One of the reasons that working with a personal trainer helps bring success is that the trainer holds you accountable. When people workout on their own, they often skip weighing in or a day at the gym and before long, they don’t go at all. You need to be accountable to someone, particularly if being just accountable to yourself has only led to failure. There are a number of ways to do this, but the easiest way is to use a personal trainer. Trainers hold you accountable by being there when you have an appointment with them at the gym, tracking your progress both in the gym and in weight loss and not allowing you to use the same old excuses for failure.
Find a workout friend or two.
One of the reasons our group workouts are so successful is that many people sign up with friends or quickly make friends with others in the class. When they miss a session, those people notice. If friends signed up together, they often ride together, which is another incentive to go. If someone’s in your driveway waiting for you, unless you’re a real dud, you’ll go no matter how much you feel like staying at home.
Make it a family affair.
In many cases, not only is one spouse heavy, both are. That’s a good time for both of you to start working out together and eating healthier. When one person’s resolve is weaker, the other’s is often strong, which adds to the chances of success. Working out together not only holds both of you accountable, it makes life easier when it comes to eating healthy. There’s no need for two different types of meals. When one spouse tackles weight loss alone, loses weight and starts looking good, the other often sabotages the efforts, worrying they’ll be left behind. When both of you do, there’s no problem. Exercise also boosts libido, which makes a date night with exercise even more enticing.
Journal your way to good health.
Even though you’re held accountable by another, keeping a journal and being honest about exercising, weight loss and healthy eating can be quite important. Track your own progress. There’s something about having to write down those times that you skip your workout or eat a half of a cake that makes you stop and think. Even better would be a blog online for the world to see. That really puts the pressure on you to tow the line.
- If you chose a weight loss partner, make it someone supportive who doesn’t sabotage you at every turn. Make sure they’re sincere in their and your efforts to shed pounds.
- Get a pair of skinny pants. Choose one pair of pants that fit not only tight, but too tight to zip up. Stand in front of a mirror and take a picture of how they fit. Once a month try them on and snap another picture.
- Have achievable goals with clear steps on how to achieve them and a time frame. As you reach each goal, create a new one.
- If you choose an accountability partner, they don’t even have to exercise with you or live near you. They just have to be someone supportive that you can share your progress with to help you and them stay on track.