As any successful person will tell you creating a goal is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to forming that goal into reality, regardless of the field or desired outcome. You fitness goals are no different and while there are a number of factors that contribute to the success or failure of a fitness related goal there is one that is simple yet so often neglected. Tracking progress.
What do we consider progress?
What do we track?
How do we do it and why is it so important?
Let’s assume you have a positive mindset and have fully committed to the tasks at hand.
From this point forward every day that you remain dedicated to the plan is a success and ear marked as progress. This realisation leads to a positive outlook and a reason to continue on. After all that is the desired outcome isn’t it, too get a little better each day?
During the most successful programs I have undertaken myself I track everything. I do tend to go overboard on the tracking as I enjoy the numbers and identifying trends in anything and everything. With that in mind these are the recommendations I would make to someone who is undertaking the goal of fat loss;
Nutrition Tracking
- Each meal as its consumed including macronutrients weight in grams (cooked weight)
- Water consumption
- Pre and post training supplement
- Vitamins consumed quantity and time
- What training sessions were completed that day
Training Tracking
- Number of resistance training sessions per week
o Weights, reps and sets of every work out
- Number, intensity and time in minutes of cardio each week
o Time the session was preformed and weather it was a ‘fasted’ or ‘feed’ session
- Rest days
- When solid meals and supplements we consumed pre and post work out.
Looking over these instructions I can see how you might see it as overkill and maybe it is however the information doesn’t lie. You or your trainer will be able to spot over training easily, too few or too many macronutrients, relate poor performance to poor dietary choice, spot the cause of poor sleep quality, identify fatigue levels and much more.
Although you may not understand it at the beginning when you are 6 weeks into a fat loss program these numbers are so important as a motivational tool. Not only at this point are your friends and family beginning to comment on how you’re looking but your data shows you that you have been spot on with your diet and your ability to train hard and your fitness levels have improved significantly.
Tracking the available information should become a part of your day to day routine if you goal is to achieve a significant result regardless of the desired outcome!