Ready, Set, Goal!

The good folks at Livestrong.com have a good article [15] about how to set goals for weight loss.  As mentioned in my last post, I feel your goals should be focused on Hellthy habits that are going to that are not only going to help you look better, but feel better as well.  Of course, if you have a lot of weight to lose, long term goals and rewards are just as important as the short-term ones.  Ultimately, it's your journey--figure out what's the best way to motivate you and go for it!

Here are the 6 steps mentioned in the article (the article is a quick read, if you wanna check it out!):

1. Set your long term goals--keeping two very important things in mind so that you are not setting yourself up for failure:
• Your goals should be realistic--obviously you're not going to lose 50 pounds in 2 weeks, regardless of what the latest fad diet claims.  Experts say that 1-2 pounds a week is a realistic and healthy amount to loose weekly.  Use that as your guideline.
• You need to give yourself enough time to achieve them--to go from couch potato to running the NYC marathon in less than a month IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!  If you want to run a marathon--great, but plan & set goals that are going to allow you to be successful!
2. Set your short term goals.  These should be easily & quickly obtained (and I don't mean snap your fingers and poof! you're done).  These are the goals you're going to be hitting more often to keep you motivated and striving for your long term goals!
3. WRITE both down on your calendar!  This is a HUGE step!!  And quite honestly something I've never thought about doing.  Sure I'd always have tentative goals (I wanna lost 50 pounds by the end of the year), but seeing it on the calendar (I recommend writing it in a colored SHARPIE!) holds you more accountable and makes it more likely to go the distance!
4. Set your rewards for each of your goals.  Again, NOT food related rewards!  Also, the reward should match the goal.  Longer goals should get bigger rewards--think trips or spa days or new wardrobes!--and shorter goals get smaller rewards--a new book, a mani/pedi, a new album to download on your ipod.  The world (sans food!) is your oyster!
5. Post reminders of what you're trying to achieve--be it a photograph of a younger, healthier you or that weekend vacation spot that you're going to when you've run a marathon.
6. Reward often, but ONLY when you've met a goal.  Make sure that your rewards are always within reach and always building towards your long term goals.  Make sure that you never reward yourself if you haven't met a goal (no sneaking in a quick mani/pedi just because!) and don't hesitate to adjust your goals, if you find that you are never rewarding yourself.  It is possible that you need smaller steps--and honey, there ain't nothing wrong with admitting that!  On the flip side, you do need to earn them, so don't make your goals so easy you're always getting something (sorry, but drinking 64oz of water for one day does not a good goal make!)

Once you start reaching your goals and rewarding yourself, you'll work harder and harder to get to your goals.  It all starts with great planning--and a big SHARPIE!

~a little salt for the rim of your planning margarita--but only one! because you want to remain focused and realistic in your goals!!

Cookies Are For Pupcicles!

As many of you have realized (or not, depending on the craziness of your life), I have not been posting much--okay, ANYTHING in awhile.

 This got me to thinking about motivation. What is it that motivates you? Lately, it seems nothing motivates me. But of course, that's not entirely true. A paycheck and an amazing cup of coffee motivates me to get up, get dressed, and go to work 5--and sometimes 6--days a week. Big brown sad puppy eyes motivates me to take the darling princess out for a walk at least once a day--even if it's just down the block.

 I don't think there's anything wrong with a little motivation for practicing healthy behaviors--in fact, I think anything that will help give you the proverbial kick in the ass is a good thing. Everyone has different motivators. Now's the time to explore what truly motivates you and figure out how you can channel that energy into becoming healthier. There are a lot of things that can serve as motivator, but there is one thing that cannot: food. If you want to splurge and have a piece of cheesecake, go ahead--but it should be a splurge not a reward for good behavior! You are not a dog and don't "deserve" cookies for behaving or performing a trick--so save the cookies for the pupcicles! 

Find a couple of non-food treats to help entice you into regularly performing your hellthy habits. Your rewards shouldn't just be about how much weight you've lost--focus on what will get you healthy--and you can reward yourself with a new SMALLER wardrobe for the weight loss!

For example, I love getting mani/pedi's--so rather than just getting one, I've decided to start earning them. How? NOT by deciding to get one every time I've lost 10 pounds, but by walking Addy! I now have to log at least 15 hours of Addy walking time before I can get a mani/pedi. This way we both get exercise & I get cute toes & fingers to boot!! Movies, clothes, facials, books, traveling...anything that you enjoy doing or buying can easily be converted into a motivating factor.  By the way, myfitnesspal is a great--and FREE!--place online to keep track of your food & exercise (and you can log in with your Facebook or Twitter account).

 The best part? Down the road, you'll realize how good you're starting to feel and you'll want to walk the dog, drink your water, eat your veggies, etc. simply because either you like how it makes you feel when you do it or you don't like how it makes you feel when you don't do it (and I'm not talking about GUILT either!).  Shocking, right?!?!?  But just you wait & see...

Oh, and the next time you want to buy cookies, just make sure they are for pupcicles!

 ~a little salt for your foot scrub while you get your pedicure as a reward for walking the pupcicle!