by Karen Lirio

Personal Trainers are faced with a mired of frustrations when it comes to helping their clients achieve their goals, none of which are the clients fault of course, they are simply the result of them not being diet and exercise savvy….. yet. One of these frustrations is clients waiting until summer to get ready for summer! If only it were that easy, and that quick. Unfortunately what takes us years to pile on, one kilogram at a time, takes almost as long to peel back off.

There are four stages of adaptation when you begin or resume an exercise and eating plan, and unfortunately there are a good seven to fifteen months between when you start and you finally achieve your goals. Initial Stage – The Initial Stage is the first 30 days or the first month. During this stage not much headway is made toward achieving the goals you have set for yourself as there are some fundamental adaptations that need to take place first.

During this time your mind and body are simply becoming used to the idea of exercising and, if you have been inactive for some time then your nervous system also needs to re-learn how to effectively control your muscles. The good news is that you will notice an increase in energy levels and mood, due to a release of endorphins (happy hormones) and a reduction in toxin levels from increased blood and lymph circulation. Exercise during this time will still feel inconvenient, exhausting and a little uncomfortable however, so it is important to use lots of external motivators to stay on track.Visual Stage – The Visual Stage can take anywhere from three to seven months to reach.

This is the stage at which you will finally start to see some results and people will start paying you compliments. Your body should be getting used to your new training and eating regime and you will feel more internally motivated by your successes. This is however also the point at which many people stop, and consequently end up right back where they started. It is important to maintain your new habits past the three to seven month point to fully realise your goals and maintain them long term.Results Stage – The Results Stage is, as the name suggests, the stage at which you finally achieve you initial goals. This stage can take seven to fifteen months to reach, not the 12 weeks that many programs imply.

The best part about this stage is that most people are not only elated by what they have achieved, but they now enjoy their new exercise and eating regime. This is the time to set new goals or develop a maintenance plan, so that you don’t slip back into old habits and your old body.Maintenance Stage – Congratulations! Exercise and healthy eating has become a part of your lifestyle. You exercise for enjoyment, to maintain your results, and because you feel lousy if you stray too far from your healthy routine.

This is the Maintenance Stage and takes most people at least fifteen months to achieve. Long term motivation is now the key so be careful not to let self-congratulations turn to complacency and set yourself some new challenges to stay motivated.While it is never too late to begin a lifestyle change, waiting until summer to get ready for summer is clearly too late. Instead, make like a butterfly and cocoon yourself in a sound diet and exercise plan over the cooler months so that come summer you can emerge the butterfly that you were meant to be.