As 2018 is quickly coming to an end, I am thinking about my weight loss goals for next year and where I'd like to be when I turn the big 4-0 in October. I'm not really a goal setter per se but I do like having something to stay focused on. The hard part for me is the difference between working towards a goal and stressing out because you aren't meeting said goal.
I've learned though my years at my job that goals should be SMART:
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Relevant
Time Bound
Last year I set the goal to be “Lighter By Europe” and also hoped to lose and keep off 5 pounds a month. In hindsight, this was a very unrealistic goal. I had not been pulling large numbers at the scale despite desperately wanting to. After the Freestyle program rolled out, I would see tons of social media posts on Instagram where WW members were losing huge amounts of weight each month. Me? Well, I wasn't and thus drowning my sorrows in beer. So, I need to be more mindful of a realistic goal this next year.
My goal last year was specific. I had wanted to be lighter by the time we went on vacation, whatever lighter truly meant. And, I was lighter by Europe, 13 pounds lighter. I also gained just one pound so I came home in a much better place then previous vacations with large weight gain.
Last year's goal was also time bound since our trip was schedule for September. This gave me a timeframe to strive towards and sort of an “end date” even though it didn't mean I could relax. Well, I relaxed while on vacation but then got right back to tracking upon our return. A time bound goal is also where I can star to feel the pressure, especially if I've not made progress on it and I can see the weeks ticking by.
While my goal to lose and keep off 5 pounds last year was not realistic, It was measurable. Being lighter really can mean that you are 0.2 less then what you weighted the day you set your goal. Obviously, I wanted to be even more lighter than 0.2 pounds. Plus, I had the tools I needed to meet my goal: my WW app, my WW meetings, and my gym membership. It just came down to me putting in the hard work.
I feel my goal last year was relevant, as losing some pounds and getting in some daily activity is always good for my health. I'm not sure it was attainable because I set a very unrealistic goal. It wasn't until I started to look back at my weight records for some perspective. I'm doing this again as I head into the next year.
The weight climb really started to get out of control in 2014. I went back to compare my weight records for around the same date in November (or close to that if I was skipping the scale...ahem...I'm looking at you 2015).
I gained 53.5 pounds in two years. Ouch. This doesn't even show my highest re-gain weight which was 253 pounds. Thankfully I took control of my life again and started to get serious about WW, my meetings, and my tracking.
I've lost 30.4 pounds just in this comparison I put together. I'm down 36.4 pounds from my highest re-gain in July of 2016. And, I'm below what I weighed in 2015. My weight chart from last year is also looking great.
This is where the attainable part of goal setting becomes really important. You don't have to set your goal so high you will never attain it. If you can never reach your goals, then pretty soon you will give up. And you know you've given up when you are eating a half gallon of ice cream in front of the TV wondering why you can't seem to lose your excess weight. Trust me, I've been there (okay...maybe a pint of Ben & Jerry's and not a half gallon).
When I look back at the amazing progress I've made over the last two years, it make me really proud to see my hard work pay off. Were all those weeks perfect losses? No. Did I see a straight downward trend on the graph? No. But, on average, the overall numbers are coming down and down is the BIG GOAL we all strive for.
So, the moral of this long story you have just read is that I'm planning to make my goals next year more attainable by focusing on what I can do instead of how Instagram makes me feel like I should be doing.
Now go out there and slay your goals!
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