“Goals…..and resolutions.”
Yes, it’s the period of the year again.
Why is it that each time Summer comes around, everyone starts to take into account their new resolutions for that summer body? Or maybe “new” isn’t the right word — perhaps “recycled” is more apt? In the end, isn’t it true that for most of us, “resolutions are made to be broken?”
Goals really are a wonderful method to inspire us towards getting what exactly in life that we want, but more regularly than not, they simply find yourself unattained and we get frustrated (again) by the end.
However it doesn’t need to be so.
Really.
You can attain your goals or resolutions, but only IF you learn how to go about setting them up correctly in the first place. And I’ll offer you a few useful pointers to help you get started on the best track…
– Begin with the conclusion in mind. What’s the end result you want to achieve? Do you want to shed weight? Or do you want to drop 1 dress size instead?
– Get specific and be realistic. It’s insufficient to just say “I do want to lose weight.” Just how much do you want to lose _exactly_? By when? An improved goal is to state “I do want to lose 11 pounds in 3 months.” And ensure that your goal is realistic. If you want to drop 27 pounds, it’s not realistic to state you want to do this next 7 days, as well as that it’s not healthy to do that! Or if you’ve been wearing the weight slowly throughout the last 10 years, it’s not quite realistic to state you want to get back to your weight 10 years back within a month.
– Break it into smaller and easier “baby steps.” Let’s say you want to lose 20 pounds. That seems like an insurmountable task, nonetheless it becomes easier to control in the event that you consider it as losing on average 1 pound per week, over a course of 20 weeks. Now’s that manageable! For you yourself to lose a pound per week, you just need to develop a calorie deficit of about 500 calories per day by controlling your diet and increasing your number of exercises.
– Okay, now for the big “secret” — the missing key to achieving your goals: Take note of your “Why” i.e. what are you currently achieving this for? Many people skip this step, and it’s a primary reason they never seem to achieve their goals. It’s absolutely critical for you yourself to jot down reasons why you want to achieve each specific goal. Like, if the goal is to “lose 20 pounds in 6 months,” jot down why you want to lose that weight. And here’s another tip: Make it “personal and emotional.” The more “emotional” the main reason, the much more likely you will be driven towards the goal. So, let’s say you’ve got kids. A good example of an excellent “reason” is “I know being overweight is a respected cause of many health problems — I will miss the 20 pounds and get healthier to ensure that I will not be a weight to my children, and have the ability to stay healthy long enough to go to my daughter’s wedding and be there to transport my grandchildren.” Assuming all these specific things are important for you, of course. ๐ But I’m sure you get the picture.
– “Write it down and put it down!” It’s usually bad enough to just consider the goals in your head. You’ll need to publish down your entire specific goals and the “reasons why,” and then paste it down where you’ll consider it every day. Don’t write it down on a journal and chuck that within the drawer. Instead, paste it on your dressing table mirror, or somewhere else that is in plain sight. Remember, “out of sight, out of mind!”
– Don’t be too ambitious. Strive for a lack of 1-2 pounds per week, at the max! Losing significantly more than that amount is detrimental to you. And it’ll most probably be caused by a lack of water and/or muscle, rather than your unwanted excess body fat.
– Be realistic and “opt for the flow.” The pounds didn’t think about it overnight, so don’t expect them to disappear in a jiffy too. And sometimes the weight reduction isn’t as fast (or as much) as planned. But don’t get stressed out, because stress is only going to add on the pounds. It’s essential that you don’t consider the weight reduction process as “all or nothing.” Instead, consider it as “slowly but surely.” The weight may increase only a little sometimes, but if you adhere to your plan, you’ll nevertheless be delighted by the time your goal date arrives!
Use these simple steps along with the help of a Coquitlam Personal Trainer and produce a positive difference to your lifetime this year! Best of luck!