THIS YEAR IT’S YOUR TIME TO SHINE! 

It’s wonderful to see so many people on January 1st excited to kick themselves in the butt and reach their goal of health and happiness in 2016!. Goals are set, motivation is high and if you’re in Australia, the weather is just perfect to get out and sweat your little heart out. But…..

 yes here it is, only 10% of people actually stick to a new health and fitness routine, 10 PERCENT!!! I know it’s sad isn’t it? Well i’m going to give you some tips to assist you to stick to your goals and this time stay there! Going from couch potato to training 5 times a week is physically demanding, mentally challenging and going to take up more time than you think. I’m not saying don’t exercise, but think about your goals and make a REALISTIC plan first. Too often i see clients train up to 5 times in the first week (despite my advice to start slow), then the next week, POOF they disappear, gone. Sound familiar? As a health coach, i’m here to guide you to success, long term, not to just train you once per week and who cares what you do in the rest of your week.

I hope these tips help you stay on track this time. 

1. First have a realistic goal. Losing 2kg a week is unrealistic for the average person. At HAIL Fitness we don’t do fad diets or quick fixes. Long term results and healthy and happy lifestyles is our specialty. Fast fat losses are more than likely going to give you metabolic damage, which means your metabolism will slow down and you will gain MORE FAT than you began with. Realistically, that fat mass took time to increase, so it’s going to take time to make new habits and stick to them. 
2. Find something that makes you want to get out and do it! Yes of course there are better ways of doing things for better results, but will you do it? Find something that you enjoy doing, if you’re having fun you are more likely to stick to it. Then change it up so you don’t get bored. Think about swimming, tennis, paddle boarding, hiking, gym, the list is endless!! 
3. Be realistic and don’t cut out food groups. So often I hear “I’ve cut out all carbs because I lost 5kg in a week last time”. Ok maybe you did, but what happened after that week of no carb motivation wore off? It gets boring and you give up and your body is lacking CARBS or energy!! Never cut out a whole food group, unless it’s a medical reason or you’ve been advised by a nutritionist or health professional. If you are eating well 80% of your week, and enjoying LIFE with a cheeky treat or lunch out with friends once in a while, you’re more likely to stick to that and get the results you’re after, LONG TERM, which is what you really want, don’t you? 
4. Don’t take on too many intense training sessions in one week. Believe it or not but you don’t have to train like a beast EVERYDAY to get results. Alternate sessions from full body resistance training one day, to light walking or yoga the next, then HIIT (high intensity interval training) the next. Training too hard everyday will only put too much stress on your body and hormonal system and eventually burn you out. You want to have the energy to enjoy your life too as well as get results. 
5. Too much time spent training – I never recommend anybody train intensly for more than one hour a day. Training can be too much of a good thing too and you will burn out as mentioned above.
6. Get expert advice. As trainers and health coaches we know how to get you to a goal, and keep you there through our coaching programs. So if time is an issue, we know how to make a plan thats 30 minutes long with great returns. We don’t just train you physically, but mentally too.
7. Find friends and family to support you. This one is hard and sometimes some people in your life don’t want you to change, I have experienced this first hand. You need support, the top 5 people you spend time with will determine your success! Think about it. Who are they and do they support you? If not, join a fitness group with similar people to you. It’s an easier road with support.
8. Change one thing at a time – this one is tough as everybody just wants to wake up and automatically crave green smoothies and long fitness sessions. Changing just one thing at a time will greatly improve your chances of success. I know you want to be able to do it all NOW, but really, did it work for you when you tried that last time? Be gentle on yourself and take one step at a time.
9. Accept that you will fail sometimes. This one is where the magic happens. Failure is a part of change and success. If you’re not failing, your not learning. It’s not about throwing the towel in when you fall, it’s about wiping the sweat from your face with that towel and getting back up and trying again.

So, if the first try at your health and fitness goals didn’t quite work out. Don’t give up and change your goal. Just perhaps try a different approach.