Getting Started - Setting Goals

The world makes way for the man who knows where he is going.

Ralph Waldo Emereson

Setting personal goals are very important when trying to achieve anything of importance and weight loss is no exception.  The best goals are simple and measurable. Simple so they are easy to remember, understand and share. Stick to the heart of the matter. Measureable so you have a target to aim your effort towards and you will know when you've hit the bulls-eye. Setting a reasonably challenging Completion Date when appropriate can be motivating.  A completion date puts a little pressure on you to start working towards achieving your goal right away. If you are an All Star procrastinator like myself you will want to set completion dates.


Personal goals are just that; personal. Do not just copy your work out partner's goals or use what the latest issue of Shape magazine suggests your goals should be. Your body, fitness level, your dietary needs and your mental/emotional state are all unique so your goals should be too. 


Long and Short Term Goals
Set an ultimate long term weight loss goal. Mine is to lose 50 pounds by the end of the year. Simple, measurable and has a completion date.  I also would like to get out of plus sizes about the same time. What your goal is is totally up to you. Once you are set on your goal write it down. I also suggest setting several short term goals. Having a long term weight loss goal in the back of your head is fine but not really the most motivating thing to focus on. That big long term goal is not what will get you moving today. Has it so far? Probably not. 


For example. My over all big lofty goal is to lose 50 pounds. Whew! 50 is such a big number. When I think of that number my first emotion is doom because I know the healthy loss of that weight takes a lot of time and effort. So I have choosen not to focus on the long term and created several short term goals.

Whoever wants to reach a distant goal must take small steps.

Helmut Schmidt

My first short term goal was to end the pity party, stand up, put on my shoes and go for a walk. Now. That simple. Especially if you are over weight, that first step is difficult to take. There are many physical and emotional energy draining factors that keeping you from springing into action. So if you do get up and move score one for you!
Lets say during that walk you made it to the end of a suburban block and back. Excellent!
Next day, set a new goal. Walk just a little farther. Success!
Next day, set a new goal. Walk just a little farther more. Success!
Continue to build on your successes along the way to the Long Term Goal. 

If you are feeling good and feeling strong I suggest setting goals for more than one activity. 
Are you unhappy with the type or amount of food you put in your body?
Set a reasonable goal for changing what you eat. Today I will will my hand to pick up and apple instead of a cookie. Or maybe this, Today I will make dinner from scratch. No processed foods. All depends on where you personally are at with your nutrition and exercise and what you feel you can change today, this week or this month.    

During the month of February I had three goals and one challenge.
My very supportive supervisor who was also keeping the stats for the Staff Weight Loss Challenge,  gave me a personal goal. She said after seeing the weight I had lost in January having really only worked hard on it for two weeks; she believed I could lose 10 pounds in the next month. But what if I did not? Would I feel like I had failed her and myself? As I said before, don't let anyone else set your goals for you. So I decided her suggestion was a challenge and added three other short term goals of my own. 
1) I wanted to work out 5 times in the fitness center the first week in February despite my busy schedule that week. Proving to myself I could find the time. 
2) No fast food for the last two weeks of the month with the exception of the one place I knew was fresh and healthy. I'm a Chipotle Freak!
3) By March 1 (Weight In Day) I wanted to get under a weight I had not seen in a long time. I wanted to see a number less than 250 on the scale. 
Simple, measurable, with a completion date. 

Next post I will share how I did. Any guesses?