How fitting that I should come across this quote as we approach July 4th*:
Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.
Sigh... That's been me lately - that second part, not the first one, sadly. From April to mid-June, I enjoyed some much earned success by changing my diet and making some healthy decisions. What happened to that? Where did all that motivation go? Once I realized how easy it could be to lose some weight, I got a little cocky. "Bah, I don't need to worry about having pizza for dinner one night. I'll be back to my healthy ways tomorrow and will continue to lose weight." I felt like I'd made such significant changes that I was entitled to my weight loss. Uh oh, "entitled"... That's where I took a wrong turn, isn't it?
I started thinking that because it was easier than I thought it would be to lose weight, that it was in fact easy to lose weight. Ah but there's a huge difference between those comparaison adjectives, and I fell right into their sticky little trap. It seemed like it would be okay to take my eyes off the prize for a while and not have to suffer any significant consequences. Boy, was I wrong. I sit here before you (well, before my computer really, but in spirit, before you) having gained about 8 lbs in about 3 weeks. Yeah, I take your point, it's not the end of the world and I will get over it, but damn if these are not the same 8 lbs I was so proud to have lost a month ago. Curses!
Having blown a couple of DietBet weigh-ins, it's time to get this figured out and set a course for success. According to this Jefferson guy, I need the right mental attitude (check - well it's good today anyway). But I will also need an attainable goal. Enter SMART goals! Specific - Measurable - Attainable - Relevant - Time-Bound. Did you notice how DietBets helps us answer these criteria?
If I look at my Transformer goal, I can now confidently commit to the following:
I will lose 12.2 lbs by July 28th. It's specific - right to the tenth of a pound. My plans is to lose the weight by making healthy food choices for at least 2 of my daily meals (which is better than I've been doing lately) and getting my butt in gear by meeting my Fitbit step goals (that's a story for another blog post). It's measurable with my trusty (if not always friendly) scale. It is attainable if I really stay focus - this will be the hardest part. I suppose it will be a good lesson to not miss my weigh-ins from now on. It is relevant because my overall goal is to become healthier and more fit. And with the July 28th weigh-out, it is nothing if not time-bound.
*Deep sigh* I can do this. I will get my head back into the game because I want this. My body deserves to be treated with kindness and respect. My body will benefit from this in more ways than I will ever know. And for a million more legitimate reason, it is time to get this done. Watch out DietBet peeps, I'm back and I'm in it to WIN it!
* That's a little bit funny because I am Canadian. I wonder if any Canadian Prime Minister ever said anything that would be applicable to staying motivated in a DietBet? I'll save that project for another day...