LINKS in MFP you want to read again (and again)

How do i leave a message on the board for everbody to view it?

Pick a category, click "New Topic" and type in your message, then click the button after the post, and it will appear. What is your issue?

You may not be sleeping because you are exercising so late. When you exercise so late, it get your adrenaline pumping and makes it hard to sleep. Try exercising in the morning or before 3pm. That gives your body time to settle down be fore it is time to go to bed.

*scratches head*




bump

From Steve Banks aka SHBoss1673 - - 12/15/09

For complete thread go here:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/73210-goals-and-wishes

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When you have been with MFP as long as I have (just over 2 years now), you tend to see a lot of, shall we say, interesting concepts. One of the themes on here are the goals people lay out for themselves. I wanted to touch on that idea, maybe impart a bit of wisdom to some of the more controversial goals out there.

First lets look at what a goal should be. There's a difference between a goal and a wish. Wishes tend to be unrealistic, open ended, and unspecific. For example a wish could be "I'd like to fit into a size 2 jeans and have 12% body fat". Besides probably being unrealistic, this statement has no timeline, and doesn't include a strategy to reach the endpoint. A good example of a goal would be something like this: "I would like to lose 20 lbs in the next 3 months by doing 60 minutes of moderate to hard cardio 3 days a week and weight training with free weights and the cable machine for 45 minutes 2 days a week. I would set a sliding scale calorie deficit starting at 750 calories a day and dropping by 50 calories every 2 weeks ending up at a 450 calorie deficit."

The difference is huge. Having attainable, reachable goals is something we can all shoot for.

Here are the important components to a well thought out goal.

1. A specific end point. We can always create a new goal once a goal is achieved, but having a goal that you can't reach is a good way to feel defeated.

2. Closed ended statements. Goals should leave no doubt as to where you would like to be. Saying you want 12% body fat just opens up an additional host of questions (how, why, when, can I do it...etc).

3. Attainable and/or realistic. Having goals that you can't achieve is not going to help. Frustration, and depression can follow quite quickly. On the other end of the spectrum, having extremely simple goals can lead to boredum and you can lose interest as well.

4. Strategy. You need to map out how you will achieve that goal. Having objectives helps. Putting in markers or "waypoints" along the way can help: but keep in mind, these waypoints need to be flexible enough not to discourage you if you don't meet one.

So why don't you guys state some goals, maybe myself, or another MFP member here can help you adjust and tweak them.

I'll start:

As a baseball player, my goal is to increase my Maximal relative VO2 uptake by 5% over the next 3 months (March 15th 2010) by performing high intensity aerobic workouts for 25 to 45 minutes 3 days a week using a combination of tabata protocol and HIIT training. I will take measurements every 2 weeks using the 1 mile sub-maximal VO2 max waliking test outlined in my ACE fitness training manual. Currently my VO2 Max is 50, I would like to reach at least 53 .

NOTE that this is not my only goal, but it is one specific goal. Notice that I put in an end point, leave no questions to be answered about my goal, I know what to test to reach that goal as well as how to do so. This goal, based on my past performance is quite attainable for me. And I outlined a basic strategy that I will use to reach that goal.

What I don't need to put in the specific goal is the exact routines I'll use, the exact objectives I'll need during each waypoint, or when during the week I'll work out. These are all details that are specific enough that I should be able to adjust them as needed to fit into my lifestyle. So you see, your goal need be neither all encompassing, nor wildly optimistic. And it is perfectly fine to have multiple goals, as long as one doesn't detract from, or prohibit another. I.E. having one goal to lose 20 lbs and another goal to gain 10% muscle mass would be counter to each other and in almost all cases one cannot be achieved while attempting the other.

OK so now I have my goal set, what about you?

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http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/73770-what-is-the-secret-to-your-success

I love this thread--I am going to have to take time to read it!

cool, debnu. It will always be here (hopefully) - and there are pages and pages of links and quoted threads throughout this thread. I come back and read them myself sometimes.

cmr

Steve

Sunday bump