Mindset shift

enzosmama
enzosmama Posts: 134 Member
edited November 9 in Health and Weight Loss
Trying a new strategy for a bit. Instead of focusing on the numbers on the scale I am going to set myself a weekly healthy eating or fitness goal. The losing weight thing will be am awesome secondary benefit- I think this mindset shift will help me focus and stay motivated. I think the numbers on the scale merely aren't enough and I need to focus on the other things instead- I need to reap and feel the rewards of being healthier, stronger, leaner in order to keep going. I've become complacent with my weight and size. I'm not happy wiht it, but I've lived with it for so long that I've become somewhat numb to it.

So- what kind of healthy eating or activity goals do you set for yourself or do you think would be helpful? So far I've come up with meet my daily protein goal (which I've been struggling with), eat clean for a week (also a struggle), get veggies in at every meal, drink a gallon of water a day. What other ideas do you guys have?

Replies

  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    Personally, I would avoid the food based goals, since they are negative goals. Focus instead on fitness goals like running faster, cycling farther, or lifting more weight.
  • enzosmama
    enzosmama Posts: 134 Member
    TimothyFish wrote: »
    Personally, I would avoid the food based goals, since they are negative goals. Focus instead on fitness goals like running faster, cycling farther, or lifting more weight.

    I'm curious, what makes you say food based goals are negative? I need to improve my eating habits, so why would that be negative? Especially when (from what I understand) losing weight is 80% diet and only 20% exercise? Additionally, for me, the fitness thing is secondary. I am just simply trying to be active right now vs. set specific fitness goals. I'm sure once I become more active and activity is a more regular part of my routine I will find some fitness goals to focus on, but right now, it's going to be "be active for at least 30 minutes 5 out of 7 days a week"
  • Phrick
    Phrick Posts: 2,765 Member
    edited January 2015
    I'm not TimothyFish but I perceive it as negative as well - if I don't meet my protein I've failed... if I don't eat clean I've failed, if I don't ___ then I've failed. Failure, failure at every turn unless you do it 100% perfect. That has a very high amount of negativity!! Versus a fitness goal where any improvement - walking farther, or running faster, or lifting 1 more pound - is a win.
  • enzosmama
    enzosmama Posts: 134 Member
    Phrick wrote: »
    I'm not TimothyFish but I perceive it as negative as well - if I don't meet my protein I've failed... if I don't eat clean I've failed, if I don't ___ then I've failed. Failure, failure at every turn unless you do it 100% perfect. That has a very high amount of negativity!! Versus a fitness goal where any improvement - walking farther, or running faster, or lifting 1 more pound - is a win.

    I understand what you're saying, however, I don't see how "meeting my protein intake of X daily" vs. "be able to lift 1 more lb this week" is different. I need something that is measurable and has a time frame. SMART goals- Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time Based. If I don't put a time frame on it there is far less motivation. When setting goals there is always a risk of not meeting them, but the only way to fail is to not try at all! I suppose it's all in your mind set and the way you look at it. Even if I DON'T meet my protein intake goal daily for a week if I try I am steps closer than I was before.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    I've set myself various month long challenges in the past... No booze, no diet coke/Redbull, no takeaways, X number of workouts per week, getting at least 5 portions of fruit and veg a day etc etc I have also done insanity, P90X3 and trained for a 10k as fitness goals. The 100 press up challenge is a good one too!
  • tulips_and_tea
    tulips_and_tea Posts: 5,741 Member
    enzosmama wrote: »
    Phrick wrote: »
    I'm not TimothyFish but I perceive it as negative as well - if I don't meet my protein I've failed... if I don't eat clean I've failed, if I don't ___ then I've failed. Failure, failure at every turn unless you do it 100% perfect. That has a very high amount of negativity!! Versus a fitness goal where any improvement - walking farther, or running faster, or lifting 1 more pound - is a win.

    I understand what you're saying, however, I don't see how "meeting my protein intake of X daily" vs. "be able to lift 1 more lb this week" is different. I need something that is measurable and has a time frame. SMART goals- Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time Based. If I don't put a time frame on it there is far less motivation. When setting goals there is always a risk of not meeting them, but the only way to fail is to not try at all! I suppose it's all in your mind set and the way you look at it. Even if I DON'T meet my protein intake goal daily for a week if I try I am steps closer than I was before.

    I agree with your mindset, particularly since diet is more important than fitness to you right now. Nothing wrong with that. Good place to start.

    The only thing I would say is, set your goals and be happy with what you accomplish. Say, "drink as much water as I can each day" instead of "I'll drink one gallon every day." Sometimes it's just the terminology that can cause negativity, but from your post here it seems like you're ok with not being "perfect"; just making progress. Good for you!
  • enzosmama
    enzosmama Posts: 134 Member
    BZAH10 wrote: »
    enzosmama wrote: »
    Phrick wrote: »
    I'm not TimothyFish but I perceive it as negative as well - if I don't meet my protein I've failed... if I don't eat clean I've failed, if I don't ___ then I've failed. Failure, failure at every turn unless you do it 100% perfect. That has a very high amount of negativity!! Versus a fitness goal where any improvement - walking farther, or running faster, or lifting 1 more pound - is a win.

