Healthy Goals
amy March 19th, 2007
Instead of dieting, taking pills, or undergoing surgery, I have chosen to lose weight by setting “healthy goals” for myself each week. These are behaviors that I know will promote healthier eating and fitness based on my years of experience with dieting. My ultimate goal is to adopt these as part of my new lifestyle. They are not meant to be arbitrary rules about what I do or how I eat because that is the very definition of a “diet” in my opinion, and this is for life. These are also “goals” instead of “rules” because I am only aiming to follow them about 80% of the time. The other 20% of the time is for indulgences, unexpected situations, and to keep things interesting! Because I am not aiming for perfection, I am setting myself up for success rather than failure.
If this sounds like a positive way to lose weight, please feel free to adopt any of these goals. Just make sure that, however you set out to lose weight, your plan is appropriate to you and fits with your own preferences and motivation. Better yet, write your own goals!
- March: Fruits and Vegetables
- Goal 1: Eat at least one fruit or vegetable serving with every meal, including my afternoon snack
- Goal 2: Make half of my lunch and dinner plate vegetables and/or fruits
- Goal 3: Try new vegetable recipes
- April: Living for Today
- Goal 4: Take more interest in my appearance
- Goal 4: Start exercising for fun, not perfection!
For more information about my healthy goals, click on “Healthy Goals” under “Tags” on the right side of the page.
This is great. I totally believe healthy lifestyle vs. dieting is the way to go and agree with the 80/20 rule too - which you knew anyway!
I also am big on eating foods in their natural state (or as close to as possible).
People would be surprised if they read the labels just what some of the packaged ingredients actually contain - who would think crackers has hydrogenated fats! Even though it’s a bit more expensive I buy the ‘natural/organic’ stuff.
Eat more fruits and veg, can’t say it enough! And raw, raw, raw as soon as you cook it you lose it - if you are microwaving, forget it you might as well not eat it, so steaming is best if you want it cooked.
Also soda. What can I say, the industry want you to believe the diet stuff is OK. Yes is has NO calories, but the ingredients is has i consider worse for your health than the sugar in non-diet. Aspartame - bad. Water is the best way to go, and if you have to have soda, keep that as part of your 20% not your 80.
These are great goals, Amy. They are practical and useful, not to mention simple to follow. When goals are clear-cut and generally healthy, it means that, when one meets these goals, it is a chance to find true success. This is so much better than making goals like, “I’ll lose 20 pounds”, and feeling letdown when these goals are not met.
Eat what sounds good to you! Sometimes, I feel like eating a whole bunch (literally) of asparagus. (!) And sometimes, coffee cake sounds really damn good!
Keep up the awesome work, Amy. You are an inspiration to me.