Knowing how and where to start for your fitness journey can be super overwhelming. There is so much information out there, not to mention that most of that information has conflicting advice too. This can lead you to become too overwhelmed before you’ve even started and that is definitely NOT what we want. From my newsletter last week, you saw a glimpse into some of the mistakes I made starting my fitness journey because I didn’t know any better.

This newsletter should help you feel more confident in the basis of your approach to your fitness journey!

Step 1: Set Realistic Goals

Another word for realistic goals is SMART goals:

Example goal: “I want to get stronger” turned into a SMART goal: “I will increase my squat strength by 20 lbs in the next 8 weeks by following a strength training program and progressively adding weight each week.”

Step 2: Follow a Structured Plan

If you are playing a guessing game with your training and nutrition, your results will be a guessing game too.

For this reason, it is so important if you actually want to see results to have a training program. Not just going into the gym to do random workouts.

I do offer one time training programs and/or meal plans if you just need help getting started. If you want some accountability, weekly check ins, and more complete guidance, I offer month to month coaching as well! Both can be found through the link below.

Step 3: Stop Overcomplicating Nutrition

Instead of stressing over the ‘perfect’ foods, focus on being consistent. Balanced nutrition beats perfection every time.

Targets to focus on instead:

• Prioritize protein

• Eat whole foods

• Stay hydrated

Step 4: Track What Matters

1. Tracking workouts - By tracking weight used, amount of reps performed, we can track progression of strength increases.

2. Tracking nutrition - During the beginning this can be very beneficial to help you get a better understanding of the amounts of food you are actually eating.

3. Progress pictures - I recommend these for EVERYONE. These can show you changes that you would NEVER see from just looking in the mirror.

4. Measurements - If there is a certain goal such as reducing waist size or growing glute size, this can be a helpful tool

Overall, the SCALE is not the only means of tracking progress!

Step 5: Embrace the Learning Curve

It won’t all be easy and won’t all be perfect, especially straight from the start. Making mistakes and learning as you progress is all part of the process.

I want to emphasize the importance of CONSISTENCY compared to perfection. If you are perfectly on plan for 1 week and then off for 3, you’ll be worse off than if you are consistently on for 5/7 days of the week.

Additionally, if your goal is weight loss, understanding that won’t always be a linear rate of loss is important. A weight loss journey doesn’t always mean losing weight the same amount every week. You are bound to experience some fluctuations that can be due to a number of things; water retention, digestion, muscle gain, hormonal changes, stress, sleep, etc.

Use these 5 steps as a guide to your fitness journey! Feel free to share this newsletter with any of your friends or family who may be starting their fitness journey and don’t know where to start.

Happy Monday and hope you all have a great week ahead full of CONSISTENCY!