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Fitness

Easy Tips for Setting Goals


Being able to set goals is the key to measuring your success. As a trainer, I find that many times when I’m not making progress with my fitness, it’s because my focus isn’t on the big picture or my end goals. So today, I’ll share with you a few easy tips on how to use your iFit Coach membership to help you set fitness goals. Keeping track of your progress is crucial when you’re working towards better health, especially when you’re focusing on exercise. The iFit Coach app gives you a few different ways to log your exercise throughout the day.

How To Log Your Exercise

  • Manual log—you can manually log your exercise on the iFit Coach app.
  • Recommended workout—simply complete one of the workout recommendations from the app to automatically log your workout for the day.
  • Wearable workout—complete a workout while you’re wearing your iFit wearable to automatically log your workout for the day.
  • Fitness equipment—complete a workout from iFit connected fitness equipment (treadmill, elliptical, bike) to automatically log your workout.

The Importance of Nutrition

Once you have an exercise goal, the next step is to create a nutrition goal. In the iFit Coach app, you can set a nutrition goal for how many calories you want to consume each day. You also have the ability to view your daily calorie intake and nutritional information for the food you log. In order to help you reach your personal health and fitness goals, iFit will actually calculate a personal calorie intake goal for you. This specific goal is based on many factors, including your weight goal, activity, age, height, gender, etc. When you’re setting a calorie goal, it’s important to remember that the goal needs to be maintainable.

How We Calculate Your Net Calories

Calorie Intake (Food) - Total Calories Burned (BMR, Activity, Exercise) = Net Calories A few notes to remember while using the iFit Coach app:
  • Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the number of calories your body will burn at rest. For example, if you’re lying in bed, not eating or moving. BMR is the calories you need to keep your body running without burning or adding to your energy or fat stores.
  • Activity includes the calories you burn doing all of your normal, daily tasks, like walking around the grocery store, making lunch, cleaning your home, etc. Coach also takes these things into account and measures them by the number of steps you take (tracked on your iFit wearable).
  • Exercise accounts for the calories your body will burn when you work out. This doesn't include the steps you take at work or home. It's specific to working out or completing an exercise for a given time frame, which is why it’s very important to track your exercise in the iFit Coach app.

How Net Calories Affect Weight Loss

It’s important to remember that if you have a weight loss goal, you'll have a net calorie deficit that’s factored into your daily calorie goal recommendations. Creating a net calorie deficit is done by eating fewer calories than you burn. For the average person, 1 pound equals about 3,500 calories. So in order to lose 1 pound a week, you have to eat 500 calories less than you burn each day.

Set Weekly Weight Loss Goals in the App

Lose .5 lb/week = -250 net calories Lose 1 lb/week = -500 net calories Lose 1.5 lbs/week = -750 net calories Lose 2 lbs/week = -1,000 net calories iFit wants you to reach your goals while keeping your body healthy and happy. How many pounds a week you can lose is based on your max calorie deficit. Our expert dietitians don’t want women consuming less than 1,200 calories per day, or men consuming less than 1,500 calories per day. It’s difficult to eat a healthy, well-balanced diet without consuming enough calories, so when you restrict yourself too much or lose weight too quickly, it's often muscle that you lose instead of fat. By losing just a little weight each week, our nutrition professionals can help you burn the fat, keep the muscle, and stay on your diet while keeping a healthy lifestyle.

How Net Calories Affect Weight Gain

If you have a weight gain goal, you’ll have a net calorie surplus that’s factored into your daily calorie goal recommendation. Creating a net calorie surplus happens when you eat more calories than you burn. For example, in order to gain 1 pound a week, you have to eat 500 calories more than you burn each day.

How Net Calories Affect Weight Maintenance

If you have a weight maintenance goal, then your net calories will be zero. That means that you’ll need to burn off the exact amount of calories you eat. For example, if you burn 1,800 calories, you’ll need to eat 1,800 calories. If you happen to eat fewer calories, you'll lose weight. And if you happen to eat more calories, you'll gain weight. Tracking everything in the iFit Coach app will help you to know where you stand with your calorie intake and burn in order to help you achieve the personal goals you’ve set for yourself. It also gives you the ability to track your activity, including your steps and distance. After that activity is tracked, you’ll be able to view your daily activity stats. The next step is to set a schedule for yourself and plan ahead. In the iFit app, you can decide how often you’re going to exercise throughout the week, which meals you’ll eat each day, and how many hours of sleep you’ll get each night. Having a set plan will help you to stay on track. Make sure you have a set time frame to achieve these goals. That’ll give you added motivation to accomplish your goals in time. Most importantly, make sure the goals you set are realistic and attainable. Too often, we want the end result without taking the proper steps to achieve them. With iFit, you’ll be able to monitor your progress, alter your goals as you go along, and finally, accomplish them! Good luck! Mecayla Ramsey iFit Trainer

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How to Stay on Track with Your Workouts

