Setting Goals to Get in Shape
Pleasing other people is not effective.
It is important to keep in mind that you should be happy with your personal appearance. When you are setting goals, do not make them according to what a boyfriend or girlfriend thinks looks best. Whether you are trying to lose weight, build muscle, or just staying physically fit, make sure to evaluate yourself based on realistic self expectations.
Specific, realistic goals work best.
It is not enough to say that I want to “get bigger” or “lose weight.” These are not specific results. Without a detailed game plan, you cannot expect to achieve the results that you see on a magazine cover or in movies. Everyone has a different body type, and their body reacts to exercise a different way. If you see a person and think, “I want to look like that,” that is the first wrong step in setting goals for yourself.
Instead, you should focus on evaluating your body and determining areas that can improve based on your own expectations. A good option is to try on clothes that you like to wear but may not fit the way you want them to and set a goal to fit into those jeans or that shirt by the end of the month. Another option is to use measurements, as opposed to weighing yourself every time you come home from a workout.
Changes are not automatically habits.
You have probably heard that you should write your vocabulary word down seven times if you want to remember it for a test. Well, this same principle applies to the getting in shape. Do not expect to take a ten minute jog around campus and then run to the mirror to see if you notice any changes. A habit, one like exercising regularly, can only develop by making a schedule and sticking to it until exercise becoming a part of your schedule. It is so automatic for you to get home from school and turn on the television. Instead, why not try to do some crunches or run in place.
Roadblocks don’t mean failure.
Do not get discouraged! If you follow the steps above, you will realize that small changes do not mean no changes at all. If you cannot workout one day or you eat a hamburger, that does not mean you will be set back from achieving your physical goal. In order to avoid roadblocks like excessive sugar intake, make a schedule that allows you to eat the things you really like once or twice a week. Setting physical goals is all about your own esteem, so make realistic goals and allow yourself room for error… no one is perfect, including you.
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