You’ve made a new year’s resolution to start a fitness regime. Congratulations! That’s an amazing first step.

Unfortunately, I’ve got some bad news for you.

You’re probably not going to keep this up.

“Well that’s negative! What kind of a ‘new year, new you’ article is this,” I hear you ask?

Sorry friend, but it’s the truth.

Statistically, 90% of people quit the gym within three months of joining. Those numbers don’t lie, and if I was a betting man, I’m afraid to say I’d be betting against you.

But why is that? Why don’t the many people keep up a fitness regime? And what is the 10% that stays the course doing differently?

That’s what I’m going to try and answer over this series. In these eight editions, I’ll be offering up a comprehensive guide, not just for starting, but also for sticking to a fitness regime in 2019. We’ll talk about the things that you need to get right, as well as the common pitfalls that you need to avoid in order to go the distance.

In today’s edition, we’re getting to grips with what I call the big question:

What Do You Want?

As far as I’m concerned, this question is big hurdle number one. Because, while “what do you want?” seems like a fairly straightforward thing to ask, answering it honestly requires a degree of soul searching that not everybody is comfortable with.

On the Importance of Goals

I’ve met plenty of people who start their fitness regime with – on the surface at least – a pretty laissez-faire attitude to the whole thing. Chances are, you’ve probably heard any one of the following from a prospective gym goer at one time or another:

“Oh, y’know, there’s nothing wrong with staying fit.”

“I figured I could maybe lose a couple of pounds.”

“I just wanted to feel, sort of, healthier, I guess.”

The instant you hear somebody giving you one of those lines, you know they’re in the 90% category straight away.

Why? Because they don’t have any concrete goals. Or, if they do, they’re not confident enough in those goals to articulate them.

As Zig Ziglar once put it, “if you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.” And, by not setting yourself clear goals, you’re not really aiming at anything.

The result is that your fitness regime ends up not being a regime at all. Instead, it’s a series of loosely connected, ever changing exercises that may, or may not take you towards your goal. It’s unfocused, intangible, and ultimately unsustainable.

It’s very hard to keep yourself motivated without a goal in mind. A lack of motivation leads to procrastination, and procrastination eventually results in quitting. You get down on exercise for a while, before ultimately repeating the process the same time next year.

So how do you go about setting goals that you’ll actually see to completion? You start by thinking big.

Find Your Stretch Goal

Remember that soul-searching thing I talked about earlier? This is where that comes in. Now’s the time where you need to ask yourself what you really want.

Does it sound ridiculous? Does the very idea of trying to achieve it intimidate you beyond belief? It doesn’t matter. Say it out loud right now, and then write it down. Committing it to paper is a useful mental tool – it makes it seem more concrete somehow.

If you’re struggling to think big, then here are some utterly ridiculous sounding stretch goals to get your imagination going:

“I want to run the TCS New York City Marathon in under three hours”

“I want to stop looking like Peter Griffin and start looking like Dwayne ‘the Rock’ Johnson.”

“I want to be stronger than Schwarzenegger, Stallone and Batman combined.”

What you’ve got now is an aim. More than that, actually, you’ve got a dream. And a dream is much more inspiring than an, “I just wanted to feel, sort of, healthier, I guess.”

So how do you go about turning that dream into a reality?

Turn stretch into SMART

Stretch goals have their limits. They are incredibly motivating, but they’re also kind of nebulous. You can dream about being stronger than Batman all day. But how do you actually go about doing it?

This is where setting SMART goals comes in. As LifeHack notes, SMART goals are those that are Specific, Measurable, Assignable, Realistic and completed within a specified Timeline:

• Specific – target a specific area for improvement.
• Measurable – quantify, or at least suggest, an indicator of progress.
• Assignable – specify who will do it.
• Realistic – state what results can realistically be achieved given available resources.
• Timeline – specify when the result can be achieved.

Let’s say our stretch goal was to “stop looking like Peter Griffin and start looking like Dwayne ‘the Rock’ Johnson.” There are many steps we need to take in order to make that goal attainable. So we need to work out what the first step is.

“Lose weight” is the obvious answer, but losing weight is a pretty vague idea (see the above, “I figured I could maybe lose a couple of pounds.”).

