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Setting New Year’s Goal to Lose Weight Should Come with Realistic Expectations
(Las Cruces) -- Each New Year is accompanied by vows to lose weight, save money, eliminate the negative, enjoy life at its fullest...on and on it goes. We are still in the first two weeks of a new year, a time before reality sets in and motivation wanes.
My Working on Wellness classes (free weight management classes offered by the Department of Health that teach healthy eating, physical activity, and goal setting.) are underway with a participants participating in a 40 pound weight loss challenge. In the classes I start by explaining the difference between desired outcomes and behaviors. The outcome (what we might want to see happen) weight loss, improved confidence, improved blood pressure, blood glucose management, or improved laboratory data is our long term goal.
Reaching outcomes can be a motivator but it takes time to see changes. It takes time to reach those outcomes. Behaviors are things we do. Behaviors that are within our control are our food choices, our level of physical activity, are we following our prescription orders, and do we monitor our health appropriately. With that in mind, start to focus on behaviors with these tasks: keep a food and activity record, do some physical activity, and start something positive within the next 24 hours.
Food records and activity records are basically a journal of everything we eat, drink and the quantities of each. Food records help us be honest with ourselves about our dietary intake and they help us set realistic and practical goals. Food records are a tool to measure where you currently are starting and then helps you set some goals to get where you need to go. Activity records work much in the same way. So if you've caught yourself thinking or saying "I try to walk every day" but only manage that walk two or three days in the week, the record is a black and white tool that gives you feedback on how you're doing.
You don't need a professional to tell you that you made a poor food choice or that you've put on 20 pounds this year. Are you in the same size pants as you wore in high school? Do those same pants now hang below your belly rather than at your waist? Once you get an idea of your real life eating and activity pattern - make some improvement.
Read more about setting realistic goals
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