Being active has always been a huge part of my life. Growing up I was a gymnast for 10 years and dabbled in so many other sports: Softball, basketball, hip hop dance, volleyball and even golf! I like to stay busy and moving my body has always made me feel more confident and happy.
Pat is naturally athletic and is literally good at every sport. He played Lacrosse in high school and I use to go to every single game! It’s a little funny now, but I remember sitting on the bleachers with one of the other girlfriends and one day she asked me if I though Pat and I would get married one day. I had answered yes, but at 17, how in the world would I have known!
Pat and I both love going to the gym. It is a way for me to start my day and it’s Pat’s way to burn off any stress/tension from work. We both have fitness goals that we are constantly working towards and I thought I would share 5 ways to keep your partner accountable with health goals.
On Me: Pink SportsCrop // Align Leggings 28″ // Similar Jacket // Similar Adidas NMDs Tennis Shoes
On Pat: Sportswear Tech Joggers // Similar UA Tee // Adidas NMD R1
#1: Plan a date night in of goal setting. Write out your clearly defined goals. Research has shown those who write out their goals are more likely to achieve them than those who do not. An example of a clearly defined goal is “I want to lose weight by working out 4-5x a week and by eating a cleaner, healthier diet”. Just saying “I want to lose weight” is not an actionable goal. You need to have a plan of action to accomplish your goal.
This is something Pat and I do every six months. When we accomplish something in the meantime, we will write our initials and date it! Be sure to hang your goal sheet somewhere you both see it every day. The refrigerator or back of the bathroom door are great options!
#2: Grocery Shop together. If you two shop together, you are more likely to think about what you are purchasing and keeping inside the fridge and pantry. Pat and I do one big shop a week and then I’ll go once or twice through out the week for fresh veggies and fruits or for other ingredients needed for meals. If you have a goal to lose weight- eating out isn’t most likely a part of that plan. Ask each other every night “what are you going to have for lunch tomorrow?” You are more likely to stick to something if you said out loud what you will be doing!
#3: Track & Measure Progress: Since this post is how to keep each other accountable for health goals then we are mostly talking about science! Our bodies are our physical structures that are made up of our bones, organs and flesh-all ‘things’ that can be scientifically explained and understood. We can make changes to our lives that affect our quality of life and affect how our bodies are able to respond. I spoke about my use of a scale in this post here, but in short, for me, the scale is a display of progress. Pat and I both weigh ourselves every week with this scale, it breaks down our weight in body fat %, water % and muscle %. If my goal is to convert fat to lean muscle, then I would see this reflected by using the scale.
Scales might not be your thing and I get that. You have to do what works best for you and your partner. Perhaps a way to track progress is taking progress photos each week or every other week. Make it a date night in to accomplish this! Perhaps you have a goal to decrease your cholesterol, make sure to obtain that information when you go to the doctors so you are aware if your are progressing towards your health goal!
#4: Create an honesty only environment: Pat and I are very opened and direct with one another. If I am absolutely craving something for days and feel like I’m about to lose it if I don’t have x then I share this with him. We may pick a time where we will treat ourselves with that craving, we may decide to work out earlier that day together so we can have that treat. If you feel stuck with your goals then communicate that to your partner. Be each other’s biggest supporter. I always feel relief if I express something on my mind that has been consuming my thoughts and my energy! You have to be sure to make this a positive and once in a blue moon occasion. Don’t make this a habit or both of you will not achieve the health goals you have set.
#5: Share your small win together every night. Find one ‘w’ every day that led you closer to your overall health goal. Was it turning down sweets at the office? Was it skipping going out to lunch with co-workers? Was it an extra 10 minutes on the stair master at the gym? Was it doing 10 push ups before showering? These small wins should be shared and celebrated. Go to bed on a positive note. You’ll sleep more soundly ending on a high note!
I would love to hear your fitness goals or ways you keep yourself accountable! It’s crucial to write out these goals you have so you can create a plan of action and make into a reality!
I want to point out the leggings I am wearing above are my favorite leggings. I have several colors of the Align pants and they hold up for a couple of years at a time! I wash on delicate with my other gym leggings and lay them flat to air dry. These pants are more of a cotton material, therefore, I do not wear them on leg day because I sweat so much. They are the perfect, everyday pair of leggings though! I wear mine non stop!
xx, Brittany Ann
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