Goal Setting

Goal setting

Once you have replaced your old negative belief system with your new empowering belief system, the next stage is to set your goal/s.

Step 1: Set realistic goals — health first, self-image second

Have you ever wondered why you have never achieved your goal weight/body fat percentage or have achieved them but was still not happy with your appearance? Could it be that you are trying to attain a body shape that is totally unrealistic?

Every day we are confronted on television and in magazines with the apparently “perfect bodies” of Hollywood stars and supermodels. Not only have a lot of these images been digitally “touched up”, there are even “beauty lenses” that give the models/stars slimmer thighs and buttocks! Surely no one thinks these women look that good first thing in the morning before putting on their make-up? Not likely! And if you believe that the bodybuilders and male models with “six-pack abs” look like that all year round, think again! I have helped hundreds of bodybuilders (and some male models) get in shape for their various competitions and events, and I can assure you that their midsections look far from perfect even just two to four weeks afterwards.

Thus, to set a realistic goal for yourself, apply the following rule:

Health first, self-image second.

To start with, go to your local gym or nutritionist, get your body fat percentage measured (for a description of the various methods of body fat measurement available, please refer to Appendix A). Listed below are some suggested goal body fat percentages:

Female:
Normal range: 20–28%
Average: 23–24%
Slim: 18–20%
Athletic: 15–16%
Minimum body fat percentage for women above 40 years of age: 23%*

*Note: Due to the risk of osteoporosis and stress fractures, I recommend against females over 40 years of age reducing their body fat below 23% — a low body fat percentage may lead to a low oestrogen level, and subsequently calcium may leak from the bones.

Male:
Healthy body fat percentage: 15%
Athletic: 10–12%
“six-pack abs”: 7%