Hi everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and are looking as forward to the New Year as I am. I want to talk about goal setting. This is the time that every year in the past, we have all made that dreaded resolution to 'lose weight'. For most of us, this isn't an issue anymore because we are doing it or have already done it.

I want to put a thought out there for you all while you are thinking about just what you are going to resolve to change this year. When you set goals for yourself, DON'T overdo it. Set achievable goals. Whether it is to walk for thirty minutes three days a week or get a membership to a gym or cut a favorite carb from your daily diet, those are achievable goals that will empower you to reach them and set a new goal. If you reach for the moon and say you are going to run a marathon in a month, you are setting yourself up for failure.

Since my surgery, I have set achievable goals and I have to say that I feel wonderful about reaching them. I first decided that I was going to do my WATP tapes on the easiest level at least three days a week. I am now up to the longest and hardest tape and I do them at least five times a week. I set a goal as you all know of 185 pounds by Christmas and I reached that a couple of weeks ago. My New Year's weight goal was 180 and I was plesantly surprised this morning when I was 179. The weight is coming off much slower than it was in the beginning but it is still a rate of 2 to 3 pounds a week so I certainly can't complain.

If you are at goal, set personal growth goals. Find something to take up your time that will take up the space that all that eating and thinking about food used to take up in your life. Grow emotionally. It will be the best thing that you ever did for yourself. As you see the scale steadily move downward, seek activities both physically and mentally that will help you grow into the person you have always wanted to be. Reflect on what it is that you want from the rest of your life and start working toward that. Having WLS is probably the most productive thing that you have ever done for yourself. Remember how good it feels to be successful at it and work from there. Work on a personality trait that you consider a bad habit. All habits are learned behavior and can be unlearned in 21 days. Reducing the clutter in your mind works just as well as reducing the clutter in your surroundings. You gain a clear sense of purpose and look forward to each new day that you get closer to your goals. Nothing is more empowering than achieving goals. If you haven't ever been a goal setter, start with the New Year. And, remember, start with something SMALL to assure success and you will be off to a great start for a wonderful and productive 2008!

If you are at a standstill, if you have regained weight, think back to when you first had your surgery and how easy it was because you FOLLOWED THE RULES. Set your new goals accordingly and tell yourself the truth. You will be successful if you set those achievable goals and that success will breed more success as the year goes by. Once you meet a goal, set a new goal and see just how many goals you can achieve in this great new year to come! I wish you all the best, safest, heathiest and happiest of New Year's!

Celadon,
What wise counsel for all of us as we approach the New Year. Thanks for the advice.
Jeanie

Good advice, Celadon! My mantra, keep it simple, but KEEP IT! Hope everyone out there starts with healthy self-esteem, and devises goals that will enhance the love relationship with life that having this surgery is the evidence of. Wow, that was a convoluted sentence!

what I mean is:

* You decided you want to live.
* You had the surgery so that morbid is no longer a word that describes you
* You're working on getting the obesity part out of the equation too
* You need to look around and see what ELSE you want your life to be about
* Find that thing, and this coming year, work toward it. Make that your new vista
* Enjoy the journey as much as the destiny, and then, my friends, you're truly living!

Life goals balanced with life living. See what I mean?

Aloha,

Wise words from two very akamai (smart) women.

Setting reasonable goals is the key, like why set oneself up to fail. Baby steps to success.



We can all do this together.

Hugs
Meliss


what I mean is:

* You decided you want to live.
* You had the surgery so that morbid is no longer a word that describes you
* You're working on getting the obesity part out of the equation too
* You need to look around and see what ELSE you want your life to be about
* Find that thing, and this coming year, work toward it. Make that your new vista
* Enjoy the journey as much as the destiny, and then, my friends, you're truly living!

Life goals balanced with life living. See what I mean?

Celadon - Great topic and such sound advice.

This is particularly timely with the new year around the corner. When we set the 2008 Editorial Agenda the theme is "2008 - The Year of Self-Kindness" which will focus on learning to treat ourself as kindly as we treat others when it comes to nutrition, fitness, mental & physical health and self-talk. I hope you are all looking forward to the 2008 You Have Arrived Newsletters and the Year of Self-Kindness. This inspiring series will (hopefully) help set goals and improve the quality of your LIVING.