I am working with one female client who wants six-pack abs and another female client who wants a flat tummy, but with less muscular definition. Another client wants a fuller, more bubbly booty and another one just wants hers to sit higher and tighter. What a lot people don't think about is how much they want their new and improved physique versus how much they don't want to change their current lifestyle. Changing your body requires a change in lifestyle and depending on your specific fitness goal and your current commitment level to fitness, that change may be slight or significant. For example, someone who was previously a junk-food-eating-couch-potato who wants to prepare for a figure competition will have to undergo a lifestyle revolution. Someone who is relatively fit and who wants to tighten and tone up a bit more will have a much easier transition. Even someone who has a long journey ahead of them needs to start somewhere, and those changes should be small, do-able and progress over time.  I'm not a big fan of big drastic changes suddenly when we're talking about lifestyle changes and long-term results.

A good place to start when setting your fitness goals is to ask yourself these questions:

1. How much shape and definition do I want? (i.e. "tone" or "sculpt")

2. How lean do I want to be? (well-defined and chiseled or firm but softer)

3. On a scale from 1-10, how important is it that I reach these goals? (1= not important at all, 10= most important)

4. What new habits am I realistically willing to adopt to achieve this goal? (making adjustments to current diet, commit to a consistent training program)

5. What habits am I realistically not willing to give up? (favorite food, happy hour)

Answering these questions will help you paint a clearer picture of what you really and truly want. When you know what you really want, you can make a sensible plan you can stick with and set yourself up for success. No matter how fit you become, if living the lifestyle that got you there doesn't make you happy, the reality is you will be a fit person who is unhappy. I know for me, having a really fit body and maintaining it is one my most favorite things!  But what do you want? How fit is fit enough for you?  Because it's your body and you're the one who must live in it, your opinion is the only one that matters. Choose to be fit AND happy!

photo credit: Malingering via photopin cc photo credit: Wojtek Pruchnicki via photopin cc