I just finished my 10k race for the Ottawa Race Weekend. I shaved 10 minutes off my time from last years race. This is a number I should be proud of. Last year I hovered around the 60 min time bunny, this year it was the 50 min bunny. My goal was to “do better” then last year. Simple, measurable and achievable goal. I kicked my own ass (circa 2010) and it felt fantastic. Reaching a goal that you set is always so satisfying, especially if you blow it out of the water.
What did I learn from this experience?
- I feel better after a long run/ workout/ healthy meal then I do after a nap/binge/procrastination session on facebook.
- I was successful at weight loss because I had a set goal in mind that was measurable, achievable, and worked toward the goal.
- I need to focus on how far I’ve come, rather then my day to day failures.
Where do I go from here?
I am going to set small weekly goals and I will not fail. This, in turn, will help me with my long term goal of achieving balance in my life. This week, I noticed that my trips to coffee shops rose significantly from previous weeks and this lead to a higher intake of sugary treats and more money spent.
My goal for this week: I will not purchase any sweet treats for myself or my children from any coffee shop for the next 7 days.
To make it achievable, I have allowed myself to purchase coffee (which is always an americano with milk), but if I could brew my own at home that would be ideal. By doing this, I spend less money and eat less calories.
What if I fail? That’s an easy answer… I won’t.
What is your goal for the week?
Being Mia 
Mia,
Great blog! I myself am trying to get back in shape. I have been lazy for far too long, and i do not have 2 children to think about. My goal for this week is to not get the mocchanino I love, but to switch it out with earl grey, and to drink water instead of soda for my meals.
Kedrin, Making the decision is the first step. Once you make the choice for a healthier life, it is quite easy to maintain. It’s the mind that needs the most work. I find a good replacement was perrier. It still has the bubbles but is just water…
Good luck on your journey and let me know how it goes.
M
Hi Mia – Congratulations on your new PB in the 10K. It’s great when we set goals and achieve them. You mentioned the key – it needs to be realistic. Depriving yourself with absolutes might not be realistic. My almost total elimination of sugar from my diet happened gradually without me really even noticing, over a long period of time. It took me 6 years to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight – I had 70+ lbs to lose after 2 pregnancies within 2 years. I was never pre-occupied with weight in my life, but it was very difficult to lose it all, a very slow process despite the fact that we ate fairly healthy as a family (no fast food, minimal processed) and I was pretty active.
I had a personal trainer and I started running. I started biking and swimming too. But during this time I either gained wait or remained stable, despite I still had about 30lbs left to lose. Half marathon training saw me gain weight and took up what little free time I had. I had a stressful job. A commute. Little demanding babies. A husband, friends. Commitments and responsibilities. And to add in intense exercise into the mix. Where was the balance? I just personally think that the first 5 years of your kids lives are really HARD from the perspective of balance. What does balance look like anyway?
The key for me was being forced to slow down. Slow down life. Exercise. Even eating had to slow down. Courtesy of a car accident that saw me unable to do most daily activities. Once I could physically manage it, I started yoga. Intense physical activity did nothing for me like calm activities such as yoga and (eventually) walking. I even started eating more because I needed more calories to aid in my body’s healing. Everyone is different but it really caused me to take pause and think about the approach i was taking to my ‘goals’.
A few things that helped me – you mentioned coffees and treats:
-get a keurig coffee maker. i think i purchased all of about 4 coffees/lattes over the last 4 months which is a huge change from at least 1 coffee everyday
-green tea!
-get rid of juice
-figure out how to modify a treat food you already eat rather then totally depriving yourself (microwave popcorn with pepper, i transitioned over time from ice cream, to low fat frozen yogurt, to greek yogurt with honey and berries)
You have a great start to your blog – I’m on a journey too as I recover from my accident and it’s motivating to check in with others who are making big changes in their lives. So thanks for sharing your journey. Hope to see more updates.
Thank you so much for your thoughts and for reading. This is a journey and I will try my best to be open and honest about my journey. Stay motivated and I look forward to hearing of your updates too!
Great post Mia!
My goal this week is… to set a goal for myself! I just starting blogging (http://uppercasek.wordpress.com), eating less and exercising. I’d say my goal is to keep up with it all and keep being proud of what I’ve accomplish thus far.
Just subscribed to your blog. Love it. Sounds like you are off to a good start. Looking forward to going through your journey with you. Keep up the great work!