My 10 tips for setting realistic health & fitness goals

1. Start small and keep the bigger picture in mind. If you want to lose a significant amount of weight, tackle it bit by bit; 5 or 10 pounds at a time.
2. Reframe your goal as journey or experience, not a trying task. Instead of “I need to lose 20 pounds before my cousin’s wedding,” say “I commit to working out 4 times per week from now until then”. Once you accomplish the latter AND find you have also lost the 20 pounds, it’s like double the sense of accomplishment!
3. Plan for how you will measure success. This depends entirely on your goal, but from the outset decide your method and frequency for tracking your progress. Perhaps you will weigh yourself once every two weeks, measure your bust, hips and waist every six weeks, or take a full-body selfie once a month; regardless of how or how often. This is important because it punctuates your journey and gives you milestones to look forward to and work toward. An extra slice of pizza during your cheat meal? Probably not, with a weigh in coming in three days!
4. Realize your goal requires you to make new choices every day. Keep making these positive choices that move you closer to your goal until it becomes habit. Ten times repeated = a habit.
5. You’ve made the amazing decision to make a change, now keep yourself focused, determined and strong by zeroing in on ideas like “growth,” “progress,” and “I can” – negative thoughts and a self-critical tone will not serve you.
6. Make yourself your own icon. Everyone needs a little inspiration, but aspiring for a tighter, rounder, better version of your butt instead of chasing Beyonce’s butt, means there is no way you can be disappointed.
7. Don’t expect anyone other than yourself to shake things up – it is your responsibility to keep your workouts and meals interesting!
8. If you hit a setback or obstacle, don’t let it bog you down. Acknowledge it and move forward.
9. Identify your barriers to success and develop a plan. Is the candy in your desk drawer calling out to you? Trash it! Are you noticing you have one too many glasses of wine when you go out with a certain friend? Rain cheque!
10. Remember, good things take time! Set a reasonable deadline to achieve your goal.

What new health and fitness goals are on your horizon? What can I offer to support you? Recipes, workouts, tips? Tell me what you need to succeed in the comments below.

The Top 12 Truths about Losing Weight

1. You can't just say you want to lose weight, you have to get on a scale, get that number, subtract the number you want to get rid of, and make that your goal, and set a date.
2. You have to go to your kitchen and overhaul everything that does not support that final number above. This includes limiting some friendships that may not understand your path.
3. You have to find a workout that you WILL do, not one you will dissect and tear apart and then say it doesn't work. The one that works, is the one you will do. 

4. You will have to follow a nutrition plan that will likely be different from what you have been doing. It will take discipline, effort and courage. It will take adjusting and you will have some withdrawal moments.
5. There will be massively hard days. Regroup, focus on your goal number and fight through it; you will get stronger.
6. There will be emotional days. Anger, frustration, hurt, tiredness.... Workout through those. Your future energy will pay you back tenfold, and make those future emotional days a little easier.
7. There will be days you want to completely give up. Don't. It's not worth it. And you wouldn't be restarting over now, if you didn't last time.
8. There will be days that you'll look at really fit people and get mad you're not there yet. That's okay, they do it to.
9. There will be days you want crap food, drive thru food, sugar, chips, and adult beverages, YOU are NO DIFFERENT than anyone else getting fit, they want it too.
10. There will be days you look in the mirror and see no change, keep going. Someone will compliment you when you least expect it.
11. There will be days you wonder why you gave up your favorite things for this healthy life.
12. Then... there will be a day, when your favorite things will be working out, eating healthy, wanting less junk, buying smaller clothes, and being happy for no reason at all.
Health recovery takes time, but in the end you will thank and love yourself a million times over.
I speak from tons of personal experience...