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.