Accountability is one of the most important aspects of a fitness journey. Sticking to a workout plan or diet can be challenging. When you start a new fitness plan, it’s easy to place blame and make excuses for missing your workout or skipping your meal planning for the week. But if you look a little deeper, most people find it harder to hit their fitness goals when they don’t feel accountable. Accountability is when you take responsibility for your journey – how often you work out, the food you eat, your sleeping habits. It’s how you show up for yourself as you conquer your goals.
A good way to start is to make a SMART goal. A SMART goal is specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time based. Specific goals are objective. Saying, “I want to lose weight,” is not a specific goal. You could quantify this by saying, “I want to lose 5% body fat,” or, “I want to fit in the jeans I wore before I had my baby.” You should be able to track your goals to see how you are progressing. This is a key concept for sustainability and keeping your motivation high. As you set your goal, plan how you will measure success, and how you will track progress along the way. The goal should be achievable. You want to give yourself the opportunity to succeed. Make sure that your aim is realistic for you. Think about how you can adapt your lifestyle to your goals. When it’s a realistic goal, you are more likely to keep it up. Finally, set a timeframe so that you can measure your success. This will allow you to evaluate your progress and find new goals to crush.
Another important way to boost accountability is to document your fitness journey. Put pen to paper, create a routine, and stick to it. It’s good to physically see the progress you’re making. Monitoring your activity can help keep you honest with yourself. Don’t just think about your workout schedule; plan your meals and sleep pattern. The idea behind jotting everything down is that it will discourage you from making unhealthy choices and prepare you for the week. The more that you can plan, the better your chances are of succeeding.
Research shows that having an idea alone means you’re only 10% likely to follow through. Planning how to do it takes that chance up to 50% and committing to your goals with someone else skyrockets your chances to 95%. Based on this data, by having scheduled accountability with someone, you only have a 5% chance of NOT achieving your goal! At TRIO, you are never alone. We are there every step of the way. We are medical providers AND certified fitness professionals who can create a customized strength training and nutrition plan that will fit your lifestyle. We use scientifically based medication plans to help you overcome those mental obstacles, such as cravings, that have held you back in the past. In addition, we believe in creating balance inside, as well as out; and offer bioidentical hormone therapy, which can enhance mood, energy, and longevity. We do all of this with regular virtual check-ins and lifestyle coaching to help keep you accountable.
Whether you implement one or all these ideas, taking responsibility and following through is a game-changer. Through the power of accountability, working together in new and innovative ways is a whole new way to meet your goal.