Whenever you start to feel your motivation slipping, simply refer to your pictures and measurements. Doing so always gives you a renewed burst of motivation to keep moving forward.
Keep a Fitness Journal to Track Your Progress
I know, I know- a "journal" makes you think of a diary, which probably makes you think of an emotional teenage girl. That's not the type of journal you'll be keeping.
Instead, YOUR fitness journal will:
- Keep track of everything you eat (every meal, every day).
- List your goals.
- List your workouts.
- Show your progress.
- Serve as a quick reference if you veer from your plan
Your fitness journal affords you the following benefits:
Holds you accountable. Writing down your goals and your progress is not only a great motivator, it's also a great way to hold yourself accountable. If you make a contract with yourself to transform your body - and you make a commitment to track your progress in your journal - you might find yourself feeling guilty if you miss a workout or go off your diet. That's because it sucks (that's a technical terms btw) to have to admit these things to yourself.
Keeps track of your progress. You should list all your weights and measurements in your journal, along with your goals. That way your journal will help you see whether you're on track or if you need to adjust.
Opens your eyes. You might be surprised at just how many calories you mindlessly put into your mouth each day. Keeping track of everything can really open your eyes... and in turn, help you kick bad habits.
Allows you to identify your mistakes. When you write down everything you eat and do, it's easy to see your mistakes - and learn from them.
Keeping a journal on your computer or in a notebook is great. And if you really like the idea of being held accountable, then you may consider keeping your journal via a blog. You can get a free one by going to a blog-hosting site like Blogger.com, LiveJournal.com or WordPress.com. Alternatively, you may even decide to track your progress using your Facebook account.
The platform you use isn't as important as honestly writing about your journey. Go ahead and share your measurements and pictures. Publicly commit to updating your blog daily or at least several times per week.
If you have a blog, it can serve as your personal journal to track your progress. But since it's also a public record, you'll feel compelled to keep writing. Once you get readership, you'll feel guilty if you don't update them regularly. Stating your goals out loud in public forces you to stay true to your word because nobody wants to look like a fool.
Try keeping a journal to track your fitness progress for yourself to see just how powerful it is. Keep an eye out for even more powerful motivation tips and remember, actions always speak louder than words!
-David
David McCready is the author of Game Strength Insider found at http://www.GameStrengthInsider.com He specializes in helping athletes and average Joes alike, gain long term muscle mass, strength and Cardiovascular conditioning without gimmicks, supplements or fad dieting. © 2012 Game Strength Insider. All rights in all media reserved
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