DEFINING YOUR GOALS

There are 3 important questions that need to be answered when making any large changes to your routine. Whether it be to working out or to losing weight or whatever, you first have to assess a few things beforehand.

Before starting anyone with a new flexible diet, they are asked 3 very important questions.

WHY DO YOU WANT TO BEGIN A FLEXIBLE DIET?

Most people want to try flexible dieting (aka IIFYM, If It Fits Your Macros) because they get to work on their health and fitness goals while eating ice cream and Pop Tarts. But the bigger question within that question is, "Have you done your research on WTF flexible dieting is and how it works to help you reach your goals?" Why choose Flexible Dieting? Why not Paleo? Zone? Why not just count your calories?

Be sure that this new routine is going to be worth your time. This goes for anything that you decide to start doing too- Don't start something unless you know WHY you're doing it. Have you done the necessary work to understand what you are starting and why you are choosing this as a means to help you reach your goals?

When I first started flexible dieting, I didn't rush to a coach asking for macros. I read. I read and I read and I read. I downloaded an e-book by Krissy Mae Cagney (sadly she will stop selling her e-books in August, so get it now! Use Code: "doughnuts" for $20 off "FD 2.0: A Flexible Nutrition Philosophy for the Modern Athlete. No, I'm not sponsored, I just believe in it), and truly understood what flexible dieting entailed. Even STILL, I listen to podcasts, I read, etc... It's so so important that you remain educated about what the hell you're doing when you're counting your macros and WHY you're doing it.

DO YOUR WORK BEFORE ASKING ANYONE FOR MACROS. 

WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS?

• "I want to lose weight." - Okay, how much weight?
• "I want to 'tone up'." - Well, what's your definition of "tone up"?
• "I'd love to get rid of my love handles." - What does that mean? Get rid?
• "I want to lift more weight." - How much weight? Doing what lift? Squat? Snatch?

SPECIFICS are key when setting your goals. You want to leave no question as to what it means to reach your goal. What will the scale say when you tell yourself, "I did it!" What will you look like? What size pants will you be able to wear? How much weight will you be able to lift? How fast will you be able to run a mile? Know what your goal will look like when you achieve it.

I'll be honest, when I first started flexible dieting, I didn't define my goals. I started simply to "see what would happen" and I lucked out at discovering the best thing ever. For some people, this might be how you start- JUST DON'T ASK FOR MACROS; CALCULATE YOUR OWN AND TRY IT OUT.  I guarantee that there isn't a flexible dieting coach out there that wants to spend their time calculating macros for someone who's experimenting.

SO: define your goals and know why you are flexible dieting. Goals are the compass that steers your dieting ship.

WHY ARE YOUR GOALS IMPORTANT TO YOU?

This is by far THE MOST IMPORTANT question to answer in pretty much everything that you do. Every choice we make in life stems from our core set of personal values. Most of time though, the answer to this question is very superficial.

• "Because I want to lose weight."
• "Because I want to lift more."
• "Because I want to learn how to eat well"

Those are great, but they sound like goals to me. Vague ones at best, but still goals. So again, WHY ARE YOUR GOALS IMPORTANT TO YOU? What are your values?

There are so many layers to this question that many people don't realize. An example for you:

For some people, losing weight is important because they are pre-diabetic and on the verge of their doctor putting them on medication to help manage this. In this case, this person would tell me,

"My goal of losing weight is important because I don't want to be diabetic."

Okay, let's dive... Why don't you want diabetes?

"Because I don't want to become insulin dependent"

...Why don't you want to become insulin dependent?

"Because I don't want to have to lug around all the medication and remember to take it and have to pack in every where I go... and if I forget it, it could be dangerous and I'm at risk for a lot more things..."

... So you want to live a life, free of insulin dependency. WHY?

"I want to be able to spend time with my family, my kids, and my friends without having to worry about taking insulin."

...WHY?

"I value being a good husband, father, friend. I value integrity and want to show that hard work (flexible dieting) is better than taking a short cut (fad diet). I value respect and want to be a demonstration of self-respect for my health. I value..."

See where I'm going with this? Answering this question gets into the nitty gritty of it all and it's ultimately what DRIVES the success of a new flexible diet. Falling off your new flexible diet? About to stuff a Pop Tart in your mouth that will take you 100g over your set of carbs? Ask yourself: 

WHY ARE MY GOALS IMPORTANT TO ME and IS IT MORE IMPORTANT THAN THIS POP TART (...or whatever you're about to eat). 

Most of the time, flexible dieting goals stem from wanting to "be happy in one's own skin" and that means a lot of different things for a lot of different people. Whatever this means to YOU, you simply have to realize it, own it, and make it more important than your former way of eating. 

Remember, goals steer the ship, values drive your success. So what are your goals? What do you value?