Setting Goals

It's all about moving more and eating less, right? Isn't that what it all comes down to?

That's what I told myself when I stopped dieting last year. That was my plan for keeping my weigh off. Eat less, move more. "Easy Peasy," as Quentin would say.

Well, I proceeded to gain an average of 2 lbs a month. Apparently I need a little more structure.

Structure came to me in the form of weekly goal setting for this class. Again I was resistant, found it tedious, but I did it because I was paying for it, and, lo and behold, I am eating much less and moving much more.

So here's what you do. Think about that self assessment. Think about your overall goals. Now think about 3 month goals. Now, what can you reasonably do in the next week to take the first steps toward those goals?

You need to be very specific so you know when you've reached your goal. For instance: "I will do 50 sit-ups three times a week." Your three month goal might be, "I will do 100 sit-ups 5 days a week." You get the idea.

You need to be pretty confident that you really can and will reach the goal. If you're not, modify it until you are. Remember, you are starting where you are. Be reasonable.

You need to make sure your goal is consistent with your real motivation.

Then you need to track your progress. If you reach your week's goal(s), do you want the same goal for the next week, or are you ready for something a little more challenging? If you didn't reach your goal, what stopped you? Do you need to back up and set a goal to address that particular obstacle first?

I had all these goals about exercising, but the only way I could fit it in to my day was to get up at 6 am, and it just wasn't happening. I backed up and backed up and backed up until I found the goal I really needed to start with: "I will get up at 6 am one day a week." That was what I had to start with. Then, if you do it one day, you find you can do it two days. If you're up at 6 am, you may as well exercise.

Sometimes the hardest part is figuring out where to start.

As for tracking, I have a tracking form from my class that I'd be happy to share with you, but it didn't work well for me. I just write everything down in a notebook, but that gets very tedious. It's okay if you are focusing on one or two goals, but I have half a page full by now. If you're good with spread sheets, that's the way to go. Make it so all you have to do is put check marks in boxes.

As we go along, I'll give you suggestions about goals for different areas we address, but for now, just pick something simple, something obvious, and experiment with it. Try to have some fun with it. Let me know how it goes!

Self Assessment

My goal has been to reach and maintain a certain weight, but the class I'm taking (Dominican's "Weigh to Go" Weight Management Program) suggests there are other ways to assess our progress: do we have more energy, greater flexibility, improved self image, better sleep...etc.? It might help you gain perspective to do a little self assessment. Think about all the issues in your life related to health and fitness and weight, and rate your satisfaction with each on a scale from 1-5. (1=very dissatisfied; 3=neutral; 5=very satisfied.) Some areas you might want to consider are mood, self-esteem, confidence, energy level, overall feeling of healthiness, general appearance, body image, social life, recreational activities, stress/relaxation patterns, sleep patterns, activity level, physical mobility, eating habits, overall quality of life, etc. (Just choose the ones that seem relevant to you: you don't have to address them all.)

I was very resistant to doing this kind of breakdown, which I found tedious, simplistic, maybe even patronizing; but I did it anyway because I was paying good money for this darn class, and it actually turned out to be pretty useful. It never hurts to do a little structured self-reflection.

If you buy in to this approach at all, I would recommend writing out this self assessment and doing it again every three months. It might surprise you. It might provide some guidance or insight. It sure can't hurt.

One more step. Answer this: Why do you want to (gain or) lose weight? You need to know what your underlying motivation really is. Be real about it! We'd all love to say that of course we want to honor the temple of our bodies, or just be healthy and live longer, or be more green by fitting in to old clothes rather than having to buy new ones. But the truth is, sometimes we're motivated by baser passions. Maybe we are just vain, or maybe we want to increase the likelihood of getting some sex! It doesn't matter, as long as you know what it's really all about for you.

Last year I went on a low carb diet and lost 25 lbs. I was pleased, but by December I'd had enough. So this year I gained back 15 lbs. Not a good cycle! In fear of gaining back everything I'd worked so hard to lose, I have been on a quest for a more sustainable weight loss program.

I've listened to seminars on CDs while I commute, started a weight management class--all kinds of expensive things!--and I have learned a lot. Or at least been reminded of a lot. It's not rocket science: it's mostly just common sense. Still, I am glad certain things have been pointed out to me, brought to my attention.

I'm no expert, but I have a lot of ideas to share and have met a lot of people who are looking for this kind of information. Hence, the blog. I've never blogged before, and I don't really know what I'm doing, but I thought it would be worth a try. Not all these ideas will work for everyone, but my hope is that everyone who visits this blog regularly will find something useful, experience a certain sense of solidarity with other visitors, maybe share some of her own ideas, and end up feeling informed and supported--and hopefully motivated!