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Are
you trying to fit into your new bathing suit? Do you
want to lose a few extra pounds? Are you tired of
riding the weight loss roller coaster? Here are the
beginning steps to creating a shape up plan for you!
Wherever you are in your desire to get fit, these
simple steps can help you fine tune your plan and
ensure your success.
Step
One: Set Realistic Goals
When Susan came to see me, she was 15 pounds overweight.
She had tried many diet programs and seemed to always
put the weight back on. The first thing we talked
about was what it was that Susan wanted to accomplish.
So often, people set goals that are completely unrealistic.
For instance, Susan thought she could lose 15 pounds
in one month. She decided to make a new goal for herself
and work towards 5 pounds a month instead. By being
honest with herself and picking a goal that was reasonable,
Susan was able to keep motivated and focused on her
achievable goal.
Step
Two: Visualize Your Success
It’s difficult to move forward in life without
being able to see where you want to go. One tool that
Mary found especially useful was spending time each
week seeing herself achieve her goals. She also decided
to put up pictures of her “old self” as
well as her “ideal self”. In addition,
she made a list of the new goals she had for herself.
She put these pictures and goals in a place she looked
at every day. Seeing our goals has tremendous power,
whether we are taking time to picture our goals in
our mind or putting up visual reminders in our surroundings.
Step
Three: Get Support
Dana came to me frustrated with herself. Each spring
she had decided to shape up for summer, but by mid
June he found herself back into her old habits. One
very important step for Dana that she discovered through
life coaching was that her previous plans lacked a
support system. Dana set out on her adventure with
no partner or cheerleader. Her new plan not only included
a life coach, but we also worked together to identify
other supports in her life. She made sure she was
surrounding herself with people who were encouraging
and uplifting. Dana found a buddy at work that had
the same level of commitment and was willing to work
out with her during lunch hours three days a week.
Dana also found that she and her husband wanted to
go biking or walking at least one time a week. After
4 weeks, Dana had begun to look and feel better. She
was consistently sticking to her plan and working
out regularly.
Step
Four: Find a New Activity
“Are you an indoor person or outdoor person,”
I asked Mandy? How about you? Have you always wanted
to try ballroom dancing? Water polo? Rejoin the soccer
league? The local community college or recreation
center is a great resource for new activities. Finding
an activity you’ve always wanted to try can
give you a new sense of energy and inspiration. It
can help motivate you to stay with your goals by engaging
in an activity that is fresh and exciting.
Step
Five: Check Your Mental Game
After talking with Karen it was apparent that she
had already decided that she would fail again. Of
course she wouldn’t stick with her plan because
she had already talked herself into believing that
she couldn’t lose the weight. Karen discovered
that all of the physical steps and preparations won’t
mean anything if she hasn’t mentally tackled
her fears and failures. Through coaching, Karen was
able to challenge her fears and achieve success. She
learned the importance of tackling her inner beliefs
and staying positive even when things get tough! Everyone’s
going to fall down and slip behind in their journey
to their ultimate goals. Failing and making mistakes
are part of the process. The important piece that
Karen began to realize is that when she did slip,
it was important to stay positive. Listen to what
you say out loud. Karen tracked the negative messages
she said to herself about failing and begin to reverse
those statements. As soon as she did that, she began
to make progress on all of her goals.
Step
Six: Make it Fun
I could hear the frustration and the agony in Jennifer’s
voice as she talked about her weekly trips to the
gym. After working together, Jennifer discovered her
plan to shape had left out the word fun. This immediately
took away her motivation and called for instant failure.
Through coaching, Jennifer was able to come up with
a new plan where she made sure she had fun. Instead
of dragging herself to the gym each week, she identified
the activities that she really enjoyed and integrated
them into her fitness plan.
Step
Seven: Celebrate Success
As my clients begin to make progress towards their
goals, most of them leave out one of the most important
pieces to making a great plan work, CELEBRATION! I
ask my clients to write down rewards they’d
like, both big and small. Sydney found that celebrating
doesn’t have to be a big thing, but it is important
to reward yourself! Adding that incentive can give
you the edge you need to stay on track to success.
The
people in these stories all had the same goal in front
of them. They wanted to look great, feel energized,
and live healthy. Each of them had different roadblocks
that were keeping them from being successful. By using
some these strategies, they were able to live healthier
and happier lives, stick to their plan, and look better
than ever!
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our latest articles.
Carrie
Silver-Stock, MSW, LCSW, is a professional
life coach. Carrie specializes in helping working
women who want to improve their professional or personal
lives. Coaching can help you create life balance,
successfully make career transitions, add time to
your day, or help you achieve whatever goals you have
for yourself. Carrie collaborates with her clients
and teaches them her 7 Secrets to Living Happy and
Healthy. Before coaching, Carrie received her MSW
from Washington University, and spent time working
in a variety of community settings. Carrie is a member
of the International Coach Federation (ICF), St. Louis
Coaches group, and the National Association of Social
Workers. For more information, visit www.livinghappyandhealthy.com.
Join a virtual community at www.workingsupermom.blogspot.com.
Email Carrie at carrie@livinghappyandhealthy.com.
