Mt. Saint Helens

You know you don’t have to climb every mountain.  Or, follow every rainbow.  But, if you are trying to set yourself realistic goals, then you can probably should add ford every stream to your list: one stream at a time, anyway.

When you decide you want to make a change in your life that will really stick, keep it simple.  Don’t go getting all grandiose about it.  “I want to lose weight” is not a good goal.

I want to go to the gym once this week, try a yoga class by the end of the month and walk at least 30 minutes two times a week.  Now, those are goals.  Quantifiable.  Doable.  And, most likely, you will find success with them.

I keep mine very small.  For example, I have the luxury right now (and, hey, I’m grateful) of working with a trainer.  It is a costly commitment, but a good investment.  We work together twice a week, for an hour.  It is an intense and very effective session of some floor work, weight work and then a good 15 minutes of stretches.  Like the ones suggested by my physical therapist,  Ming Chew, who developed what he calls the Ming Method.

All my trainer Adam asks, hell no he merely suggests, I do is about 15 minutes of the floor exercises and the stretches.  “Do just one of the stretches.”  The floor exercises consist of

  • abdominal curls
  • heel presses
  • butterflies

That’s it.  Not a lot.  Over the holidays when he was out of town for two weeks, I made this goal.  At the very least (see, small incremental goal) do the drill on the two days of the week that you would normally see Adam.  It worked!!

I know I will likely speak of this goal-making a lot, because it is one of the most challenging parts of weight loss.  And, I have to remind myself regularly just how to do it.