N E W S
M A R C H 16
Goal Setting For a “Lighter” Future
BY MICHELLE SHAPIRO, RD
No goal was ever accomplished before it was set. In
order for people to get to where they need to be, they
must first decide where they want to go. The next
natural step is deciding how to get there.
A common problem many people have is the inability
to picture themselves with what they want, and
how they want to look and feel. Some initial thoughts
are typically “I could never lose that weight,” or “I
am so ashamed I let myself go.” Weight loss efforts
should be unapologetic, free from embarrassment,
and hopeful. There is a misconception portrayed in
the media that being overweight is “not okay.”
It is always okay, (in fact, it is more than okay) for
people to acknowledge where they are and where
they want to go. It is too frequent that people new to
a health journey find themselves discouraged on their
current condition instead of excited by their future.
Health improvement comes from people asking the
right questions, holding themselves accountable, and
most importantly, celebrating every single accomplishment.
QUESTION # 1: WHERE DO
YOU WANT YOUR HEALTH
JOURNEY TO TAKE YOU?
Take the next minute or so to create an overall
vision for yourself. What would you look like as
your happiest, healthiest self? What would you be
doing and how might it feel? What is the reason you
are embarking on this health journey? What is the
end goal? Take out a pen and paper and write down
your overall vision. Keep that vision at the front of
your mind, of everything you do, to help keep your
actions close to your future goal. Next time you think
“should I order pizza or a salad,” your vision will
help guide your decision.
QUESTION # 2: HOW
ARE YOU GOING TO GET
THERE?
Every person struggles with making changes for
different reasons. For some people, the reason may
be a lack of motivation. For others, it may be a
physical boundary. Here’s an example: Person A
and Person B both want to lose weight by exercising
more. Person A can’t go to the gym because of a work
schedule from 9am-5pm and picking up children
after work. Person B doesn’t go to the gym because
other things are more important to her/him, such as
socializing. A solution can be found for any obstacle.
Your jobs in this step are to 1) identify your boundary
and 2) Find a way around it.
Once you have figured out what has been holding
you back from your best you, the most important
thing to do is set one-week goals. Goal setting is vital
for making and maintaining health changes. Instead
of setting a goal such as “I will exercise more,” be
sure to be as specific as possible and change your
goal to, “I will exercise on Monday, Wednesday,
and Friday at 7:00am this week for 60 minutes each
time.”
The point of making specific goals is so that you
know, definitively, whether you have accomplished
it or not. It is hard to stay on track with ambiguous
goals. Take a few minutes to think of two one week
goals for the next seven days which you will hold
yourself accountable for. Make the goals something
you can certainly accomplish, but that may be a bit of
a challenge for you. These few minutes could be the
difference between two completely different health
paths that you set yourself on. You owe yourself
a few minutes to focus on you. Most importantly,
during this time, keep your overall vision of yourself
in mind. Every single goal you set should bring you
closer to that vision.
QUESTION # 3: WHAT
WILL YOU DO AFTER YOU
COMPLETE YOUR GOALS?
Celebrate! The most successful people in the world
don’t harp on their failures, but rather revel in their
16 LEHAVRE COURIER | MARCH 2018 | WWW.QNS.COM
success. If a person sets a goal to exercise three times
a week and only ends up exercising once, that is an
accomplishment. That is one more hour they spent
moving instead of sitting. That is one hour closer to
their vision.
Think of how you may treat a friend if they shared
with you that they had completed a goal they set. Use
that same positive mind frame, that same courtesy
and kindness with yourself. Be your own best friend
on your journey to health, (you’re the only person
with you every moment on this path!) There is no
shame in being proud, grateful, and gentle with you.
You have all the resources within you to make the
changes necessary to live the life you imagined in
your overall vision.
Make your vision, identify your boundaries, find
the way around them, set your goals, and smile widely
when you win! (If you are planning a diet or health
change, it may be beneficial to contact a Registered
Dietitian or MD.)
L E H A V R E