Your first SMART goal, then, might be to go to the gym three times a week and lose 6lbs/3kg in a month. You’ve targeted a specific area for improvement (weight loss), a measurable indicator of progress (going to the gym three times a week), you’ve assigned the goal (to yourself, obviously), stated a realistic aim, rather than a vague target (losing 6lbs/3kg), and you’ve given yourself a reasonable timeframe in which to do it (one month).

Armed with your SMART goal, you’ve got the best chance of achieving your goal. But, one big question remains. Once you get to the gym, what exactly should you be doing there to reach it?

Fear not! That’s where next week’s edition comes in. in “Get With the Program,” we’ll be running through the most popular beginner’s fitness programs out there, what they offer, and which one is right for achieving your SMART and stretch goals.

Having clear goals is vital to making a success out of your fitness regime.

Welcome back to Home Economics for Men, the series that teaches you – the single man of the 21^st century – the ins-and-outs of culinary self-sufficiency.

Convenience food burning a hole in your pocket? Are you looking less like Dwayne Johnston and more like Peter Griffin thanks to take-out indulgences? This is the series for you.

As we established last week, there are three main components to a healthy meal; protein, carbohydrates and vegetables. And, plenty of your protein will probably be coming from meat.

But meat buying can be a minefield for the intrepid home economist. It’s expensive, and if you’re not savvy about your purchases, it’s a surefire way to blow your food budget.

So how do you make the most of your money when it comes to buying meat? That’s what today’s lesson is all about. Today, I’ll show you how to master the meat market, shop smart, and buy the tastiest cuts in the process.

Where possible, buy whole animals

When you buy meat that’s been pre-butchered, a lot of what you’re paying is the overhead costs of that butchery. But, when buying a whole animal, you cut out the middleman.

Smaller animals  – poultry, rabbits, game etc. – can be bought whole and butchered at home.

Larger animals – pigs, sheep, cattle etc. – can be purchased as half or quarter carcasses. You can then butcher these into recognizable cuts at home to be frozen for future use.

If you’re at a loss for how to do this, then don’t worry. YouTube is a goldmine for easy-to-follow butchery tutorials that will bring you up to speed in minutes – that’s how I learned how to do it.

This process takes more time than buying pre-processed cuts from the supermarket, but there are definite advantages. First and foremost, you get more meat for your money.

But it’s not just the meat that you’re saving on. Whole animals contain bones and fat, which can be turned into foundational cooking ingredients that tend to be very expensive when bought from a store.

Bones, for example, can be used to make bone broth, a process which is as simple as stockpiling bones, cartilage and any cuts you don’t want to eat in your freezer, and slow cooking a batch of them in water for a day or so. Bone broth comes with its own noted health benefits, and homemade is definitely better than store bought.

You can also render the fat to make your own lard or dripping. While this process is time consuming, it’s passive time that doesn’t require much input from you once the process is started. And, once again, the health and budget benefits speak have been noted.

Avoid the premium cuts (or middle meats)

We’ve been conditioned to believe that so-called middle meats – ribs, centre-cuts, tenderloins, ribeyes, saddle-chops, etc. – are the most flavorful.

But, as award winning butcher, author and livestock expert Adam Danforth notes, this isn’t really the case:

“…there is an irony in how meat is priced in this country. You pay more for tenderness, but the more affordable cuts are, more often than not, the more flavorful options. Thus, if you know what to do with a cut, you’ll get more for your dollar while also producing more flavorful meals.”

Tenderloin, according to Danforth, is pound-for-pound the least flavorful cut on the market, despite being them most expensive.

Cheap cuts will take longer to cook, yes. But, when prepared right, the flavor is phenomenal. Plus, as the name suggests, they will save you lots of money. 

What are cheap cuts worth looking out for? Here’s a handy guide (via Skint Dad), broken down by animal:

Beef

• Brisket
• Skirt
• Flank
• Shin
• Oxtail

Pork

• Shank
• Shoulder
• Knuckle
• Belly
• Trotters
• Cheek – for stews
• Neck – good in sausages and pies
• Ham hock – great for sandwiches

Chicken

• Thighs
• Legs

Lamb

• Shank
• Scrag End – use in soups and stews

Make friends with your butcher

Picking up meat from the supermarket is easy, sure. But, making friends with your butcher pays off in dividends when it comes to buying quality food on a budget.

