The process of change, setting realistic long and short term goals

Newtons first law states “every object will remain at rest or in uniform motion in a straight line unless compelled to change its state by the action of an external force”. This fundamental law of physics can be used as an analogy for change in the human body. It is much easier for a persons body to remain the same weight than it is to change weight, and initially it will resist this change, unless the external force applied is sustained.

The very first step is the hardest. Imagine your process of change is the act of getting a giant wheel turning, the force to overcome the initial inertia to turn the wheel must be super high at the the start and require sustained effort to get the wheel turning. Once the wheel is turning it is much easier to maintain due to momentum. The same can be applied to fat loss, the initial few months may be challenging for the body to begin burning fat and staying in a calorie deficit but once fat loss increases the client will see a consistent drop over many weeks until their goal is reached.

Unfortunately many clients only focus on the end goal at the beginning of their journey, for example, the weight they want achieve. It is important to set a long term goal but understand that the goal needs to be broken down into smaller, repeatable, measurable steps that can be achieved daily/weekly to gain momentum to get the wheel turning! Checking the scales daily hoping to magically reach your goal is not the formula for success, and ultimately will cause negative emotions that may lead to drop out completely.

It is important to have a goal, but more important to look at the very next step in achieving that goal. For instance, gong to the gym for a couple of quick workouts this week is the only goal you need to focus on in the short term, don’t worry about checking your weight and thinking about that. Bring your attention to the present, eating healthy, planning and preparing your food and your weekly workouts and measure your weight only once per week/fortnight.

A clients goals may read like this:

Long term goals

- Waistline under 85cm

- Percentage body fat under 25%

- in 6 months

Short term weekly goals

- Train 3 times per week in gym

- Two weight training sessions and one HIIT

- Carb cycle two day per week, under 100g carbs on each of those days

- Cut out all sugary drinks except for one or two on the weekend

Constantly checking the scales can now be shelved in favour of the new short term goals and processes. A simple diary or spreadsheet will be necessary to measure whether or not the goals were achieved for the week or not. Making sure these short term goals are recorded is important as will provide feedback long term and can give you more insight into your weaknesses. This feedback may show you that you are missing training consistently on Friday’s and struggle to eat under 100g of carbs on the weekend. A simple solution to this would be to train earlier in the week and schedule the low carb days away from social events on the weekends. This tracking and adjusting is a sure fire way to provide immediate changes to your lifestyle that will lead to long term goal success!

Trying to improve oneself is a noble cause that will not always be easy. Shift your focus from the end goal into the short term daily and weekly habits that will build momentum and improvement. Tracking and measuring your progress will provide constant information to help manipulate your training protocols to ensure long term success. Having a positive mindset and remembering that change does not happen overnight are essential to achieving your long term goals and maintaining a healthier lifestyle. Keep that wheel turning!