The challenges of goal setting

Coming up with Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely (SMART) goals is harder than you think. I'm trying to tie them to behavior changes that I want to achieve.

So here goes -

Drinking at least 6 glasses of water/day

Exercising 3 x week through Aug. 13

Averaging 8,000 steps a day by Aug. 13

Filling out an emotional eating sheet everytime I feel like going on a snack binge

Fitting in one bike ride per week

I have one more goal for this week - not gaining weight over vacation!

I am prepared. I stopped this morning at the Wellness Center to weigh in. My bike is going too - and I picked up extra audio books to make walks more entertaining. Susie Brueggeman, the Meriter dietitian and I talked about eating out strategies.

Off to Madeline Island!

Smartly Setting Your Goals

This week in class we will be focusing on how to set SMART goals. It’s easy to say in conversation “I want to lose weight” but to actually do it can be a challenge. By casually stating our goals, it is usually just a thought; but if we write down our goal and ways to achieve it, it will be more of a plan. And a plan with small achievable goals will be more attainable and not as overwhelming.

Each participant in class has goals they want to achieve and I will be working with them to develop a plan for success. This plan will not only help them to establish healthy habits for today, but maintain them for a lifetime.

~Kim

I finally got all 10,000 steps in a day - and it was the Jimmy Buffett concert at Alpine Valley that did it. We parked in the Green Lot and had quite an aerobic work out to and from the theatre. I seriously wondered how some of the other fans made it! Just shows fitness doesn't have to be all drudgery.

Weight loss continues - slow and steady. This is confirming that my eating wasn't so out of wack - but lack of activity was catching up with me. I'm now wearing a pair of pants that didn't fit a month ago. Also bested my 1,000 meter rowing time earlier in the day. Shaved 14 seconds off my first try!

Tonight we're going to talk about goals. Scheduling regular exercise into my weekly routine has to be one of mine.

Rude Awakening

This past Saturday 'Get Fit' gifted us a pedometer - and a challenge. Research says that people who walk at least 10,000 steps a day are more healthy. How far is 10,000 steps? About 5 miles.


Our instructions are to record the first week's steps. Our challenge is then to increase our next week's step by 10%. And 10% after that. And 10% after that - until we reach 10,000.


The pedometer can be a real eye opener. One report I read says that a sedentary person walks 1,000 to 3,000 steps a day. Sadly - I fall into this category. In one day at the office - with one meeting outside in which I parked at the back of the parking lots - I only clocked 1,600 steps.


So Tuesday night, I walked to the library. It was a trip on my list - I got my book tapes and steps in one errand. Finished that evening at 5,900.


Besides parking at the end of the lot for distance and taking stairs - do you have any other ideas for adding steps throughout the day?

1 lb. = 3500 calories

Does this sound familiar? “I gained weight over the weekend because I ate a brat and a piece of cake.” We do not gain weight by eating a brat or dessert one time. But we do gain weight when we accumulate an extra 3500 calories (1 lb. = 3500 calories). A safe and effective way of losing weight is to cut back on 250 calories and burn an extra 250 calories per day. If you do this each day, you should lose 1 lb. per week.

Do you have to count calories and measure food? While counting calories can be effective it’s often not realistic. Simply reduce the amount of food you are eating and make sure you are exercising 30 minutes each day. One easy way to reduce the amount of food you are eating is to reduce the size of your dinner plate to a salad plate. This will help to keep the portions smaller and help you feel full when eating less. Studies have shown that people feel more satisfied with less food when they are served on 8-inch salad plates in place of 12-inch dinner plates. Another tip: place the vegetables on your plate first and enjoy a piece of fruit for dessert.

Previewing the week ahead: On Saturday our Get Fit! participants will discuss how to effectively set personal goals. It’s easy to state our goals but following through is another story. The program will teach each participant how to follow through and maintain their goals. They are already doing a great job attending class and most of the 15 participants are losing 1-2 lbs. per week. I am so proud of their motivation and enthusiasm.

~ Kim