Thursday, February 3, 2011

Goals + Accountability = Motivation & Results

For many people starting a weight loss or fitness regimen, becoming motivated is difficult.  However, STAYING motivated is the real struggle!  I can't tell you how many times I started a "diet" or workout routine, only to give up a week or a month into it.  I would lose my focus and motivation and before you know it, I had put on the weight I had lost plus a few pounds.  That cycle continued - until it all finally "clicked".

In my opinion, one of the biggest reasons for my success this time is because I was highly motivated, and remained highly motivated throughout my journey.  Wonder why?  Because I was accountable to someone (who was also highly motivated) and I had a goal.  When I started on my weight loss journey, I had just given birth to my third child.  During my pregnancy, my husband had made the decision to get healthy, and by the time I gave birth he had lost about 60 pounds!!  Embarrassingly, this put his weight about 40 pounds less than mine.  For whatever reason, that was the moment it clicked for me.  Throughout my marriage, I put on A LOT of weight, but I didn't care because Curt always weighed more than me.  So it was okay.  :-)  But now, here I was weighing in at 240 and he was down to 200 pounds!  I just couldn't have that - so my weight loss "goal" was simply to weigh less than he did.  I didn't set a certain number I wanted to hit or a specific amount of weight to lose.  I just wanted to weigh less than he did.  As a bonus, he also became my accountability partner.

The great thing about having an accountability partner is that you don't have to work out together, be on the same eating plan, or even see one another in person for that matter.  Curt and I didn't go to the gym together nor did we eat exactly the same things.  But, he knew that I was wanting to "catch up" to him.  So, at the end of the day he would ask me how I did.  When I weighed myself every week, I would tell him what I lost.  And so it continued like that for a year and a half.  My goal to catch up to Curt was always there, because he kept losing weight as well.  Finally, A YEAR AFTER I started trying to catch him, I finally did it!  He had continued to lose and got down to 160 pounds.  It took me a year to get there, and then I surpassed him!  Now, I finally weigh less than he does.  Whoohoo!

Having a moving goal like I did was highly motivational.  I never once thought about giving up.  Curt was always there to see how I was doing and we encouraged each other to keep going.  So, if you find yourself struggling to get started, or perhaps struggling to keep going, find someone (I'll help you!!) who you can be accountable to.  That person should know your goals, and you should check in with each other to report progress and/or setbacks.  Set specific goals!  That doesn't mean you have to set a final "number", but maybe your goal is just to lose 1 pound a week, or weigh less than your spouse/mom/dad/brother/fill in the blank, or get off your blood pressure medication.  Whatever it is, have a goal and a partner, and I promise you that your motivation will be stronger and stick around for the long haul!!

You can do it!!
Traci

1 comment:

  1. Good job Traci! I am so proud of you! Miss you here at the farm.

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