I was recently talking to a friend who told me her mom had lost 150 pounds over a two-year period. She said Arlene, her 5-foot-10-inch mom, was an emotional eater whose weight had inched up to over 300 pounds. Although Arlene knew she had to address her weight, it wasn’t until she had a fall and landed in the hospital with a bad knee injury that she decided to take action.
By working with a counselor and dietician, Arlene came up with an exercise plan to control her binge eating. She decided she wouldn’t watch any TV except during exercise. She started pedaling on her stationery bike or walking on her treadmill for 5 minutes at a time. Slowly she built up her stamina to over an hour.
Journaling the Goals…
To stay true to her mission, she wrote in her journal about her emotions, her successes, her shortcomings and her goals. She even started a food diary. She said the writing relieved her stress around eating and kept her accountable to herself. Two years later, she hit her goal of 150 pounds.
That’s the kind of change that takes courage — the courage to face the truth and change the bad habits into good ones. It also takes “stick-to-it” determination. Arlene said writing made the difference for her … and it has for others too!
Scientific studies prove that individuals can be motivated by clear goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound. Being highly motivated to reach a goal, in turn, improves overall performance. Science also proves that goal-setting is more effective when it’s in the written form of a plan. The theory is that written goals transform “fantasies into realities” and help you reach your destination.
Is there a change you’d like to make in your life?
Try writing down your goals and a plan to reach them. You just might find those problems that stress you out and impact your health can be assuaged with pen and paper.
Here’s a prompt to get you started…
Everyday we have a choice regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. Write for 15 minutes about your attitude toward change.