There is NO magic plan or magic pill but there is such thing as YOUR magic Plan! How do you know what plan is best for you or how do you find your magic? There is NO one size fits all nutrition and training plan but if you put in the work and do your research, you can find YOUR perfect plan. One that fits for you, your life and your goals! What works for one person may not work for another. What makes one person happy and motivated my not make you happy and actually demotivate you! If you are someone who hates the gym, a workout routine that is gym based, isn’t the one for you! If calculating every single calorie is what a plan calls for but you want nothing to do with being a mathematician, that plan is not for you! It is about finding the plan or combination of plans that works for you! Don’t be subject to the latest fad diet that won’t work! Fad diets are just that, fads, they come and go, just like your results! Don’t waste your time, money and energy on what hollywood says is the next best way to lose weight!
SO how do you create your own Magic Plan? Use these steps to help you come up with the perfect plan that will help you reach your goals and maintain them for life!!
1. UNDERSTAND YOUR GOALS
Having a clear, specific and straight forward idea of what you want will be the foundation of your plan. Be specific with yourself. If your goal is to run a 21 minute 5k, that is a clear, straight forward goal that will be the basis of your efforts! This is important because every part of your Magic Plan will stem from this specific goal. If your goal is to just “be fit” how do you create a plan to “be fit”, what does that even mean!? As much as I hate weight goals, at least a weight goal gives you something to measure against!
2. PICK A PLAN THAT IS CONDUCIVE TO YOUR LIFE!
When trying to find your “Magic Plan”, it is important to find one that is conducive to your life. If a plan calls for a gym and you do not have access to a gym, well then that isn’t the plan for you! Don’t waist your time on a plan that isn’t conducive to your life, your schedule and your goals. If your goal is to run a 21 minute 5k then you need to find a plan that is going to help you do that. If a plan don’t call for any running, then that isn’t going to be the plan for you! A plan that isn’t going to be conducive to your life and your goals is simply a waste of time, money and energy! Keep your goal your focus and find a plan that will help you get there! If you are a working mom, maybe a plan that doesn’t consist of long hours in the gym is going to be your Magic Plan! Be realistic with yourself, where you are in your life and your goals!!
3. FIND A PLAN THAT INCLUDES WHAT YOU LOVE!
Don’t force yourself to do something you don’t like! If you aren’t a gym lover, there are plenty of other plans out there that do NOT require a gym! Don’t force yourself to do something you don’t like! What is going to be key is finding something you enjoy! If tennis is something you love, that is great and that can be the basis of your activity! There are things you can do besides working out in a gym! Life long results and habits are going to be created doing the things we love and want to do rather than the things we have to do!! If you love running, a plan that includes running is going to be your “magic plan”!! Be honest with yourself and find a plan that includes what you LOVE!
4. GO FOR A TEST DRIVE
You never know unless you try! When you find a plan that you think you are going to love and it resonates with your goals, go for it! Give it a try and see how you like it! I suggest you give it 4 weeks to see how it works for you! You will not know in 2 days if it is your “magic plan”, but after a month or so, you will have a better grasp on things and discover things you love and things that may not work for you. Once you have your sound conclusions, you can adjust and modify things and give those changes a test drive until you find the YOUR perfect “magic plan” that works for you!
5. KEEP TRACK
As you Dig into your plan and go for your Test Drive, keep track of how you feel! Every day write down things that are working for you and things that may not. Spend a few minutes each day to review how things went so after your 4 weeks you can review and come up with your sound conclusions. The best thing you can do is Keep Track so you know where things went right and where things may have not gone so well.
6. MAKE ADJUSTMENTS!!
Any plan can be adjusted and modified to fit your needs!! The key is to keep the good and do away with the things that may not be working so well! If a plan calls for yams and you don’t like yams, adjust and modify with something you love like quinoa or brown rice. If a workout plan includes push-ups and you are unable to do regular push-ups, drop down to your knees and modify them so you can do them! You can always modify any nutrition or workout plan to fit your needs! Rather than telling yourself you “can’t do this or that” find a way to change things so you CAN do them! Again, there is no cookie cutter diet that works for everyone! The basis for all plans may be similar but you have to put your own twist on things to make it work for you!
Keep in mind, there are great things about every plan and things that may not resonate with you! They key is finding the good in every plan and create YOUR OWN MAGIC PLAN!
One final thought… keep in mind that as your goals and life changes, your “magic plan” will change. What works for you now may not be what works for you later. Be open minded and do what works for you and what resonates with you no matter where you are in your fitness journey!