Realistic Goals

Today we're going to discuss setting realistic goals. I'm all about goal setting. If you have an end goal and a plan of action, you are WAY more likely to get up and do something to change your lifestyle than if you simply complain about the change you want to see. Writing down a goal and creating a plan of action is a commitment to yourself. It says that you've put in the effort to think about it, now you just need to do it.

Yesterday while surfing through fitness "inspiration" on Pinterest, I came across this little how-to on motivation. Now, normally when I see motivational thoughts on Pinterest, I just roll my eyes because no matter how much you diet and exercise, you can't go back to having a  pre-pubescent body. It kills me to see a mother of four pinning "motivational quotes" with a teenage girl posing in the background. But this one I actually agree with.

Since the list is pretty self explanatory, I'm not going to go into detail about these motivations. The only one I'd like to address is number 2: hanging a picture of what you want to look like. This idea can be a great motivation, but it can very easily be a tools for obsession. Like I said yearly, it kills me to see a mother pinning pictures of teenage girls, wishing they could look the way they did in when they played high school sports and had the metabolism of a hummingbird.

So here's my tip: be realistic. I'm not saying that you need to accept those last 10 lbs or that you should give up on your body. I'm saying that you need to be realistic in your goals. You need to have an honest sit down with yourself and lay out your priorities. You need to decide how much time during the week you can devote to your body without sacrificing your other priorities. For example, if you devote 4 hours a day to the gym, what will that mean for your social wellness? Can you honestly take away that time from family or friends? What will it mean to your loved ones?

I do not support the idea of comparison when it comes to body image. You should not compare yourself to anyone else's body. That includes your past body! There are SO many influences that change our bodies over time. We are women. We have hormones. Eating changes them, exercise changes them, love changes them, pregnancy changes them, talking changes them. stress changes them, environmental influences change them... Sometimes these hormones are beyond our control, as are their effects on our individual bodies. And hormones are just one piece of the puzzle that creates our beautiful bodies.

What I'm trying to say is that maybe a better option to hanging up a picture and comparing yourself to someone else would be to choose something real. Are you trying to lose weight for health reasons? Talk with a health professional about how much to lose. Getting your weight to a healthy place can decrease risk of heart disease, certain cancers, and joint pain. Are you training for a race? Chart your mileage or map out a course. Are you trying to lose weight to get pregnant? Lowering your body weight by 10% can restart your menstrual cycle. Are you simply trying to look better? Instead of hanging up a picture, hang up a pair of pants that is one size down. One size is realistic. One size is doable.

Don't obsess over attaining someone else's perfect body. Choose today to never compare your body to someone else's. Set a real goal, one that can be reached. And once you reach that goal, set a new one. Rome wasn't built in a day. Health is achieved one step at a time. Weight is lost one pound at a time. And success is reached one goal at a time.