How to Stay on Track with Your Workouts

Congratulations! If you find yourself reading this, then you have successfully completed the first step toward a healthier and more dynamic you. As you embark on a new journey to a healthier lifestyle, it's important to realize that you not only need to, but want to make a change. Keep in mind that staying on track with your workouts is as much a physical challenge as it is a mental challenge. Now, ask yourself, are you committed? Remember, mind over matter—your goals are never out of reach. Check out these tips from our iFit trainers to help you stay on track with your workout routine. Gideon Akande The time of year for reflection and rededication is upon us, and personal fitness is at the forefront in the minds of most. Whether this is your first rodeo or you’re an experienced athlete, here are my 5 top tips to improve your exercise excellence. Start somewhere. It doesn’t matter what you do, just MOVE! You can fine-tune the process at a later time, so start with the most convenient forms of exercise for you. Take it easy. Rome wasn’t built in a day; neither was your body. There is no need to feel like you must complete your goals in the first week. Build slowly and gradually to remain safe and feel accomplished. Switch gears. Fitness is a very personal journey. It is not necessary to only follow one discipline to see results. Therefore, try it all! You’ll be surprised at what your body best responds to, but, more importantly, what you may enjoy. Posse up. Studies show that success rates improve dramatically when you surround yourself with others that share similar goals. Join forces with family, friends, and coworkers to develop accountability that will push you further, longer. Rest for your best. Recovery is essential for you to feel and perform better. Stretch, massage, and sleep are great ways to increase energy, boost metabolism, and fuel your next sweat session. You can train with Gideon on any iFit-enabled equipment all around the world and in the studio! Follow Gideon on Instagram @getfitwithfgiddy Follow iFit on Instagram @ifit Breeanna Cox Here are my tried-and-true tips for staying on track! Set realistic goals. Break up your activity into small tasks each and every day, so it's not so intimidating. Try incorporating 30 squats 3 times a day into your routine, and then build up from there. Hold yourself accountable. Tell friends, family, or your spouse what your goals are, so you've officially put your goal out to the world. This will help ensure that you follow through with your fitness plans. Love your workouts. Don't follow fitness fads or trends—do what you find enjoyable, so that you look forward to your workouts instead of dread them. Have a clear purpose. Identify what it is that's driving you to stick to your goal. Why do you want to be more fit? Once you figure out your motivation, write it down and post it everywhere you can see it! You can train with Breeanna on any iFit-enabled treadmill and elliptical! Follow Breanna on Instagram @bodybybree2 Follow iFit on Instagram @ifit Elyse Miller We all get a little off track from time to time. The best way to stay on track is to make fitness a top priority. Schedule your workouts. Plan your workouts as if it’s an appointment with someone else. You wouldn’t want to cancel out on a hair or doctor appointment, so don’t ditch out on yourself. Set a time and follow through. Prep your gear. I lay my workout clothes out at night, so I see them waiting for me first thing in the morning. Having that reminder staring at you in the face as soon as you wake up makes it harder to skip out on your workout. Early bird gets the worm. I’ve found that early workouts are great for those with busy schedules. Rather than putting it at the end of the day, when a million other things can get in the way, I recommend waking up 30–60 minutes early to get your sweat on. Keep it at home. Having workout equipment at home is a major game changer, too! Taking out the commute and hassle of a gym saves so much time and eliminates excuses. Make it a lifestyle. Exercising your body should be as routine as brushing your teeth. Make it a non-negotiable. Even on your “off days,” it’s good to schedule in some body work time—stretching, foam rolling, or planning for the next workout. You can train with Elyse in Bora Bora and in studio classes on any iFit-enabled treadmill! Follow Elyse on Instagram @fitelyse Follow iFit on Instagram @ifit John Peel Sign up for a program. If you are just beginning your fitness journey or looking for a routine to get you back in the game, the iFit Alps Incline Series is the perfect program! This 6-week plan will ease you into a structured workout regimen and also give you the push and climb you need to hit some challenging progressions. Not only will you sweat, but you will experience the most beautiful location I think we've filmed at to date. The Alps are breathtaking. They are even more breathtaking when you witness them from the summit, after crushing a workout! Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Dehydration can lead to a lack of energy and increased heart rate—both will make your workouts much more challenging. I like to drink two cups of water as soon as I wake up. It's an easy change to make to your morning routine, but it makes a big impact. #100aDay. Since having back surgery, I've set a personal goal of doing 100 ab rollouts each day. A strong core means more stability, improved performance, better posture, and also leaves you less susceptible to fitness-related injuries. Set a goal that doesn't take too much time out of your day. That way, you'll have no excuses not complete it! You can train with John on any iFit-enabled equipment, all around the world and in the studio! Follow John on Instagram @johnpeelefitness Follow iFit on Instagram @ifit The first step to fitness success is believing you can do it. Staying on track is the hard part, but with small changes in your mindset and daily routines, you can make a lasting impact in the long run. You only have one body, so make sure you nurture it and give it the attention it deserves! Here's to a happier, healthier, and more dynamic you. You deserve it.

