Have you set a summer fitness goal before? Did you get there?

Even more importantly, did you keep the result?

You see, many people set a goal to lose weight for summer, and they achieve it. But they fail to keep this result. And so they end up setting the same summer fitness goal every year — to lose the weight they’ve already lost, but put back on again.

If you really want to succeed and lose the weight once and for all, you need to take a different approach and stop looking at weight loss as a ‘quick-fix’.

Know what you want

The first thing you need to do is work out what you want. Of course, you want to lose weight, but what do you really want?

Do you want to be able to wear swimmers at the beach without feeling self-conscious?

Do you want to be able to fit back into your favourite pair of jeans?

Or do you just want to be happy in the skin you’re in, and feel confident no matter what you wear?

It doesn’t matter what you want, as long as it means something to you.

It’s also important to say what you really want, as opposed to what you think might be realistic. For example, if you really want to be able to wear a bikini, despite being 20kg overweight, say you want to wear the bikini. Don’t dismiss your deepest desires because you think it will take too long, involve too much work, or you can’t see it ever happening.

If you don’t set a goal to go after what you really want, then you’ll never get there.

Be honest about what you want.

Know WHY you want it

The next thing you need to do is work out why you want your summer fitness goal. What will it mean for you?

When you know what you want and WHY you want it, you have the power of clarity. All of a sudden, your goal becomes even more important to you, and you’ll be more committed to making it happen.

Knowing your WHY will also help you stay the course when things get tough, when you don’t feel like doing what you need to do to lose weight, or you feel like giving up.

When you know your WHY, you’ll find a way to make it happen.

Have a plan to reach your summer fitness goal

Having a goal and knowing why you want to achieve it still isn’t enough to get you there. You also need a plan.

We’re not talking about a meal plan. We’re talking about a structured plan — a bit like a road map — that will help you know what you need to do, and when you need to do it.

A structured plan should include things that will help you to lose weight like time for your exercise workouts, time to shop for healthy foods, and time to prep healthy meals.

Having a plan means that you won’t feel overwhelmed or stressed. It means that your time will be spent doing the things that will get you closer to your goal, instead of simply doing the things you want to do. It will also mean that you’ll find time to lose weight even while you continue to go to work, look after your family, and socialise.

TAKE ACTION

But even the best-laid plans still won’t help you reach your goals if you don’t take action.

This is probably the point that most people get stuck on. For whatever reason, but often out of fear, they procrastinate about doing the actual work.

This is where accountability comes in. Unless you include accountability in your plan, you’ll never reach your summer fitness goals.

Accountability may sound scary, but it will help you get results. While some people can be accountable to themselves, most people struggle with this. That’s why having a coach can be the missing link that holds everything together.

Working with a coach who keeps you accountable will mean that you’ll keep taking action towards your goals. You’ll be less likely to become complacent, and you’ll be more consistent with your actions. And consistency is one of the key things that will determine whether or not you’ll succeed.

Give yourself time

The last piece of the puzzle is to give yourself time. Remember the goal that you set? It has to be realistic. That means that it may take longer than you’d like to achieve it. But that’s okay, because that’s preferable to setting the same goal, year after year, after year.

The best way to ensure you’ll lose weight and keep it off for good is to work on your habits — because it’s these things that have got you to where you are now. Habits can make or break our weight loss journey. And while you can’t ‘break’ habits, you can change them.

When you work with a coach, you’ll be able to identify the habits that have led you to struggle with your weight. A good coach will also ensure that you don’t try to change too many things at once. While it may sound slow, changing one thing at a time and consolidating that change is actually quicker than changing too many things at once.

Firstly, you won’t get overwhelmed and give up, and secondly, you’ll find your newly developed habits actually support you in your weight loss goals. So the more you work on them, the easier it becomes to lose weight.

At Imani Tribe, we help our clients set realistic goals and determine their WHY. Then we put together a structured plan, which includes accountability and the tools and strategies they need, so they can start working on changing their habits and their body shape.

If you’re ready to make your summer fitness goals a reality, please contact us.