How To Drive Better Health & Fitness Results In 2024
Updated: Mar 25
Ever wondered how to stay accountable and make sure you're actually hitting your fitness goals in 2023? Here are a few strategies that have helped my client and I so you can actually achieve those goals.
Okay, so you might be saying to yourself, "Sav, I've tried this before but I just can't build sustainable habits by myself." I've been there more than once!
The goal isn't to beat ourselves up over the fact that we didn't hit our goals, but learn from our environment and understand how we can hit those goals.
The biggest thing I wish was drilled into my mind as a kid is that life is a learning lesson, there's no end goal or point where the work will stop. You have to accept the fact that you will continuously be challenged to adapt.
So I want to break down a few things that personally help me, but have also translated to some massive success with my clients. These might not work for everyone but if you're reading this you're looking for something new to try and I don't blame you.
But don't think of this as a simple fix. These are habits and actions we're trying to change. It's going to take some real work as well as be honest with yourself but I know you have it in you to make a change. As long as you're truly ready for it.
Here's the meat and potatoes!
Start taking your own check-in photos
How do you know if you're progressing if you're not monitoring your physical progress every week and month? Looking in the mirror every morning without documentation isn't going to cut it any more.
As silly as it may feel, strip down to your underwear and take some photos of yourself. If you're too embarrassed to do this on your own than that should tell you something too! Get out of your own head and give it an honest try for 3 months and you'll be surprised how you can see actual changes since you won't be only relying on the scale.
Take a total of five "check-in" photos every week on the same day, at the same time and in the same place. I take mine every Tuesday in my living room in the AM before I have any food and after I've gone to the bathroom.
I take the following photos:
Face towards the camera not flexed.
Face to one side arms straight out in front of you.
Face away from the camera not flexed.
Faced towards the camera flexed.
Faced away from the camera flexed.
Keep these on your computer or in a separate photo album on your phone so you can truly see the progress you're making. This will give you photos to compare and a sense of accountability that can help keep you going as the months fly by!
I know for me, when I took these photos, even when I didn't want to or when I thought I haven't progressed in a year it made me fully take in the progress I did in fact make!
Start tracking your food
You may have already tried this once or more times than you'd like to admit and felt that it was too complicated.
There are a TON of nutrition trackers out there that work very well for everyone. My personal favorite is MyFitness Pal just because it's what my clients use and it easily tracks every food item, meals, and can log your weight as well.
My advice when it comes to tracking food, just start tracking to become aware of your intake! Don't worry about the most popular or best interface, you just need to get going on tracking what you're already eating so you can improve off of your current habits.
Tracking your food is going to give you some real insight to whether you're overeating or under-eating. And, most commonly, I've found people are under-eating for their fitness goals - especially if you're trying to put on muscle!
I have always preferred a food tracker that allows you to scan barcodes mainly because of convenience which is important to all of us nowadays so if anything use a tracker that has that feature!
This one can be tough, half of the time I don't want to track my food but an easy way to start is to track the day before or in the morning of what you anticiapte to eat. That helps you get an entire day of food already logged and you'll easily be able to make adjustments if necessary! So much easier than play catch up while you're busy with other things.
Film your exercises
You may feel a little silly doing this in the gym ( still do ) or get some weird looks but pay no mind to the people who are worried about judging others and not making their own improvements. That's not a reflection on you, it's a reflection on them.
Get yourself a nice tripod for your phone - this one is my favorite - and FILM YOUR EXERCISES!
This is going to help you see how well you're truly executing a movement and if your have any things to work on or improve.
Not sure if you're doing it right? Do a quick Google search or use YouTube as a guide. There are a lot of great video break downs of almost any exercise under the sun.
This one can be a real eye opener. You also get to assess how much you're really pushing because you get to see yourself working out from a different perspective.
Half the time when I think I truly gave it my all in a set, I'll look back at the video and was able to easily see I had more effort to give.
Follow an actual program
Many people are just going to a gym, getting some exercise and leaving without any real intention to their time in the gym, which is cool if you're fine with not ataining any certain goal other than being active.
What this could be doing if you're not following a periodized training program:
One, it's wasting your time and energy. We're at the gym to create enough physical stress on our body to force it to change for our benefit, whether that's to lose weight, gain muscle, or get stronger.
The other great thing about following a program is that it allows you to focus on the exercises and your training rather than thinking about what do to next or choose whatever is available.
I never saw REAL progress until I stuck to a program from start to finish. Think about an Olympic athlete, do you think they just do whatever drill they feel like to be the best in the world?! Absolutely not, they structure out what they need to address and execute!
Find a program online that fits your needs and goals. There are a lot of great free options out there if you're trying to find something just to start. I have a few programs coming on my new training app that might fit your goals. But fair warning, I don't take this training thing lightly so be prepared to work.
Wrapping up
These are just a few ways to really get the most out of your fitness and health goals in 2023. It's important to take a deep hard look at yourself and ask the question, "am I really doing what it takes to make a change?"
Do you even truly want the change?
These are questions you need to ask yourself, but I hope you come to the conclusion that whatever your goals are - that you believe in yourself, you see yourself attaining those goals!
Life's too short not to work toward something and you have all the tools at your fingertips to exceed your goals and surprise yourself.
Make 2023 your bitch, and have fun doing it. :)
That's all for now.
Talk soon.