Evaluating your progress - Part 4

Getting my body back - Day 37

Putting together a progress report

When putting together a progress report, decide what area or areas you want to track. There may be several areas you want to track but you don't want to become overwhelmed. Focusing on one area at a time allows you to zoom in to get the best results. When you see progress in this area, you'll be encouraged to focus on another.

1) Start by creating a chart. Choose the area you're working on i.e. ideal weight

2) What you want to track, i.e. workout routine, break it down into aerobics, strength training, nutrition etc.

3) Record your progress in each column

4) Date of your evaluation; whether it's daily, weekly or monthly

How often should you track your progress?

Depending on what you're working on, you may need to track and evaluate daily, others weekly or monthly. Or you can use a combination of these.

Start with what you feel is best or what works for you and then make adjustments from there. Or you can choose different areas within your goal to track daily and others weekly or monthly.

For my ideal weight goal, tracking my daily eating habits is a good way to stay on top of things. At the end of the day, I look back on what I've had to eat that day. For my workout routine, I evaluate weekly to see if I need to add more repetitions or change it. For weight reduction, I assess this monthly.

Fuelling words: I track my progress regularly to keep me focused on my goal.

Routine: Warm-ups, stretches, aerobics, toning and strength exercises, cool down.

Visualization - keeping focus on my goal; healthy, strong and my ideal body weight and shape.

Deep breathing - relaxes the muscles and sends oxygen to the muscles where exercising alone would not reach.

Evaluating your progress - Part 1

Getting my body back - Day 34

Today, I took the time to evaluate my progress.

I've decided not to use a scale as a progress instrument. The reason for this is because, for me, it opens us the tendency to constantly check on poundage loss and when there is no visible reduction on the scale, discouragement sets in. I decided that I would pay close attention to my body, using my senses to determine my progress.

By feeling my thighs, I could feel the changes in size and toning.

Visual perception - when I look in the mirror, I see some weight reduction there.

While I'm doing my workout routine, I know I need to increase my repetitions or modify the move to gain more intensity because my muscles have already adjusted to the regular repetitive count. I added new sets to my routine to maximize my efforts.

I'm also listening to what my body is saying to me. What does it need more of? Do I need to bump up my aerobics routine or switch. This may vary from time to time. I am becoming more in tuned with my body and listening to the warning signs.

I also use my clothes to gauge my progress. How are they fitting? Are they a little bit looser?

What method are you using to measure your progress?

When you break down your ultimate goal in segments, you set a clearer picture of where you are and where there are deficiencies, where you need to enhance or get rid of completely and what's the next step.

Evaluate yourself, today. Do your own progress report, rate yourself and do the necessary adjustments to draw you closer to your goal.

Fuelling words: I evaluate my short-term progress to gain maximum long-term benefit.

Routine: Warm-ups, stretches, aerobics, toning and strength exercises, cool down.

Visualization - keeping focus on my goal; healthy, strong and my ideal body weight and shape.

Deep breathing - relaxes the muscles and sends oxygen to the muscles where exercising alone would not reach.