The weather is getting warmer, the sun is shining, snow is melting – summer is on its way. And with summer comes an almost panicked frenzy to work out, lose weight, tone up, and all that jazz. We love working out. And we love being healthy! But just because summer is coming and you’re determined to rock that swimsuit doesn’t mean we have to throw all common sense out the window.
You might be setting goals in anticipation of summer, and we want you to succeed! We want you to crush your goals and take the world by storm. But if you set unrealistic fitness goals for yourself, you could be doomed before you even start. Below are some common goals that are great when set correctly – or completely unrealistic when not. While we admire your ambition when setting goals, sometimes you need to take a step back and think about if those goals are even attainable. Read on to see how you might setting yourself up to fail.
1. I want to lose this much weight by this date
Maybe you have a wedding coming up, or a reunion or other special event. Deadlines are great – having a date circled on the calendar can give you that extra push you need to stay focused. However, what’s too much too soon? Losing weight at a rate of .5-2 pounds per week is healthy and doable. Losing 3-5 pounds per week is not. So when you’re picking that date and setting your goals, make it something you will actually be able to achieve in a healthy manner. Losing 20 pounds in 8 weeks is pushing it – a more realistic goal would be to lose 10-15 pounds.
2. I want to have visible abs
Abs are often considered the ultimate goal in fitness. But being able to see a defined six pack takes an incredible amount of dedication, especially for women (annoying, but true). Abs can be seen when body fat percentage is at around 10-12%, but this isn’t true for everyone- some people can see abs at up to 15-20% body fat. Abs are highly based on genetics, so some can see the beginnings of a six pack much easier than others. The shape and size of your abs varies based on genetics as well, so if you don’t have that perfectly aligned six-pack, blame mom and dad.
3. For the next 8 weeks I’ll eat only healthy foods with no cheating
Leading a healthy lifestyle means creating something that works for you, something sustainable. Refusing to allow yourself any wiggle room whatsoever is not sustainable. Even the pros have cheat meals, and they maintain their incredible figures. Sometimes we think that this is the only way to achieve our goals – to go completely strict and allow ourselves no cheats and only eat chicken breast and broccoli forever. But then when you’re out with friends or at a birthday party and you feel like you have to be completely miserable because if you have one chip it’ll derail you completely, it stops being healthy. Life happens! Enjoy it.
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