Why I’m Already Setting Goals for Next Year
I recently shared my review of the Amazon Halo Fitness Band compared to the Apple Watch for overall health, wellness, and fitness tracking. Regardless of which device is better or more effective, I actually have a goal in mind that doesn’t include either of them. I’d still like to spend 2022 continuing to figure out what works best for me from both a fitness and nutrition standpoint. However by the time 2023 rolls around I’d like to be so consistent in my routine that tracking my diet, workouts, and steps taken just won’t be necessary.
Why Tracking My Nutrition and Fitness Works for Me
Consistency and repeatability are two things that I have found fit very well into my otherwise busy life. By taking the guess work out of my daily routine I might miss some spontaneity but I make up for it in the calmness and confidence it provides me. By committing to being consistent with my nutrition and fitness tracking this year (keep reading for how I’m going to kick that into high gear with 75 HARD) I’m hopeful it will become so integrated into my routine that I won’t need to track anything at all next year.
What My Current Daily Fitness and Nutrition Looks Like
I like to think I’ve arrived at a pretty balanced place when it comes to fitness and nutrition. For me, that means working out five days a week, with three of those days focused on strength and two focused on cardio. I like both types of exercise and find for me it’s important to alternate the two in order to keep things fresh. The other two days a week I focus on moving my body by walking the dog or running around with my kids. I recognize that my body needs breaks from working out but I always feel better when I move and get at least 10,000 steps in a day.
Sample Workout Schedule:
Monday: 50 minute Tempo Strength Workout, Legs & Chest
Tuesday: 30 minute Peloton HIIT ride
Wednesday: 50 minute Tempo Strength Workout, Legs, Back & Core
Thursday: 45 minute Peloton Low Impact ride
Friday: 45 minute Tempo Strength Workout, Shoulders
Saturday: 30 minute Peloton ride
Sunday: 30 minute dog walk (does running late to church count as cardio?)
From a nutrition standpoint, I’ve been consistently eating ~1,800 calories/day or trying to create at least a 300 calorie deficit between what I ate and what I burned on days that I might want to indulge a little. 1,800 is a great goal for me because I don’t feel deprived at all and since I typically burn about 2,300 calories/day it gives me the body composition results I’m looking for while also allowing room for splurges along the way. I also try to eat at least 100g of protein and 25g of fiber each day which means I can’t use all of my calories on wine – though sometimes I want to!
Is Tracking Your Nutrition and Fitness Bad?
The goal of no longer being dependent on my Amazon Halo Fitness Band and MyFitnessPal is intended to be a reward for what will be nearly 18 months of consistency. It’s also a commitment to my ability to remain disciplined and continue to put my fitness and nutrition goals first. At the end of the day it doesn’t matter how many calories I burned during a workout or how many calories I ate for breakfast – but by knowing what type of choices I should make 80% of the time I hope to feel empowered as I begin my 40th year of life. Next year. Don’t rush me to 40, friends!
Why We’re Starting 75 HARD
Despite having a fairly consistent fitness and nutrition routine, I find plenty of excuses to deviate from my plan. Additionally, I feel like I’m lacking overall in mental toughness. I accidentally stumbled onto one of Andy Frisella’s podcasts a few days ago and then went down a rabbit hole of listening to a few more, including one that introduced the topic of 75 HARD. I had heard about the program anecdotally before and wrote it off as something I would never be crazy enough to try. However, I have big goals for this year and really find myself wanting to be at the top of my game – which will absolutely be required of me in order to achieve them. I’m hopeful that by following the 75 HARD plan for the next 75 days I’ll unlock a new level of potential that I’ve struggled to maintain over the last few years.
What Are The Rules of 75 HARD?
I hope to talk more about my experience with 75 HARD in a future post, but here are the rules if you’re interested!
Follow this program every day exactly as it’s stated for 75 days and become a new, better you.
- Two 45 minute workouts
- One workout must be outdoors
- Follow a diet
- No alcohol or cheat meals
- Drink 1 gallon of water
- Read 10 pages of a book, nonfiction. Audiobooks so not count.
- Take a daily progress pic
- Zero compromises, Zero substitutions
What are your fitness and nutrition goals for this year? Have you tried or thought about trying 75 HARD? I’d love to hear in the comments below!
