Get Up and Get Goaling

My very first appointment at the weight loss clinic they asked me what my goals were.  I drew a complete blank.  I honestly hadn’t thought about it beyond, “I want to be skinny.”  I can be such an idiot sometimes.  The girl taking my stats said, “How about we start with 10 pounds as a short term and what do you think about a long term?”  Uhhhhh.  My response, “I think I just want to weigh under 200 pounds.  I don’t even remember what that’s like.”  Later that week, I decided that it was going to be extremely important to outline goals for myself to reach this year.  There’s a quote on the wall at my gym, “People who set goals achieve success because they know where they’re going.”  If you don’t set goals, how will you know when you’re done?  How can you celebrate accomplishments?  For a very long time, I’d given up on dreams and goals and not even just where my health is concerned.  When I was in college, if anyone asked me what I was doing next my immediate response was, “When I walk across that graduation stage, I’m getting on a plane to New York City within hours and never looking back.”  Well, that didn’t happen.  Oh, to be that carefree girl again who had little responsibility with practically no bills who thought that a bad day was when she couldn’t find anyone to go to Beat The Clock with her at the local bar. 

I haven’t really shared my goals with anyone until now because I was too afraid of not reaching them and being a failure.  I decided to be pretty realistic in my goals but the deeper I’m in to this process the less conservative they seem from here forward.  Here we go:

Jan. 16-Week 1- 291 lbs.

Jan. 30- Week 2- 10 lbs.
Feb. 27- Week 6- 20 lbs.

April 10- Week 12- 30 lbs.

May 1- Week 15- 35 lbs.  For wedding #2 of the year and bridesmaid dress #1.

June 5- Week 20- 41 lbs.  To be at 250 lbs.!

Aug. 7- Week 29- 60 lbs.

Oct. 9- Week 38- 75 lbs.  For wedding #4 of the year and bridesmaid dress #2.

Dec. 4- Week 46- 92 lbs.  To be under 200 lbs. (199 to be exact!).

Jan. 15- Week 52- 100 lbs.  My year anniversary of starting.

Today, I’m on week 31 and the goals thus far have been attainable.  I’ve actually exceeded them by several pounds each time.  However, looking ahead, I think the 75 lbs. will be reached but probably not exceeded.  Even further, the last two will be a bitch.  My only hope is to exceed past the 92 lbs. lost mark by December 4^th because 8 lbs. in six weeks will be extremely difficult considering my current average is around the 1.4 lb. per week mark but that will severely decrease as weight drops.  I’m also planning a blow-out birthday trip, which will inevitably involve cupcakes and pizza. 

While these goals are very important to me, there are also many in development that are not a number on a scale.

1.       Be able to shop at a “normal” clothing store.

2.       Run a mile without stopping.

3.       Run a 5K.

4.       Go surfing.  Would be my first time.

5.       Go skiing.  Another first.

6.       Do something that scares you.

7.       Go skydiving.  Again, another first.

8.       Ring in 2015 happier & healthier.

9.       Have a date to my 10 year high school reunion next summer.

Ha!  That last one was a complete joke.  I probably won’t even go to the reunion J.  Numbers 1-8 are totally authentic and the list is always in progress.  If you find yourself unsure of where to start like I did, start small.  Just focus on that first 10 lbs.  Maybe you don’t even care about the weight and just want to focus on fitness.  Start with wanting to try a new fitness class, surviving an entire spin class, benching 50 lbs., whatever.  The greatest thing about a goal is that it’s yours.  They’re never dumb, insufficient or stale.  Embrace them and go meet them!  When you’re done with one it’s time to start another.  Don’t become the girl that I did who was afraid to have goals or dreams because she thought she would never reach them.  She was a pussy.  Sorry, again, mom.