Change is in the air. Politicians are promising change. Days are growing longer. Each time you write a date you have to remind yourself it is 2009. Since change is being forced on you from all sides anyway, you may as well make a change, too, one that you have chosen. If you have written resolutions each year without success, let this be the year you make it happen.
How to make a change:
First, think about a change you would like to see in yourself. Make it something you feel strongly about, one that, if you think about it long enough, you almost cry. You might come up with several ideas. Write them down.
Walk away. This is important. After you have made your list, walk away. Do whatever needs done, housework, job, play with the kids, whatever is on your calendar to do.
A day later come back to your list. Think about each item again. Which one really moves you? Choose that one as the change you will make this year. Now, decide how much of the change you want to see and when you want to see it. Let’s say you want to lose weight (a common wish) this year. Decide how much and by when. Keep in mind that the safest way to lose weight, and the only way to keep it off, is to lose it slowly, no more than two pounds a week.
Make your plan:
The most important step begins now. Brainstorm what needs to happen for your wish to come true. If we use the weight loss wish again, you might decide that you need to eat less calories and exercise. While weight loss is your wish, you are now defining what you need to do for that wish to come true. These are the action steps that you will follow in the coming months.
To lose one pound you must create a 3500-calorie deficit. You can do this by exercising, eating fewer calories, or both. You may have heard that by exercising you tend to keep the weight off longer and the weight loss will be more fat, less muscle. So you decide that you are going to exercise and eat fewer calories.
Keep it simple and doable:
After you have committed to paper how much exercise you are willing to do, and how much you are willing to reduce your calorie intake, divide each amount by three. During the first month of your action plan, commit to reducing your calorie intake by one third of your ultimate goal. Also, choose an exercise you enjoy and commit to doing one-third the amount of your ultimate goal for the first month. Give yourself permission to exercise more or eat less a couple times a week than is in your plan, but do not make that a habit. Hold yourself back and give your body time to adjust.
For the second month, reduce your caloric intake by two-thirds your ultimate goal and up your exercise amount. You might try something different. Keep it interesting. Again, give yourself permission to consume less, or use more calories, but only a couple times a week.
The third month is the month when you use your ultimate numbers of your action plan.
Use your plan to create a reasonable goal:
Calculate the caloric deficit you will create for each month and use that to decide how much weight you will lose in three months. There is a variety of calorie calculators online, many free.
Now, you have made a SMART* goal for weight loss, how and when, based on a real plan. Do your calculations produce the goal you had when you originally began the goal and action plan process? If it doesn’t what will you change – your goal or your plan?
Track it:
Write it down.
Record your efforts.
Rewards and honorable moments:
Plan to reward yourself periodically. Decide what needs to happen for you to receive a reward. But, remember, as you follow your plan you will often experience a sense of accomplishment and self-confidence – you can’t beat that for a reward.
*SMART Goal: A goal that is Simple, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely
www.lehighvalleyfamily.com
|
.gif "capbluecrosssmall (2).gif")
