Thinking about starting a 2011 weight management program?
Consider these beginning thoughts.
Keeping It Real With SMART Goals (1)
Like Yogi Berra once said "If you don't know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else." Don't let this happen to you. Setting specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time driven (SMART) goals from the beginning of your weight management program is essential to your success.
S = Specific
M = Measurable
A = Achievable
R = Realistic
T = Time driven
Specific
The more specific you can be the more it will help you focus on your effort and clearly define what you are going to do. Instead of setting a general goal to lose weight or be healthier, set a specific goal to lose 2 lbs per week or take off 2 inches on your waistline or to walk 3 miles at a challenging pace.
Measurable
If you can't measure it, you won't be able to manage it. Choose a goal with measurable progress, so you can see the change occur. Then pull out the scale, tape measure or smaller pair of pants and see how your goal measures up.
Achievable
If your goals are too far out of reach you probably won' be able to make the commitment to accomplish them. Your goal should stretch you slightly but just enough to feel like you can accomplish it with a real commitment. Then when you do achieve that goal you will feel successful and feelings of success, not failure are what keep you motivated.
Realistic
Realistic does not mean "easy." Realistic, in this case, means "do-able." A goal of never again eating sweets, cakes, and chocolate may not be realistic if you really enjoy these foods. It may be more realistic to set a goal of eating a piece of fruit each day instead of one sweet item. You can then choose to work towards reducing the amount of sweets gradually and realistically.
Time Driven
Setting a timeline for reaching your goal (i.e. in a week or over 12 weeks) provides an end point and a clear target to work towards. Without a timeline, you'll feel you can start at any time, and you'll lose your sense of urgency. Telling others your timeline also helps keep you on purpose. Ask them to check in with you at certain dates to confirm you're on track.
Getting a SMART Start (2)
These 6 simple steps apply to weight management activities.
Shaklee Cinch is my product choice so you will see it referenced below. ~Cheryl
Congratulations! You've made the commitment to improve your health by losing weight and inches. Cinch will help you get there and getting started can be a cinch too. Just follow these 6 simple steps:
1. Set a realistic weight loss goal. A realistic goal is one that you know is achievable with in a reasonable time frame. We recommend planning on a 1-2 lb. per week weight loss with adherence to the Cinch Inch Loss Plan. So for example, a realistic goal would be "I will lose 20 lbs in 12 weeks."
2. Find your starting calorie level. Use the chart on page 6 of the Cinch Success Guide or calculate your calorie needs using the Cinch Coach™ software (both found in the Cinch Starter Kit) to help you determine which calorie level to begin at.
3. Decide on your meal-planning approach. Some people like a more structured approach. If that's you, follow the meal plans available on Cinch Coach or posted on CinchClub.com. Pick the meal plan closest to your estimated calorie needs and that fits your food likes and dislikes (ex. Lacto-ovo vegetarian or no red meat). If you prefer to build your own meals and choose your own snacks, follow the flexible approach using the servings and portion control guidelines on page 7 of the Cinch Success Guide. Using the food group and portion control lists that follow on pages 8-12, eat the foods you enjoy from that food category to achieve your allotted serving. Remember to watch your portion sizes and get familiar with what a "serving" is for each category of food.
4. Take all products as directed. Cinch will give you the best results when the products are used as directed and incorporated into a healthy lifestyle. Having two shakes and taking your 3-in-1 Boost™ is an important foundation. The bar provides added leucine and helps to protect muscle mass. The tea will provide energy — so it's OK to drink it several times per day!.
5. Commit to being active. Cinch works best when you boost your level of physical activity. To help you get moving, strap on the pedometer in your Starter Kit and work up to 10,000 steps per day.
6. Take your baseline weight and body measurements. You will know Cinch is working by the way you feel. Your energy level will be high, and you should feel satisfied. But monitoring your success is another great way to quantify your results. It's also a great way to keep you motivated so you stay on track. Feel free to jump on the scale and get your baseline weight and check your weight periodically. However, taking body measurements is another great way to monitor your success. Take your Cinch tape measure and measure the inches around your waist and hips. If you like, measure your arms, chest and thighs as well.
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Here is a great way to get started:
1. Go to http://www.cinchplan.com/babyboomerhealth and complete your personal profile to get the number of recommended calories you need daily. Many times people start a program eating too little calories.
2. Then go to http://www.cinchclub.com/recipes and type in the number of recommended calories and you can get 2 weeks worth of menus. It is also strongly recommended to purchase the daily log on the Cinch site so that you can be accountable.
3. Another very important action is to use the glycemic index for food selection. Select products that are 55 and below on the index. A recommended glycemic index site is http://www.cylive.com/content/125/International_Foods. You can easily put a food item in the search box and find the glycemic index for it. If you look at the daily log and compare your calorie intake on your personal profile, the log will tell you how many fruits, veggies, protein, fats, etc that you should have daily.
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1 From http://www.cinchclub.com/displayContent.html
2 From http://www.cinchclub.com/displayContent.html
I am committed to losing weight and inches. I will be starting a new program next week and would love to have you partner with me. I am using Shaklee’s Cinch program. I am also going to use Brad Lamm’s concept of Just 10 LBS at a time. (Find his workbook here at http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/just-10-brad-lamms-workbook).
Come join me!
It’s going to be an excellent adventure!!
Healthy Blessings,
Cheryl
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