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FitNutrition, LLC
Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness
has genius, power and magic in it. – Goethe
If it is to be, it is up to me. - Author Unknown
Are you working to achieve your goals for 2011 or have you
gradually begun to let other responsibilities get in the way?
Achieving your goals is up to you – no one can do it for you.
Why and how you decide to achieve your goals can mean the
difference between victory and failure. The desire to achieve your
goals must come from within and match your personal values.
This desire is key to helping you stay motivated.
| The Ability to Achieve Your Goals Comes from Within |
If you’re finding it challenging to take the steps or make the changes necessary to reach your goals, re-evaluate
them and question why you want to achieve them. Did you decide to achieve these particular goals for yourself
or for someone else? Are they consistent with your values? Will working to reach these goals bring you self-
fulfillment and joy as you strive to improve who you are, or will they make you engage in self-criticism? As you
take a closer look at your goals and why you want to achieve them, make sure that the road leading to each
will be a positive journey.
For instance, here are two different ways to look at a similar goal. One person wants to lose weight because
she feels she doesn’t look good at her current weight. She has been finding it difficult to stick to her “new
diet,” and therefore, constantly feels guilty and angry at herself. Several times during the day, she has negative
thoughts about the way her body looks. Why is she having trouble with her goal? First, she has decided to
make weight loss her goal. Weight loss is not a goal. Weight loss is the result of making healthy lifestyle
changes. Second, she put herself on a “diet” rather than making gradual lifestyle changes. Therefore, she feels
deprived. And, rather than focusing on the positive aspects of living a healthier lifestyle, she is focused on the
number on the scale rather than on health benefits, such as lowering her blood pressure and cholesterol level,
increasing her energy level and strength, and focusing on being fit, healthy and at peace with food and her
body. Her goal to lose weight has become a source of negative energy and has led to self-criticism and feelings
of guilt rather than a positive experience.
A second person would also like to lose weight because he knows that reaching a healthy weight will increase
his health. However, he doesn’t have a “magic” weight that he would like to reach. Instead, he has a weight
range that he knows is appropriate for him after talking with his doctor and a registered dietitian. Additionally,
and most importantly, his goal is not to lose weight. His goals are centered around lifestyle changes such as
eating until he is comfortably full one meal each day, walking 30 minutes four times each week, weight lifting
three times weekly, eating one fresh fruit daily, and one cup of vegetables each day. These are just a few of the
goals he has set for himself over time. Each lifestyle change that he makes and maintains for more than a week
makes him feel proud which motivates him to work to achieve his next goal on his list. This individual is
learning to take care of his health, and hence, himself.
To achieve your goals make sure that you are pursuing them for the right reasons and that the experience of
reaching them will be one of personal growth and self-care.
Nutrition Tip: Keeping a food and exercise journal is a great learning experience and helps you to recognize
your strengths and challenges. Be truthful and record not only what and how much you eat and drink, but also
where you are eating (e.g., living room watching TV, dining room with family or in the car) as well as how you
feel (e.g., pleasant and relaxed or stressed and rushed) when you are eating or craving certain foods. These
notes will help you determine why you may eat from emotions, eat when you are not truly physically hungry, or
overeat. Take a few minutes each day or week to review what you have written and see if you can find any
patterns, look for your strengths as well as challenges, and work to find strategies to reduce your negative
behaviors.
First published in The Mystic Times and The Stonington Times in March 2011.
| 860-598-9547 katie@fitnutrition.net Old Lyme & Stonington, CT |
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