How do you keep score?

Published: Tue, 10/04/16

Hi

I've trained many people and all prefer a different level of detail when it comes to tracking goals, habits, results and personal best achievements.

However, the body has a ridiculous numbers of variables.

Tracking them all is like trying to get a room full of puppies to stand in a line!
The other end of the spectrum is the fixation on one thing.

A classic example is focusing on your scale weight ONLY.

Realising that the scale weight is, very simply, JUST the weight you put onto the floor is missing a major piece of the puzzle.

You can be two very different 70Kgs at different points in your life. Body composition is far more important.

Most of us have done it, decided to lose fat mass and get fit.

Our new mission goes something like:

  • Google 'fat loss' and get completely overwhelmed with the amount of hits
  • Ask about friends only to be told that paleo, low carb, vegan, fasting and ketosis are the best way to go.
  • Look around a couple of gyms, befuddled by all the big metal things
  • Read about raspberry ketones, green tea, slimming wraps, cross fit and all the millions of people that have all had (apparently!) complete success doing random things and excluding certain foods or food groups

We end up with a ridiculous amount of ideas, distractions and, at worst, wrong information marketed well.

Amazing things happen when we start on a fitness journey.

In fact, the most powerful of them we never notice.

  • Ever measured your pulse over a minute every week and notice it drop a beat every couple of weeks as your heart is getting stronger with training?
  • Notice the body getting better at finding and destroying cancer cells as nutrition improves? 
  • Feel your bones strengthening to the point that osteoporosis will never be an issue for you?
  • You build more muscle which will support your frame with good posture well into your 90's, muscle IS youth!

And STILL we worry about what a scale says.

I find I get the best results when I focus on a maximum of three things at a time until I, or a client, succeeds.

I apply F.O.C.U.S

Follow
On
Course
Until
Successful

Trust in the process and stick at it...just past where most give up is that next leap forward. 

Keep going until you succeed with one and then add another habit to build..never more than three at a time.

Your scorecard should consist of just a few things that are important to you and the closer aligned to the positive habits the better.

We try to instil HABITS that change behaviour to get reach the end result. Habits lead to success.

For example, for a client wanting to lose belly fat we would suggest trying to create the habit of eating slower by putting the cutlery down after each mouthful. This allows the bodies satiety hormones time to register when full.

This would reduce food intake gradually and reconnect the person with their satiety cues, reducing over-eating.

Think of a goal you have for the next few months.

What BEHAVIOURS do you think you would need to incorporate to reach that goal?

Create a scoring system where you award points whbe you achieve this and subtract points when you don't.

Could go like this:

Goal: Reduce back pain
Behaviour: mobilise, stretch and use a foam roller every time dinner is cooking

Score yourself out of 7 for the week, if miss two days you go down to 5.

Then try to add in the missing two times next week at some point.

Keep FOCUSed!

J




James Chandler
Personal Trainer
07870 262741
www.eatwellandworkout.com

'To inspire, educate and support our clients on their journey to better health'