How To Achieve Your New Year’s Resolutions: Step 2

Step Two- Track It: You can’t improve what you don’t measure!

Congratulations! You’ve set your goals and we figured out you personal why! Now we need to establish where you are now and where you want to get to.

Well, there are four (4) major ways I track “look better” progress with my clients, in order of importance from least to most important:

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. The key is to taking your initial weight before you start and then not weighing more than every 2 weeks. Most people do their best when they track their weight once a month. There are simply too many variables for controlling your body weight and the natural fluctuations based on diet (and for women, their menstrual cycle), means 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.

Note: It is best if you weigh yourself at the same time of the month every month. Preferably, when you are not on your cycle.

2.) Dress/Pant Size: This is probably the most simple and effective unused method of tracking your progress. I think it’s safe to say that if you are dropping dress and/or pant sizes that you will be looking better, right? Your best bet is to also select one dress or one pair of pants that you really want to get into since that is the true end goal in mind. I tell my clients to assess how they are fitting in their preferred dress/pant size tracker on a bi-weekly basis since clients that follow our program exactly as outlined typically lose a dress and/or pant size every month (until they get to their ideal size and weight). For those of you who want to argue that every outfitter has different sizes, well that’s a mute point if you use the same pant or dress size to track. There’s nothing more powerful than being able to feel yourself comfortably get into clothes that you couldn’t imagine fitting into a couple of months prior.

3.) Girth Measurements: I like to take circumference measurements of my clients. The key is to use a tape measure that will not stretch (no cloth). Also, it is crucial to measure each body part in the same area every time. Doing this will insure accurate measurements every time.

Measurement areas:

• Upper Arm
• Chest
• Waist
• Hips
• Thigh
• Calf

4.) 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 the clothes that you want to look your best in. Maybe it’s a bikini. Or maybe it’s a pair of shorts and a sleeveless 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, time of day/week, etc.) to be as accurate as possible in your assessment. 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. I tell my clients to take new pictures either bi-weekly or monthly until they reach their goals.

Well, there you have it. You’ve set your goals; now go take a few measurements and your before picture.

Remember, you can’t improve what you don’t measure.

Check back tomorrow for…

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?

And if you haven’t done so already, be sure to opt-in for your free My Fit Life Fitness updates… I’ll also send you a Free 34 page ebook that shows how to get more results in less time by using fitness tips and tricks of top personal trainers.

Be sure to leave a comment. I’d love to hear what you have to say.

Alexander Morentin
Professional Fitness Trainer
Fullerton (Orange County), CA

Step One- Achieve Your New Year’s Resolutions

Step Three- Planning and Preparing for Roadblocks

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