Setting a goal to lose weight has its drawbacks. It is hard to measure unless of course you set a goal to lose xxx amount of kilos in xxx number of weeks or months.
The problem with a goal such as this is that it lacks definitive action.
It is easier to set a healthy living goal.
Then you can decide on the steps you are going to take to achieve your goal.
A healthy living goal means eating more healthy foods and becoming more physically active.
That does not mean that you have to go all out and become a fitness freak overnight.
It is important to take small bite sized steps so that your body can get used to the changes.
Focus on the healthy lifestyle rather than your waistline.
Which task is easier?
To lose weight or to change your diet.
Focus on actions rather than the outcome as the outcome will be a product of the actions.
When I was involved in athletics and training, I had my goals such as to beat my personal best times in the middle distance and road races but my focus was on what I had to do to achieve those goals. I was not going to achieve personal best times unless I trained for it.
The elite athletes performing at their best at the olympics make it all look so easy but what you see is the results of years of hard work and sacrifice. It all requires focus.
The key to all of this is passion. No one can put their bodies through all of this discipline unless they have passion for what they are doing. It is passion which powers perseverance.
As an athlete I was not blessed with an abundance of talent but made the most of what ability I had to perform at my best.
What has all of this got to do with losing weight and living a healthy lifestyle?
It is about living your best life.
An unhappy, unfulfilled life is going to sabotage your efforts to lose weight because you will always find an excuse to comfort eat if you are trying to lose weight or miss a day’s training if you are involved in sport.
The bottom line is this: If you do not look forward to getting up in the morning then changes need to be made.
Think about what you used to enjoy doing when you were younger. Is it possible to take up some of these old interests?
Getting involved in something you are passionate about will get you off the couch and away from the TV and that can undermine your healthy living goals if you don’t keep it in check. Remember the old saying “Use it or lose it.”
Taking a balanced approach to life is the way to go when working on living a healthy life.
