Weight Loss: Accountability and Goal Setting
Title-Weight Loss: Accountability and Goal Setting
This post is the second in an occasional series on weight loss, or more specifically, maintaining that weight loss. Having lost 55 pounds, people sometimes ask me: what are you doing to make this happen? When it comes to weight loss, it’s all about accountability and goal setting.
Accountability
Did you know that 88% of people who engage in new years resolution changes fail in achieving that goal (Trail Runner Mag)? The odds seem stacked against our success. For the first half of my journey, I used the diet product called NOOM that helped push my own flagging sense of accountability. Part of what you pay for has to do with community building by way of the group coaching and individual coaching. For me, checking in with the 1:1 coach weekly was a big deal, as I had the chance to express successes and challenges. Since I was paying for it, I damn well was going to make use of it. For those outside of NOOM, obviously, this can be done with anyone willing to share the experience with you. Side note: more recently, I’ve transitioned to My Fitness Pal, as it offered a more flexible (free) model that offered more granular data collection (macros, meal saving, etc), though the connections to other users is less concrete. That video is here.
I never told my pre-pandemic gym friend JH this, but our 6 AM workout days were super important to me, as I began in establishing consistent habits. That occasional “where you at?” text at 6AM went a long way for me. The point? Checking in with people who share your goals matter. Again, accountability and goal setting matter.
Goal Setting
It’s also important to set some goals. Think about this in two parts: a) Outcome Goals are the things we want to do eventually like hike on AT or run a half marathon. b) Process Goals are the things we do during the week to get there (Trail Runner Mag). I like to think of process goals like video game experience points. Everything you do in a game, you earn a little credit that adds to your character’s strength and abilities to fight those big bosses at the end of a level. And we understand the journey to better and healthier living is full of MANY challenges, so having defined goals…written down somewhere…is key. This was a recurring theme within NOOM, but honestly it’s just a solid practice to consider what you want, write it down, and then work toward that goal. I repeat, accountability and goal setting matter.
When it comes to accountability, be patient. Your “best self” won’t happen overnight, but it will come, as long as you are honest with yourself as you engage in this work, whether it be weight loss, maintenance, or just healthier living. That image above? That’s me from a 2020 trip to Utah, hands on hips, ready to roll. I’d recently made my goal weight and was so pleased to be out hiking on a brilliant day in the sun. And this was one of my goals: doing the things I love (hiking) in places I love (the mountains) with the people I love (family). I won’t say “mission accomplished” because, honestly, the work doesn’t end. It’s just changes focus (your accountability and goal setting will naturally change as you progress).
Thanks for reading until the end and happy trails.
