WHAT AND WHEN?
Ok, now, what are you trying to get done and by what date. We already determined you want to look sexier. Great! Now we need to figure out what your objective goals will be needed in order to accomplish this and by what date.
In order to figure out, or track, the progress to ‘the what’ I have come up with 3 cost effective methods.
1. Weighing on a scale. This is the least important, but it gives you a number that you can obviously track. Losing weight, and only tracking on the scale you don’t know if it is fat, muscle, water, or a combination of all 3. The best way to track is through actual body fat percentage. Not the scales that measure body fat through your feet—they are completely inaccurate and a waste of time and money. When you weigh yourself on the scale you will weigh yourself initially, then not again until 2-weeks later. 4 weeks works even better. Body weight is a bad indicator of progress as you are trying to lose body fat and build lean muscle tissue. When you do this the scale might not change too much as muscle weighs more than fat. If the scale is too de-motivating for you don’t use it all. Try #2 or #3.
2. Dress/Pant Size: How are you clothes fitting you? This is a very effective and simple way to measure progress. As you lose fat and put on lean muscle tissue, your body will become slimmer and your clothes will start to not feel as tight. Before you start try and find a pair of pants or a dress you haven’t been able to fit into in a while and periodically try it on. By the time your goal date is reached you should be able to fit back into those skinny jeans! There really is nothing greater than being able to fit into clothes that you almost ripped when you used to try and put them on. You will feel ecstatic.
3. Digital Pictures: They don’t lie. You see everything in a picture. Big belly, hips, thighs, butt, arms, face. A picture will show you what’s wrong. If you want to look better naked then a picture is the best tracker you can use. When you take a before picture, you are telling yourself and everybody that ‘this is me on such and such date—look how awesome I look now!’ When you take this picture make sure you are wearing clothes you want to look good in the future- by your goal date. So maybe take the picture in a pair of pants or dress that you want to fit into mentioned in #2. Maybe it’s a tank top, or bikini, or bathing suit. If you want to look good naked, take it naked (just don’t put it on Flickr). Make sure when you take it you use similar lighting and take a front, both sides, and a back picture. Believe me, once you reach your goal these before pictures are going to be a trophy for you. You must do this if you are absolutely serious.
