A fitness challenge is a great tool to implement at the end of the year. The main idea here is to pick a few important goals to achieve within a set amount of time like 90 days (3 months) which is a perfect time period to make real changes to your health and physique. The goal you choose should be attainable yet difficult in order to encourage you to stick to the plan for the duration of the challenge.
One of the most common problems is weight gain through Thanksgiving, Halloween and Christmas. So the 90 day weight loss challenge might start on October 1st and run through December 31st. This is a true test of who has the most will power, determination and focus to adhere to a strict diet and exercise plan through these difficult times. If you’re doing the challenge at work, place a big billboard in the company break room above the refrigerator so you can see the goals and current progress of everyone who is taking part. This is a huge motivator to help inspire co-workers to put down the free donuts and choose some healthier alternatives in order to stay true to the challenge!
The reason this challenge is great for me is because of the timing of my fitness competitions. I compete around the holidays and like many competitors can relate to, it’s very easy to end up gorging on things you have been craving for months when all of the sugary food and delicious meals are around you all the time. You can easily overdo it and pile on multiple plates of junk food and by the time you know it, your calorie count has soared into the thousands! Even after a fitness contest is finished, I’m so lean that it’s super easy to gain weight immediately due to the normality change in meal frequency, type of foods and portion sizes. Introducing carbohydrates back into my diet can pack on the pounds quickly if I do not stay active and disciplined with my diet during the post contest phase.
My goal is to smoothly transition into my post contest phase by keeping up my cardio routine and weaning down slowly while normal foods are introduced back into my diet. I intend to keep my cheat meals to only the weekends and avoid going too far overboard when I indulge in them. I try to slowly increase my calories rather than shock my system with too much, too fast.
Small goals like this can be very reasonable and achievable. Look at the small things you want to change like maybe decreasing the amount of a certain food item you find yourself a slave to. Maybe you want to add a 15 minute brisk walk into your daily routine because you sit all day at your desk working and never do much walking. A simple and excellent goal is to start drinking more water every day.
Think about the pleasure and fulfillment you will receive by attaining small goals and then use this motivation to continue onto larger ones. The healthy habits you form during a 90 day challenge can be extremely beneficial for making lifelong changes. So, choose some small achievable goals and try to keep track of those goals by making notes about your present weight along with your body stats and photos. Keep a fitness journal of your daily feelings, food intake and exercise routine. This will keep you on the right track for ultimate fitness success!