January 9, 2019

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NEW ROUTES : EVEREST

Add another check to your bucket list without spending a dime. Khumbu Region Google just released the first-ever Street View images for Mount Everest, located in the Mahalangur section of the Himalayas on the border of Tibet. And while you may not be able to climb to the summit of this amazing peak, you can explore the Khumbu region of Nepal in the mountain’s shadow and Mount Everest's base camp. The Program Our Mount Everest workout program will push you past your limits. If you’re ready to take on a new challenge, then get ready to hike over 71 miles and climb more than 19,000 vertical feet in just 20 workouts. This grueling program is not for the faint of heart, because you will be required to ask more from yourself. But let me tell you, the views are absolutely worth the work. And just remember, when the going gets tough, at least you aren’t carrying a pack on your back. To join us, add the program on iFit, jump on your iFit-enabled equipment and enjoy the workout as your machine will show Google Street View ™ all along the way, while automatically adjusting the incline/decline to match the outdoor terrain. Yak Parking Lot in Namche Bazaar, Nepal Descent from South Base Camp Everest South Base Camp Everest Base Camp - Climber's Memorial Your Journey Through the misty air and lush terrain, you’ll start your journey at the Tenzing-Hillary Airport, located in Lukia, Nepal. And with the program being all trail, you’ll wander through small towns, seeing a way of life completely different from your own. As you follow other fellow backpackers, don’t be surprised to pass some pack mules along the way that you’ll wish were carrying you. Continuing on your journey, you’ll trek through multiple cities as you head towards the mountain. From Phakding to Benkar, Khumjung to Panboche, and all the way to Thame, you’ll wind past monasteries, lodges, and schools, gaining an appreciation for the lifestyle in this beautiful region. You’ll see more than just the drizzling weather you begin in, as sunshine and desert-like landscapes cover much of the landscape with snow-capped mountains in view. Your expedition ends in Gorak Shep, a frozen lake bed covered with sand in Nepal. Now all that’s left to do is join the program, stretch your legs, and get ready for inclines and views that will take your breath away! iFit Trainer Emily Wiley Suggested Workout MOUNT EVEREST Climb over 19 thousand feet to Everest Base Camp. WARNING: This post is not intended to replace the advice of a medical professional. The above information should not be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or medical condition. Please consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, sleep methods, daily activity, or fitness routine. iFit assumes no responsibility for any personal injury or damage sustained by any recommendations, opinions, or advice given in this article.

April 2, 2015

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5 Ab Moves You Haven't Tried Yet

Move: Stir the Pot Equipment: Suspension cables (shown: Rip60) How to: Lengthen the cables to hit just below your knee. Sit, facing towards them. Place your right foot in the left strap and left foot in the right strap (feet should be crossed), then twist around, pushing up into plank position (this will uncross the straps). Draw a large circle with your feet. Alternate directions at the bottom of each circle. Pro tip: Keep your shoulders right above your wrists, and be careful not to let your hips drop towards the floor. Your back should be straight. Move: Plate Pass-throughs Equipment: Plate (shown: 10lbs) How to: Lie flat on your back. Hold the plate behind your head with arms outstretched. Lift both feet about six inches off the floor. Tuck in your arms and knees, place the plate on your shins, then extend both your arms and legs back out. Pro tip:Keep your lower back flat on the floor without arching it. During the crunch portion, pull your knees in tightly to your chest, and focus on using your abs. Move: Low Plank Variation: Knee Taps Equipment: None How to: Begin in a forearm plank. Alternate tapping one knee to the floor at a time to target your lower abs. Pro tip: Focus on tucking your hips under and think about the muscle group being worked as you complete the movement. You can also combine this with other plank variations for a challenging core workout. Move: Leg Lift Reverse Crunch Equipment: None How to: Begin on your back, hands behind your head and feet about six inches off the floor. Raise your legs to point towards the ceiling, then crunch your knees to your chest. Straighten them back out, then slowly lower your back to the starting position for one rep. Pro tip: Be careful not to let your back arch. You can place your hands at your sides to make the movement a little easier. Move: Breakdancer Equipment: None How to: Starting in high plank, thread your right leg to the left side of your body, lowering until your thigh comes in contact with the floor (or as far as flexibility allows). Repeat on the opposite side with a jump in between. This movement should be performed as quickly as possible without losing form. Pro tip: If you’re just starting out, you can return to plank position between each side. As you become more advanced, skip this step, and propel yourself from side to side. This movement doubles as a great cardio workout! Move: Gymnast Tuck Equipment: Plyo box How to: Begin sitting on a box. Place your hands close to your sides on the edge, with your fingers facing forward. Press up and pull your hips back and away from your seat, keeping your legs straight. Hold this position as long as possible before lowering back down. Pro tip: This is a static move, so practice holding it for longer each time you do it. Focus on sucking your belly button in and pulling your hips backward to create the most space between you and the box. iFit Trainer Emily Wiley WARNING: This post is not intended to replace the advice of a medical professional. The above information should not be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or medical condition. Please consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, sleep methods, daily activity, or fitness routine. iFit assumes no responsibility for any personal injury or damage sustained by any recommendations, opinions, or advice given in this article.

February 8, 2016

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