Do you have a special event you want to look and feel your best for? You may want to be bikini ready in time for the first day of summer or spring break in Cabo; maybe you want to be in your best shape for your wedding day, or look and feel better for when your husband comes back from deployment…
We’ve all had an occasion that calls for a little extra effort or self improvement; for us, if no one else. Because the harder we work to improve our physique, the more confident and healthy we feel.
This post is designed to give you a little direction and structure in the lead up to that momentous occasion. It’s a timeline we hope will motivate and inspire you to build the body you’ve envisioned yourself in, by any particular deadline.
Before we begin, we’d like to acknowledge that everybody is different and so are their specific goals and fitness journey. So we’ve intentionally generalized this advice so you can add on it and customize it with your unique specifications. We’ve also included product recommendations to supplement your fitness routine that will help to amplify your results! Now, let’s get started.
Three Months Before
Set yourself a clear goal.
Set a start date. And pick a specific day you want to reach your goal. Make sure that goal is S.M.A.R.T. (specific, measurable, achievable, results-focused and time-bound). We try and advise against picking a number on a scale, as ‘measurable’ as that is, it’s not always the most accurate representation of a fit and healthy body. Use these examples for inspiration:
I want to fit into that size ___ bathing suit by June 21st.
I want to have a ___ inch waist in time for my wedding day.
I want to train a minimum of three times a week for that 20 mile hike my fiancé wants to do on our honeymoon.
I want to get my body fat percentage down to ___ in time for Spring Break on March 3rd.
Side note: If you want to aim for a body fat percentage pick an image that best resembles the results you want to obtain and go from there.
Calculate your regime with a body weight planner.
There are so many versions of these calculators online: the kind where you enter your age, height, weight, etc, and they tell you how many calories they recommend eating for your specific goals. You can then calculate how long you estimate it will take to reach your goal, three months is a generalization, it may take you more or less time. Make sure to account for diet detours and ‘cheat days’ because nobody’s perfect. Consider your lifestyle and how many hours you can realistically dedicate to exercise and meal prepping per week, then calculate how long you estimate it will take to reach your goal.
With the information you’ve gathered, make yourself a fit calendar.
What days are you going to meal prep? Are you planning on investing in a service that provides nutritionally balanced healthy meals or making your own? Your diet will vary depending on what you want to achieve. We recommend focusing on a portion-controlled macronutrient ratio (about 45% lean protein, 37% complex carbs and 18% healthy fats). But It’s a good idea to research your diet thoroughly so that it aligns with the results you want to achieve.
Make a rough plan to acknowledge which days you’ll be hitting the gym or making time to go for a run, etc. Maybe you even plan on enrolling in some workout classes. Factor this all into your calendar. Remember that the first month should be centered heavily on cardiovascular activity, if weight-loss is your primary goal.
Detox it out.
If you haven’t been eating well and feel like your body isn’t functioning to its best ability, you can kick start your regime with a mild detox. This will cleanse your body from any toxins that can cause you to retain excess fat and feel sluggish or unwell. It’s important to drink plenty of water during your detox stage to flush all the toxins out. We recommend taking Thermoxyn Detox. It’s packed with natural ingredients and will help you feel healthier and lose weight as efficiently as possible.
Two Months Before
Purchase yourself a fat-burning supplement.
Once you get over the biggest hurdle which is usually getting into the swing of working out everyday, your initial results and increased fitness level will motivate you to keep pushing. However, it’s not always easy to find motivation when you’ve had a long day at work. This is where products like fat burners and pre-workouts can come in. They’re your pick me up. But they also help to decrease your appetite and increase performance so you can start seeing better results in that full length mirror. Be careful with these though, the results they produce have been known to be addictive.
Reevaluate your calendar and adjust accordingly.
Sometimes life happens and your fit calendar doesn’t exactly go to plan. That’s ok. At the start of Month Two, you should evaluate your plan. What’s working best? What isn’t? Are Fridays and Mondays your best rest days, etc… Are you caving into fast food more than you’d like? What are strategies you can implement to deter these habits?
Measure your monthly progress.
Are you where you expected to be by month two? Are you pushing yourself to your limit? You’ll want to gradually up your workouts (reps, weight, duration). This monthly milestone is a good place to include micro workout goals. Maybe you want to incorporate a weekly hike, etc.
Get your protein levels up.
Protein is extremely important, especially when you’re looking to add muscle definition, on top of shedding body fat. It’s at this two month mark you’ll want to up your intake. The first month we were more or less focused on cutting fat, but you should consume more protein to help put on and retain muscularity. Also, introduce weight training and resistance into your workouts. We recommend Elite Whey protein for your daily protein shakes.
One Month Before
Increase strength training and intensity.
This is the final stretch. You should be in a lot better shape and your body should be better equipped to extend the length and intensity of your workouts. Really push yourself to your limits in order to improve, without overdoing it.
Measure your progress and re-evaluate to make sure you’re still on track.
Does your progress still align with your S.M.A.R.T. goal at the finish line? This last month you’ll want to make any last minute refinements to your fit calendar. It’s now or never. Time to really get into gear.
We want to wish you luck for your special occasion! We hope you meet all your fitness goals and become happier and healthier because of it.
-Black Diamond Supplements
