Target Date Your Diet

January is usually a time when most of us will resolve to lose weight. While losing body fat and improving body composition should really be the focus of our efforts and conversations, we often revert to naturally talking about losing weight. Hear me when I say this – weight is not your issue. I guarantee when you think about your new found dietary drive, you’re probably more likely to be visualising your perfect physique or imagining how good you will feel on the beach, rather than looking down at the number on the scales in your bathroom. Am I right? So with that in mind, read this old post on why you should throw out your scales, and hear my applause when you do.

Ok so with that out the way I’ll get to the meat and bones of this post. As I said its the time of year when most of us are driven to prioritise our nutrition. If you haven’t done this already, do it now! Spring will be here before you know it and summer is literally around the corner. You need to start now. The clock is ticking, but in order to achieve that beach physique it’s important to clearly draw a finish line in the metaphorical sand. Setting a target date for your diet is a great way of maintaining your focus and ensuring adherence to your eating regime.

It’s all about accountability

Picture this: it’s the first week in January, if you have a holiday booked, photoshoot, competition (like making weight for a fight) then the chances are you’re going to be more likely to stick to the food plan. It’s the sense of impending accountability that really makes target date diets work. It’s like the sound of an alarm bell ringing in your ear! When you simply have to be held accountable, you’ll pull out all the stops to achieve your goal. When I hear a client talk about losing fat, without any reason why it’s important to do so, I immediately question their commitment. Not setting an end date for your goal will mean you meander along without accountability to your January self. Without having time constraints we simply trundle along until old habits have crept back in and the Christmas bells of 2014 begin ringing in our ears. That’s why we have deadlines. Deadlines mean we get stuff done.

Setting goals are imperative to achieving. By simply adding the accountability of a target date you’ve already boosted your chances of getting to the promised land. So if you’re serious about losing fat this year set a start date, take baseline measurements like body composition tests, visual document (a self portrait photo with it all hanging out) and even, if you must check the scales. Once you know where your starting from then set the target end date. Make it accountable to yourself and other people. A photoshoot, competition, holiday, or simply an Instagram post are one of many ways you can hold yourself accountable and stick to your guns long after January has passed.