Rather than this blog becoming only a food log and a place for us to stay accountable we would like it to offer tips and motivation to others. Which brings us to today’s topic…
When undertaking a project like lossing weight there are several things that need to be in place to help ensure success:
Goals need to be set, short term (Lose 20 pounds in 10 weeks, be able to climb 1 flight of stairs without heavy breathing by November 1, etc.) and long term (Run the LA Marathon in 2013, Hit my goal weight by age 48, etc.)… Goals need to have target dates and action steps to achieve them. They should be clearly defined and realistic. They should be present in your everyday life and you should be publicly accountable for your actions (or inactions) toward reaching them.
Tracking systems should be implemented. The tracking should be frequent and on a schedule. In the case of weight loss tracking you can track by weight, body measurments, belt notches, photo log, fittness milestones (able to climb 1 flight of stairs without heavy breathing), etc. Whatever you are comfortable with.
Another system that may help some with the tracking/motivation theme is one that I read about a couple of years ago… supposedly it was used by Jerry Seinfield to help him write everyday… it’s ‘Don’t break the chain’… Le’s say your tracking your exercise… you take a calendar and mark a big red ‘X’ through the first day that you worked out… then another ‘X’ the next time… after you get a few X’s in a row you try to not break the chain… it really helps some people… much more motivation to get up and move when you have a chain of 15 days and day 16 is on the line.
These seem like basic concepts, but truthfully, are you setting goals and action steps and tracking your progress?