Measuring Progress

Have you ever set out a goal to change your diet? You start off really motivated and enthusiastic. You almost create New Years Resolutions on any given Monday. You start off by saying, "I'm going to lose weight by not eating anymore fast food!". And then before you know it, you're invited to a fried chicken happy hour with friends (and it's technically not fast food because it's sit down, but it's pretty much the same thing) And afterward you say to yourself, "Oh, I messed up! I'll just start again next week."

We've all been there. We set some kind of goal and felt really confident and sure of ourselves. But we didn't really have a plan. We get off track, then feel set back. Feel stifled. We feel the need to start from scratch every time, and as a result, we feel that we never get anywhere.

I've been there and I've seen this happen many times. So I asked my clients, "Is it really possible to get off track if we never had a plan to begin with?" When setting a goal, it helps to have very specific goals, even if they are small. In fact, the smaller then better! When we set smaller goals, it is easier for us to achieve those goals and to build our momentum toward the bigger goals!
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After we set new goals, we must also define how we will measure those goals. What units will we use? Number of servings? Weight in pounds? A scale of our mood? Hours of sleep? Unfortunately,  the dieting industry has established a norm that health is only defined in pounds or percent body fat. But I'm here to tell you that it DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THAT WAY. Those changes will come naturally with improved lifestyle and holistic care. But what about the changes we need to make along the way to move the needle on the scale?

Here are some other ways to track progress:

• How many glasses of water did you drink today?
• How many times did you stretch this week?
• How many hours of sleep did you get?
• How long did it take you to finish a mile run?
• What number of fruits or vegetables did you have today?
• How many times were you able to pack a snack instead of buy a junky snack?
• How many days did you get dressed and feel confident in your skin?
• How has your mood improved throughout the week?
• Have you been able to go to the bathroom more smoothly?
• Were you able to say no to your friends when they tried to peer pressure you into getting off track?
• How many times have you felt you were able to eat when you were hungry?
• How many times were you able to pack the rest of your food away when you were full?

The bottom line: If we have a unit of measurement, we are able to track progress much better and NOTICE progress much better! So what now?

1. Set a small goal.
2. Figure out how you will measure progress toward this goal.
3. Ask yourself how confident are you that you can accomplish this goal?
...and go from there! If you are interested in pointers, accountability, evidence-based nutrition and coaching support, I'm available for you! Contact me here: www.sierraperalta.com/contact.html

Coach Sierra