Starting Line

You can't figure out how to get where you're going if you don't know where you are right now. So before you begin a new workout program or set any goals it's important to take the time to do some assessments of your current state. A visit to your doctor can be very useful in determining which types of exercise programs are appropriate for you to start with. Find out if you have any underlying health issues that might require you to modify your activities or take medication. Conditions such as anemia, depression and thyroid disease for instance can hinder your progress when not controlled properly. So identifying and addressing such things early on will boost your chances of success.

I can't emphasize enough how critical it is to record your baseline statistics. At a minimum take your weight and measurements for chest, waist, hips, upper arms, and thighs. If you wish you can also record your body fat percentage, blood pressure and cholesterol level. This provides you with a solid starting line from which to track your progress. Each week you will retake these measurements and the new numbers will prove that your body is changing even on weeks where you don't notice much difference in the mirror. Weight loss happens slowly over time so it's difficult to see it happening without some kind of tracking system in place. Kind of like how you don't really notice your children growing because you see them every day, but a relative comes over that hasn't seen them for awhile and comments on how much they have grown. Gradual shrinking works that way too! There will undoubtedly be weeks where you think you look exactly the same and even the scale weight isn't budging. This can feel so discouraging that you may even be tempted to give up. But then when you check your body measurements you find that you've lost a 1/2 inch from your waist or hips and it keeps you going. If you go to my beachbody website (beachbodycoach.com/fitnessmamax9) and sign up for either the club OR the free membership you have access to a great goal tracker program there. Or there are many other online programs you can find to use also. But a simple sheet of paper works just fine too. As long as you can clearly see your start line stats and have a place to record weekly progress.

Now I know I'll get groans for this, but the last thing I highly recommend doing at the outset is taking a "before" picture. I didn't formally do this and I regret now that I did not. When I was very overweight I would have preferred to walk across hot coals rather than be photographed so I avoided cameras as much as possible. Therefore when I went back later to find a good snapshot there were very few photos to choose from. I wish now that I had put on a pair of shorts and a tank top, and been brave enough to take a real "before" shot. I know it's uncomfortable when we don't think we look our best to put that on film for posterity, but as your body slowly changes you will begin to forget what you looked like before which makes it hard to recognize how far you have come. Having a picture to reference later on will be very satisfying. I promise. My kids came running up from the basement the other day with one of the rare old photographs of me. They kept saying how they could barely remember me looking like that anymore. That it seemed almost like a different person now even. They were delighted and found it hilarious. But for me it brought tender tears to my eyes remembering where I started and the journey I had taken. I wanted to throw my arms around the woman in the picture and say, "See...you made it! It all turned out ok." The woman you are at every stage of your life remains a part of who you are forever. She deserves to be remembered.

So you've set your starting line in place...get ready, get set....