Maybe you’ve decided on your own that you want to push your fitness to a new level or incorporate new healthy habits into your life. Or perhaps your healthcare provider has told you it’s time to start making changes because you’re at risk for disease (or already have been diagnosed). One of the biggest reasons people fail when it comes to starting a new fitness routine is that they have unreasonable expectations. We have some tips to help set reasonable expectations for the weeks and months to come so that you can set yourself up for success!

Start Slow

Start slowly when it comes to your workout pace. Buying a new set of exercise equipment is exciting, and it’s natural to want to jump right in! But we want to caution you to ease in when you’re starting out using new gym equipment. When you buy a new treadmill, weight machine, or elliptical trainer, don’t start by working out two hours a day—that’s the surest way to burn out or fall victim to injury. Start with 15 or 30 minutes, and work your way up to 45 minutes, and then 60, for example.

Set Attainable Goals

We live in a society of instant gratification. You can download an app in seconds, order fast food in minutes, and have packages sent cross-country overnight. And with all the weight-loss hype flashing across our phone screens that we can drop pounds super fast without having to do much work, why would we expect to have to actually put effort into a healthier lifestyle? The truth is, it takes 30 days or more to make a new change a habit. If you expect to drop 15 pounds this week, or even this month, you’re going to be sorely disappointed. Even the most successful weight-loss programs suggest losing 2 pounds a week at the most. Know that you’re going to have to work slowly toward your goal for the best, most long-lasting results, and your chances for success will rise greatly!

Get Support

If you live with a partner, enlist his/her help and support on this journey. Sometimes, workplaces are a wonderful place to set up a support network. And if you feel that neither of these places are good to get the help you need, you can find several apps and online forums for weight loss and fitness. A network is invaluable when it comes to embarking on a new fitness and weight-loss lifestyle.

Use a Journal

Whether you use an app, a notebook, or another tracker, keeping a log of the foods you eat, the exercise you do, and the way you feel is an excellent way to stay on track. Those who log their calories intake and calories burned do a much better job of staying on goal than those who don’t.

Expect to Make Mistakes

We all make mistakes, right? But the value of mistakes is that we learn from them and move forward. Don’t let one slip-up ruin your entire goal. Write it in your journal, make a note of what went wrong, what you’ll do better next time, and move on. Dwelling on it only causes more stress, which in turn, releases cortisol, which causes you to gain weight. Stay positive and be kind to yourself!

Fitness Specialists sells the best residential and commercial fitness equipment in Odessa and Lubbock. Stop by one of our locations, or contact us today and tell us how we can help you!