Here’s the thing about a good butcher. They’re an expert on meat. They offer the kind of knowledge and experience that a supermarket usually doesn’t.

Butchers can recommend cheap alternative cuts for your meals, they can provide you with specific guidance on cooking meat to maximize its flavor. And, they’re much more likely to reward your repeat, loyal custom than a supermarket is.

Take some time to research butchers in your area. Find a reputable one and start using it. This extra effort will transform the way you think about eating meat.

Eat less meat

This might seem like a strange inclusion in this lesson. But, it’s an important statement that needs making.

When it comes to overeating, over portioning meat is where the majority of people fall down. A common dietary problem in American society, overconsumption of meat makes people 20% more likely to develop cancer as well increasing the risk of heart disease.

Not only that, meat is expensive! Even when you’re savvy about the meat market, it’ll still be the biggest dent in your food budget at the week’s end.

So what’s the solution? First and foremost, you need to be aware of portion sizes (see last week’s lesson for more on that). 4 to 6 ounces of meat per plate is plenty for one meal, so avoid cuts that encourage eating more than this.

You also shouldn’t be afraid to factor in some non-meat meals every once in a while. There are plenty of non-meat proteins out there that are still nutritious and will keep your energy levels up throughout the day.

Beans, lentils, tofu and seitan are all worth exploring, and none of them will break the bank (if you want to know more about meat-free alternatives, check out this guide).

That’s it for this week’s edition. By now, you’re a master of meat-buying, know your brisket from your tenderloin and have a solid grasp of other protein sources out there.

But now that you’ve bought those slow-to-cook, but oh-so-tasty cheap joints, what’re you going to do with them? Does this mean hours of your weekend spent by the stove all in the name of saving a few bucks on the weekly shopping bill?

Of course not! In next week’s edition, I’ll introduce you to the single-man’s secret weapon when it comes to hassle-free cuisine; the slow cooker!

See you then. 

Welcome back to Home Economics for Men, the series that teaches you – the single man of the 21^st century – the ins-and-outs of culinary self-sufficiency.

If convenience food is burning a hole in your pocket and giving you that Homer Simpson physique you never dreamed of, then this is the series for you.

In last week’s lesson, we introduced the concept of the meal plan – perhaps the most important tool to mastering home economics. But, while we only scratched the surface in lesson one, we’re going deep in lesson two.

This week, we’re looking at advanced meal planning. Specifically, how meal planning for one actually works.

The things you will need:

There are two very important things that you’ll need to make advanced meal planning a success.

Number one, and most obvious, is a freezer. I assume you already have one of those, but if you don’t, then please invest in one. You can’t meal plan without one and the purchase will pay off in dividends down the line.

Number two is plastic containers. Lots of them. They can be Tupperware, they can be off-brand Tupperware, or they can be those cheap plastic cartons that your Chinese take-out comes in. Whatever they are, you want them to be roughly the size of a meal portion for one person. The reasons why will become apparent momentarily…

Right. Now that you’ve got the necessary equipment, let’s dive in.

Think about your base ingredients

Photo by Katie Smith

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Welcome to Home Economics for Men, the series that teaches you – the single man of the 21^st century – the ins-and-outs of culinary self-sufficiency.

If convenience food is burning a hole in your pocket and giving you that Homer Simpson physique you never dreamed of, then this is the series for you.

In lesson one, we’re introducing the fundamental principle in home economics mastery: the meal plan.

Without one of these bad boys, you’re up home economics creek without a paddle. So sit up, take note and no talking at the back. This is where the important stuff begins.

Scheduling your shopping

How often do you visit the grocery store? Once a month? Twice a week? Every day?

Assuming you’re a single man, I’ll hazard that the answer is “every day.” You probably hit the convenience store or supermarket on your way home from the office after a full day’s work. And, you probably do so knowing that – save for a jar of out of date pickles and three sachets of left over Szechuan sauce from last week’s Chinese takeout – your refrigerator is completely empty.