Goal Setting Time- A Link up Challenge

Today I am linking up with the RX Fitness lady (if you are not following her do so now please, you can thank me later) for her mini blog challenge. The goal is to blog for 7 days using prompts she has provided. Today’s challenge is to solve a problem for my readers…

 

Originally I thought Well who am I to give advice and I can’t struggle to even keep it together… umm then I realized I’m the same person that helps over 100 people per month at my job. Do as I say not as I do mentality over here LOL!!!!

Then I decided to use this post to help me as well. I need some new goals and not the broad I want to be happy type but goals that I can reach and know when I have reached them. Lets face it happiness? It comes and goes right? Oh that just me….

Today I want to talk about SMART goals. A goal is something that we want to accomplish and the best way to get there I have learned is to be SMART about it.

Specific (and strategic):  Answers the question—Who? and What?

Measurable:  The success toward meeting the goal can be measured.  Answers the question—How?

Attainable:  Goals are realistic and can be achieved in a specific amount of time and are reasonable. (i.e. don’t say I want to lose 50 pounds in two weeks)

Relevant (results oriented):  The goals are aligned with current tasks and projects and focus in one defined area; include the expected result. (i.e these goals have a place in your life. Im a therapist and I am terrible at math that is not related to my money or my weight so my goal would not be to become an engineer)

Time framed:  The goal has an end date. (I mean why drag it out forever. Be realistic with yourself and your commitments and then put a limit on it so you can achieve it and move on)

When setting a goal I am guilty of saying something broad like I want to lose weight. Ok that’s great but that has to be more or I could be losing weight for the next 50 years. So my SMART weight loss goal would look like this:

            I want to lose 70 53 more pounds. I will lose at least ten pounds per month for the next five months so that my goal weight is achieved by October 20, 2013…. Yes the goal can be more than one sentence!!! However its your world make I work for you!!! Hope this helped.

 

Goal Setting Time!!!!!!

So my long time and new readers know I am desperately trying to lose weight. So after some inspiration from SUSAN to “add on the miles” I have decided I will track my miles per week which I have never done before. I have also decided to continue to take group exercise classes whenever possible because I am embarrassed to stop before the class is over LOL. This way I am sure to get the full 30-60 min of the class plus my miles. So starting Monday (it feels good to say that and know that I have been working out and not binge eating) here are my new goals:

 

• Complete a total of 25 miles per week (Monday- Sunday) with at least 10 of those miles done on the treadmill… (I have a new thing where I ride the bike when I am tired and while I want to count those miles I also need to be getting my walk/jog/run on)
• Shave a whole two minutes off my mile time by December 1, 2012
• Work out at least 6 days per week for at least 45 minutes at a time
• Dedicate 15 minutes per day to my LPC test (more once registered)
• Blog at least twice a week with one of the blogs being an update on these and possibly other goals

Now what is goal setting without REWARDS!!!!!! SO I have given myself little rewards along the way. I am definitely working class so I had to space these goals out! LOL… here they are:

• Lose 15 pounds- buy some one new cute gym outfit (as of today I am 8 pounds down from my unbelievably high tear jerking start weight)
• Lose 25 pounds- buy new gym shoes pumps from Bakers with the bag to match
• Lose 40 pounds- go wedding dress shopping and not cry in the dressing room – (that’s a different post) PLEASE LET THIS HAPPEN BY MARCH!!!!
• Lose 65 pounds- Hello old body, new wardrobe and most importantly- WALK DOWN THE ISLE FULL OF CONFIDENCE IN A MERMAID/ FIT AND FLARE DRESS AND MARRY MY BEST FRIEND!!!!

Looking at these numbers it seems so hard. But what is harder is not being able to come out of the dressing room because you are ashamed and on the verge of tears, being winded from tying your shoe, changing clothes 1000 times every morning looking for something that doesn’t make me look sooo big, and constantly pulling on my shirt to hide the rolls that everyone can see and in my mind are staring at…. So I think going to the gym and popping in a workout DVD when I can’t make it will be just fine!

Thinking my poooor hair... smh

Turbo Jam Cardio Party 3... it won today... I tried to stay "high tempo" the whole tape...

Oh yea does anyone know how to add one of those mile trackers to your blog?...

The stranger made me realize it is time for change

Have you ever looked in the mirror and did not recognize the reflection looking back at you? Ok sure it is you because you know a mirror reflects what is in front of it but the reflection was not who you thought you were. I had that moment. Sure those are my eyes, and yes that’s my huge nose but who is this obese woman that is stuffing herself into my clothes? Where did I go… Trust me it is more to it than the weight but lets start there. Today I weigh more than I did when I went into labor seven years ago. What happened? Am I eating everything in sight? Ok enough of that the truth is I’m big the next part is NOW WHAT… It is definitely time for a change…. The other thing that confused me when I looked in the mirror is where I am in life. Clearly I knew I was in my apartment but at almost 30 where is my house?… Yes I have a career and a Master’s degree in the field that I chose but there are people with GEDs that gross more a year than I do (where they doin that at? *in my best hood voice*) On the one hand I am working toward licensure and getting my supervision for free but dam why must I be so poor while I live out my life’s dream. Is this still my dream (ok that was dramatic yes it still my dream) …. NOW WHAT… Lets start with the money- I have enlisted the help of a financial planner and have considered my options for employment and thus far I am on point. There is no more spending money frivolously on things that I do not need, instead I am saving my money. According to what I’ve read you should have 6 months worth of your bills and living expenses in the bank. I definitely do not have that so ummm time to do better…. Also I am back in school so that once I am licensed I will have my niche (working with the criminals and addicts, and surprisingly in the right states at the right jobs I could be doing much better than I am now)… Ok about this fat woman who has eaten the skinny me alive and continued to eat everything else in sight… I have emptied out my cabinets and fridge of all the junk and thunder thighs in a bag that I was shoving in my mouth and will be replacing it (according to my budget) with fruits, lean meats, yougurt, meal replacements, and bagged veggies. Also with the help of my gym membership (YMCA) and pintrest I have enough in home and in gym workouts to start losing weight. I will be adding my before pictures meal plan and workouts as they develop (I also have asked for help on spicing up my blog). Right now I am just winging it based on what I have read and other blogs I have seen. (hey I’m a therapist not a nutritionist or trainer) I do know that there will be NO shortcuts, miracle pills, or lies, but there will be sweat and anger. Yea I said it anger you know why? Because I loooove food and surprisingly enough the food I love the most is the worst for you (potatoes, cake, Burger KING). I just have to ask myself which do I love more the food or the stranger staring at me in the mirror. So here I am naked and surprisingly a bit ashamed. Good thing for me I know that shame can often be the gateway to change (yes I tell my clients that often)….So follow me on my journey to change…. READY, SET, HERE I GO

*smiles, and pulls out a bottle of water*