It has been 12 months since I
put my goal online and became accountable to you on my progress. I have to confess, while earlier in my life,
I had targets and objects in terms of family and work that took years, this is
the first time that I actively made a personal one-year goal. I have had enough authors, speakers and
mentors tell me that if you are diligent, focused and set your mind on
something, you can accomplish whatever you want. I was also once told (or read) that treating
goals like steps and staring at the very top step make the goal daunting, so
only look to take the first step. Am I
sometimes distracted? Yes. Are there tests to my will power? Yes.
Do I miss any of the sacrifices that I made? Yes. A
lifetime of sandwiches, pasta dishes, and assorted “fun” are hard to walk away
from. However, over time, as my new norm
in eating became my daily diet, I no longer crave some foods.
OK, enough small talk; down to
business! The goal was to transform myself
through diet and exercise. The goal had
to be measurable and here are the results:
- Weight – Lost 14 pounds
- Body Fat Percentage (using skinfold calipers) – Decreased by 7%, previous categorized as “Acceptable” to “Athletes,” a two level improvement
- Waist – Lost 4.5 inches
- Hips – Lost 1.75 inches
And, of course, the “proof is
in the pudding,” so here is the LAST time (maybe) I will share these types of
photos with you (for 2016):
Debbie said to me a few months
ago, that my pants looked terrible on me.
My first reaction was claiming that my belts were too big and I needed
new ones. No – based on the numbers and
pictures above, my pants should be too big for me. The truth is that after wearing the same
group of pants for many, many years…it was time to donate them (or throw out)
and buy some new pants that fit me better.
I had worn pleats because they were stylish and trimming, now I can wear
non-pleated pants. Over the past few
months, as I started to update my clothing, I realized that I felt better about
myself. I never felt bad about myself,
but just felt better. I am eating
healthier, I am managing my weight and for the first time in my life, I am
exercising. I learned a truth taught by
many – if you focus on the end results you want, it is easier to do the things
you need to, to achieve them.
During the year, I was asked,
“How long are you going to be on this diet?” or “You really going to the
gym?” With a regimen of two eggs a day,
I was asked if I was concerned about my cholesterol levels. When I had my physical, all of my numbers
were good. The changes that I made were
not meant to be temporary, but meant to be a way of life. Being healthy is not a fad, but a lifestyle. Deciding to be intentional in my actions has
lead to healthier habits. As someone who
talks about change, writes about change, helps enact change, I can now show
that I have lived change. The changes
were eating, appearance, clothing and even my glasses (after 7 plus
years). On that level, this has been a
very positive year.
Choose the goals that you
really want to achieve. Make them
meaningful, make them measurable and make them personal. Once you do that, I believe that you can and
will achieve great things.
A happy, healthy and
prosperous year to you and your families!
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