    I understand what you're saying, however, I don't see how "meeting my protein intake of X daily" vs. "be able to lift 1 more lb this week" is different. I need something that is measurable and has a time frame. SMART goals- Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time Based. If I don't put a time frame on it there is far less motivation. When setting goals there is always a risk of not meeting them, but the only way to fail is to not try at all! I suppose it's all in your mind set and the way you look at it. Even if I DON'T meet my protein intake goal daily for a week if I try I am steps closer than I was before.

    I agree with your mindset, particularly since diet is more important than fitness to you right now. Nothing wrong with that. Good place to start.

    The only thing I would say is, set your goals and be happy with what you accomplish. Say, "drink as much water as I can each day" instead of "I'll drink one gallon every day." Sometimes it's just the terminology that can cause negativity, but from your post here it seems like you're ok with not being "perfect"; just making progress. Good for you!

    Thank you for the feedback!
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    I'm a big believer in specific and measurable. A perceived "fail" or negative goal i.e. "reach my X target every day this week" can easily be changed to a positive by making the goal, "reach my X target five out of seven days this week". At the end of the week, re-evaluate if the goal was achievable, if it could be ramped up or scaled back.

    An early unachievable exercise goal I carried for a while was "10,000 steps a day". When I changed it to 3,000 (easily achieved), then 4,000 (heh, heh nailed it) and finally 5,000 a day, I felt a lot better. My daily step count varies, but I can easily hit between 8,000 and 10,000 now.

    Baaaaby steps.
  • SnuggleSmacks
    SnuggleSmacks Posts: 3,731 Member
    edited January 2015
    BZAH10 wrote: »
    enzosmama wrote: »
    Phrick wrote: »
    I'm not TimothyFish but I perceive it as negative as well - if I don't meet my protein I've failed... if I don't eat clean I've failed, if I don't ___ then I've failed. Failure, failure at every turn unless you do it 100% perfect. That has a very high amount of negativity!! Versus a fitness goal where any improvement - walking farther, or running faster, or lifting 1 more pound - is a win.

    I understand what you're saying, however, I don't see how "meeting my protein intake of X daily" vs. "be able to lift 1 more lb this week" is different. I need something that is measurable and has a time frame. SMART goals- Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time Based. If I don't put a time frame on it there is far less motivation. When setting goals there is always a risk of not meeting them, but the only way to fail is to not try at all! I suppose it's all in your mind set and the way you look at it. Even if I DON'T meet my protein intake goal daily for a week if I try I am steps closer than I was before.

    I agree with your mindset, particularly since diet is more important than fitness to you right now. Nothing wrong with that. Good place to start.

    The only thing I would say is, set your goals and be happy with what you accomplish. Say, "drink as much water as I can each day" instead of "I'll drink one gallon every day." Sometimes it's just the terminology that can cause negativity, but from your post here it seems like you're ok with not being "perfect"; just making progress. Good for you!

    I respectfully disagree. One of the aspects of good goal setting is to be specific. "More" isn't specific. Another aspect is to choose something measurable. So to "eat better" is far too vague to be meaningful. A specific protein amount, or number of veggie servings or ounces of water... Number of days hitting the gym each week, or amount of time spent running, or distance... These are goals. Vaguely saying "eating better" or "eat more protein" is just an intention, not a goal.
  • hamoncan
    hamoncan Posts: 148 Member
    Less sodium, more fibre are 2 things I'm always working on
  • Adc7225
    Adc7225 Posts: 1,318 Member
    I agree somewhat with not setting goals centered on your diet and why the exercise goals are so much more rewarding. But it comes down to setting goals that work for you. I have done both and some with great success and some I just wasn't ready for.

    Like right now I am doing the 200 mile January Challenge and a personal challenge not to do my daily weigh in as well as limiting myself to one sweet a day (if that). Other than the 200 mile challenge I won't see the others as failures if I don't make it I will just realize those are areas I can work on. I have come to realize I am much better at limiting sweets when fruit is in abundance as opposed to these winter months but that just means I have to pay more attention to what and how much I am really eating now.

    I would try as BZAH10 commented and change some of the wording in the goals, it really makes a difference in how you look at it even though it is a personal challenge - success or failure either way you can learn something about yourself in the end. Just keep going, it is always a learning process.
  • BodyByButter
    BodyByButter Posts: 563 Member
    I see all sides of what has been posted here. But for me, here's what I did. Originally I set out to "lose x number of pounds this year" but decided that a better way to go about it was to say, "this year I want to eat at a calorie deficit, track all of my foods and make good food choices." No, it isn't a hard and fast number that I can measure, but I will know if I have tracked, chosen better foods and eaten at a deficit. And, I can be successful at that rather than picking a weight loss number that I might not achieve, even if I am much healthier and taking better care of myself.
  • Roxiegirl2008
    Roxiegirl2008 Posts: 756 Member
    I set out by taking baby steps. For example I said "I will only have three diet cokes per day" Yes I was a junkie! That was doable for me. Then I said "I will cut back to two diet cokes per day and add more water" You get the idea here. Now I don't drink any diet cokes at all. YAY!

    One thing I did (while losing weight) and still do (currently in my goal weight range) is treat myself to something. For example the first 5lbs I bought myself some fun colored gym socks. The first 15lbs I bought a cute colored workout shirt. At my first 20lbs down I treated myself to a mani. You get the idea.
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