or bi-weekly basis since our clients that follow our program exactly as outlined typically lose a dress and/or pant size every month (until they get to their ideal dimensions). Use the same pair of pants every time, that way you can accurately track your progress (because as we all know and Ann Taylor 12 is different from a bebe 12). There’s nothing more powerful than literally being able to feel yourself comfortably get
into clothes that you almost use to rip when you put them on.

3.) Digital Pictures: Pictures don’t lie, that’s the bottom line. If you want to look better, what better way is there to assess this than pictures? I cannot begin to tell you how important this is. Taking a before picture is essentially you telling the whole world that you are ready to change and that you are ready to do whatever it takes to make those changes. They key is take pictures wearing exactly what you want to look your best in.I have my boot camp ladies send their first set of pictures to me so I can visually track their progress as well. So, what do you want to look smoking hot in? Maybe it’s taking pictures of you in the dress or pair of pants that you are using to track your dress or pant size. Or maybe it’s a sleeveless shirt and tank top that you want to wear during the summer. And if you want to see your abs, then you best believe that you need to take pictures of your abs to track how much more definition you get. Take a front, side, and rear view picture and be sure to note the exact conditions in which the picture was taken (lighting, distance from camera, time of day/week, etc.) to be as accurate as possible in your assessment. I know many of you want to skip this step because frankly, it’s a huge dose of reality as to exactly where you are. But trust me, the clients whom I’ve transformed that failed to take before pictures in the past have nothing but regret about it. Your before pictures will become your trophy and they are an absolute must if you really are serious about getting results that count. We tell our clients to take new set of pictures monthly until they reach their goal(s).

So that’s it for today. Get out that pair of "goal pants", take those pictures and yes, get on the scale.

See you tomorrow for step three.

Stay focused

Sarai Jones

Step Three- Planning and Preparing for Roadblocks: What are the big obstacles that will prevent you from having the success you desire? What’s contributed most to past failures?

Now that we know what you want to accomplish, it’s time to plan and prepare for any obstacles that might get in your way of getting the job done based on your own personal schedule. Or I as I like to put it, the self-sabotage that we as women so often engage in.

In general, the number one thing I hear is that people are too busy and tired and don’t have enough time to get their workouts in or make their meals. I am sure that you are in fact a very busy, mother, wife, professional. Any one or more of those things is a lot to handle. The truth is however is there is always hidden time throughout the day and week that can be freed up if your re-prioritize. Again, think back to why you wanted to do this in the first place and then examine what’s most important to you. Make your workouts and your meal times just like work appointments. Either
you make the appointment or you don’t. And if you want to keep your job (or get your dream body) then you better make that appointment.

Another big obstacle is alcohol. People like to drink and unfortunately alcohol is about as detrimental to burning fat as it gets. Again, what’s more important to you, looking sexy or getting hammered. The choice is yours. Remember, once you achieve your goal(s), alcohol can be added back in with moderation. But know this, lean people just don’t get wasted unless they are genetic freaks. Low to zero alcohol consumption is needed if you want to look your best year round and that’s a fact.

Lastly, many people deal with boredom eating or emotional eating. Boredom eating means just that, eating to fill up dead time when you have nothing better to do. The best way to deal with this is, you guessed it, to do something! Find an active hobby to keep your mind off of eating when boredom strikes and you can beat this trend.
Emotional eating describes the use of food to cope with stress or to reward for accomplishment. Food is not unlike drugs or alcohol in this regard, it can be very addictive. There is no quick fix for emotional eating other than avoiding
trigger situations (bars, parties, etc.) and trigger foods (starches, sugars, fast food, etc.) in the short term to break bad habits. I’ve written several times in the past about both of these issues check the archives for more detailed post.

At the end of the day, whether your roadblocks are very individual or if they fall in line with the general roadblocks my clients encounter on a regular basis, the key is to be honest about them and to plan and prepare for them. And that’s where social support and accountability come into play. The clients who have had the most success with me have undergone their transformation with the support of other friends or family members. This is so critical, especially since most of the poor food and drinking choices that sabotage one’s progress occur on the weekend, when most people hang out with their friend and family. If they are committed with you and your goal to get fit and look better, you can put yourself in a much better position to realize the success your desire and deserve. The last thing anybody needs is sabotage or peer pressure from those closest to you, so get them on board and get them on board early.

Stay focused

Sarai Jones