Are you on a weight loss or fitness journey? Do you track your food and fitness progress? I do. I am a sucker for stationery anyway and I like taking note of what workouts I have done and what weights I used. I also like to note when I have had a good workout and it gives me an easy reference to see what I ate or did if I had a good or bad workout so I can see if I can determine the cause. I also use this method to add in certain events/goals and can work backwards to determine what training I should be doing in the lead up. Don’t get me wrong I know this is not for everyone but for me I have found it super useful.
The NHS quotes that ‘digital technology is transforming the way you can manage and improve your health. Apps and other digital tools are effective ways to share your goals, get advice and support, or talk to other people who can inspire you with their experiences.’
There are a number of fitness tracking mechanisms in the market now though all encourage an increase in fitness and physical activities for the users and some can assist with making your activities feel more like a game or fun activity with many offering challenges for example on Strava. It also helps with personal accountability. Although the Smart Fitness Planner is neither an app nor technology as such it works on the same basis.
I recently agreed to trial and review The Smart Fitness Planner. This sounded exactly like something I would get good use of and given the above I fit the demographic perfectly! The format was an e-book and came with an intro explaining that the author was in competition with no one but herself and acknowledged the fact that she was not perfect. She is someone who has been on a journey herself and is using what she has found useful to create this resource to share with others.
The e-book comes with a disclaimer explaining that it is intended as a planning tool to support you in your fitness makeover journey. It is not meant as a substitute for a comprehensive fitness and nutrition program, nor it is meant to replace the expertise and guidance of a fitness professional.
Before you start using the planner there is an invitation to some exercises which should encourage more mindfulness around what you are trying to achieve and by writing down intentions and your ‘why’ (why you are on this journey and doing what you are doing) you can remind yourself of this and refocus.
The planner follows the logic that is seen a lot, which is that the scale does not define you and so it is not centred around weekly weigh ins and instead gives space to update other metrics such as:
- measurements once per fortnight
- hunger and cravings
- energy and mood
- sleep
The planner can also be used for goal setting and works similar to the process I follow by setting goals in advance and then working backwards so you have a logical plan as to how you will work your way up to those achievements.
This is a great resource, if like me, you are into logging what you are doing and how you are feeling and being in electronic format means you can print off and reuse. For a lot of people, myself included, having a visual can be a powerful reminder to understand and remember and also refocus if necessary.
How did I find the planner? As I mentioned before this is something that I currently do on my own and I do see a benefit for myself though completely understand that some may find it a somewhat cumbersome exercise. If I wasn’t already doing this I would be the exact person that would buy this and at £5.97 if this is something that interests you I would definitely check it out – I think I spent more on the diary I currently use. I do, however, think that once you are doing this sort of thing you can easily do by yourself. An additional benefit with this is inclusion in a Facebook group and sometimes being part of a community like that to exchange hints and tips can be invaluable.
I was given a copy of The Smart Fitness Planner, but all opinions are my own.
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