8 Ways to Measure Your Fitness Progress to Stay on Track

March 9, 2019


Having fitness goals is the first step towards living a healthy lifestyle. The next step is moving forward towards achieving your goals. In order to do that though you need to have a plan. You need to have structure your workouts and your diet, and you need to monitor the progress all the time to ensure you stay on track.

Here are 8 ways you can measure your progress in order to stay on track towards your goals.

1. Keep a workout log and always progress

If you log your workouts, you ensure you can properly plan your next session in reference to the previous one. A workout log also ensures you're consistent with good workouts and can measure your performance and adjust if something is not helping.

This always ensures you're constantly improving and you stay motivated to keep on and progress towards achieving your goals.

2. Use fitness trackers to track your steps, distance and heart rate

A fitness tracker is an important tool in realizing your fitness goals. It helps you understand your body and know how it's reacting to the fitness plan. It also reveals important information about your health and helps monitor your heart rate. You can know the exact amount of calories you're burning, and motivate you towards achieving your goals.

Fitbit devices also helps you find inspiration, set goals, and connect with friends. These are all important aspects of your fitness journey. You don’t need to get the most expensive tracker out there to reach your goals. I use a Fitbit Alta which I’ve had for a few years and it still works great. I replaced it with a custom strap from Mobile Mob but otherwise it’s as good as new. If you need to replace yours, you can buy it here

3. Record food intake using MyFitnessPal app

Your fitness plan starts with the types of food you eat. MyFitnessPal helps you count your calorie intake, log the kind of foods you eat and help you learn important healthy eating habits.

With the food dairy, you will easily understand your habits, and this will enable you to achieve your goals quickly. You must log your food information in the app after every meal to ensure you aren’t over or under eating.

4. Reward yourself with cheat days once a week

Rewarding yourself once in a while is a great way to keep you motivated, and also appreciate yourself for any progress you're making. You can treat yourself to a delicious meal, so go to a massage parlour or just lazy around and don't do any work out for the day.

Go and enjoy other leisure activities that do not require too much muscle movement but remember not to overdo it as your body might get used to the laziness.

5. Get a workout partner who holds you accountable and motivates you but doesn't distract you

It helps and motivates you to know that there is someone who understands the struggle of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and is ready to stand with you and correct you when you go wrong and always motivate you.

You should, therefore, have a friend who is always available a phone call away whenever you need someone to talk to. You can also plan a group exercise and set a fitness run or a tennis game. This way, you'll get to enjoy some time with friends and still work out.

6. Time your meals for maximum benefit

Timing your meals can also mean having a food diary where you record every meal you eat, the time you'll eat the next meal and when you should drink water. This ensures you're always accountable for what you eat and know when to say no to a delicious candy.

7. Have a solid meal plan laid out beforehand

The secret to achieving your fitness goals is knowing which foods you'll eat and preparing them in advance. You need to be mindful and conscious about what you eat to create a meal plan that will work for you. You can start this by choosing fresh, healthy foods over junk foods that are high on fat and sugar.

Some people think that they are too busy to create a meal plan; however, if you know the benefits it's going to bring to your fitness goals, you'll create time for it. Without a plan, you can easily fall off track with your workout plan.

8. Prepare your meals at home and don’t eat out

When it comes to your fitness goals, the foods you eat and how they are prepared matters a lot. Some people find it hard to cope with a healthy diet because they are too busy to prepare a healthy meal at home.

They, therefore, end up buying quick meals at restaurants to save time when in the real sense they're destroying their body. When you prepare your meals at home, it's easy to ensure its fresh and full of all the nutrients you need for your fitness goals. Not to mention that foods made at home with love are tastier than those bought outside.


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