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!

Weighing In

One of the highlights (?!?) of the Saturday classes is weighing in.

I confess - I missed last Saturday's class. I somehow thought I could wedge this class into the day's agenda that included my daughter's high school graduation. Not! I do think I made up the exercise portion of the class with the sheer physical labor of setting up for the Sunday party.

So I faced the scale prior to Monday's class. The good news - I lost 1.6 pounds. It's this kind of feedback that movivates me for more.

It also led to an interesting discussion of how often to weigh in. One of the women who successfully lost weight with the last session weighs in every day. For her it's the best way to stay on track. She even confessed to taking a scale with her on vacation!

I'm curious - what works for you?