Health & Fitness

by Veronica Moister

Keeping Goals and Cultivating Joy

Dear Veronica,

I really want to lose my last ten pounds. I seem to lose 5, then gain it back. I think I need some help creating and keeping my weight loss AND my life goals.

Tytti mother of two, Wellington

Well Tytti, when you make goals based on your truths and values, you will be more inclined to keep them.  I am going to give you some practical advice, as well as some initial steps to take when creating these goals for yourself.

• Connect with your reasons for making changes.

The process of making improvements in your habits is not an easy one, and your attempts will be half-hearted if you’re not clear about why you want to make the change.  What benefits will you experience as a result of reaching your goals? 

• Do it for yourself.

Attempts to change your habits for other people; even people you love and respect will almost always fail.  You must be connected to the personal reasons you want to commit to a new way of living, and take action for yourself. 

• Set two kinds of goals; process goals and outcome goals.

There are two kinds of goals; those which dictate the kind of actions you take, called process goals, and those that dictate the results you wish to create, called outcome goals.  

It is easy to become frustrated when you solely focus on outcome goals, because it may take you some time to create the results you’re shooting for.  When you focus on process goals, you give yourself an opportunity to succeed every day.  

  An example of an outcome goal would be–to lose twenty pounds. Your supporting process goals could then be–to train every day, to eat a healthy diet, and to drink adequate water.  While it may take you several months to lose twenty pounds, you can successfully adhere to your process goals every day.  These small wins will keep you motivated, and help you stay on track.

• Go for your personal best.

Decide that you’re going to reach your personal best.  Even after you reach your health and fitness goals, it’s unlikely you’re going to look like a swimsuit model (male or female).  These ideals are simply not realistic.  Stop comparing yourself to others!  Go for your personal best, and you will find that you become much more satisfied with your results.
 

• You won’t ever find the time; you must make it.

At the end of your life, you will still have a to-do list.  A well-lived life is one in which you get to experience all of the things that are important to you.  Establish a list of personal and professional priorities.  To do so, ask yourself two questions.

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  • What is important to me in my life?  (I.E. family, health, and friendships.)
  • What areas of my life need my time and energy right now? (i.e. managing your home and finances, or caring for a sick parent).

Once you’ve identified your priorities, manage your schedule according to what matters to you.  Make the time to care for you mental, physical and emotional wellness and you will be much more capable of taking care of everything and everyone else in your life.
 

• Identify your triggers; and plan to remove or avoid them.

What stops you from making it to the gym?  What causes you to eat poorly?  Identify the stressors and triggers in your life, and remove or avoid them; at least for the initial 90 days of your life change process.

• Set a bigger goal.

Life is about so much more than the number on your scale or the size of your clothing.  Take some time to connect with what you value, and begin to integrate those things into your life.

If you’ve been dreaming about starting a new project…start.  If you’ve been thinking about taking up a new hobby, go for it!  As your focus expands, your exercise and nutrition goals will become part of a bigger picture, rather than the whole picture. This will allow you to stop obsessing over your body, and begin investing your energy in your life.
 

• Cultivate joy.

Life is supposed to be joyous.  You are meant to be happy. Find exercise activities that you enjoy, and eat foods that taste good to you. You don’t have to abuse yourself to live healthfully. On the contrary, when you make physical activity and good nutrition a part of your life, you will feel pampered – not punished.
 

I hope those strategies help you to make creative life and fitness goals for yourself. Don’t forget that there can be fun in the journey and not just the end result.

Veronica Moister started Metamorphosis Weight Loss for Women twelve years ago, combining Weight Training, Nutrition/Detox and Life Coaching. In 2001, she appeared on “Oprah.” She’s the author of the book “Fit, Firm & Fuel.” She’s a wife and mother of three small children. Please email your questions to: aroundwellington@earthlink.net, subject “Health & Fitness.”