New Year's Resolutions?

 New Year's Resolutions?

 

Health,Fitness,Cooking Well, another year bites the dust. Here we are in a brand new year. I wonder how many of my readers made a resolution to 'finally lose the weight they want to lose?' Resolutions are great! The truth is, they hardly ever are carried through to a successful conclusion. Why is that? Speaking from personal experience, when I used to make resolutions, I did so without a plan. Oh sure, I had a purpose in mind. What I didn't have was a plan. What I did have were a bunch of things I wished to accomplish without knowing whether I could or how to accomplish these wishes. Setting goals not thinking about wishes is the key. Losing Weight and Goal Setting Losing weight and goal setting is no different than setting any goal. It begins with a vision. Let's say your current weight is 180 pounds; your ideal weight, however, is 150 pounds. So to reach your ideal weight you need to lose 30 pounds. I made this easy because I am not a math whiz. Set your end goal at 150 pounds. Now, this next step might sound like school punishment, you know, writing 'I will not chew gum in class,' 100 times. But the school punishment was punishment without personal purpose. If, however, you take a piece of paper and write I will weigh 150 pounds by March 30th, it is writing with a purpose. You are taking the 

first step to envisioning yourself at your ideal weight. But, that is not enough. Having a long-term goal is only the beginning. Now, you need to set incremental goals. The incremental goals are like mile markers on the freeway. They focus on progress toward the ultimate goal. In this hypothetical case, I would set my incremental goals at six-pounds. So your first measurable goal is 174 pounds, the next is 168 pounds and so on. By setting the incremental goals you are, in fact, providing moments for celebration. You've reached a point on your journey that you decided is important. Now celebrate and resume focus on your next incremental goal. Losing Weight and Goal Setting: One Goal Another problem when so many people make New Year's resolutions. They do so in the plural. They make a whole series of resolutions. I will lose weight, I will quit smoking, I will get a new job. I will be

 nice to people. On an on goes the list. That is a recipe for failure. We should think in terms of a single New Year's RESOLUTION. There is nothing that will derail your plans as making too many of them at a time. One Goal at a time is all we can handle when making a lifestyle change. So, for the past few years, I made it a point to only focus on one change. When that goal is reached, I then focus on another. That way, my focus is not interrupted by the noise of other resolves. ———————————— Sara Dawson is the managing partner at The Science of Permanent Weight Loss. Her personal journey going from ‘chubby’ and unhealthy to thin and healthy is one that anyone who suffers from being overweight or in poor health, or both should know. Sara encourages you to visit her Weight Loss Blog where she shares her story along with tips and ideas for healthy weight loss.