Tip for Today #2

BABY STEPS

The greatest of all journeys begins with but the smallest of steps.

I'm not sure who said it, or if I quoted it correctly. I'm sure someone said something similar. But it is a very profound statement. The first step is the smallest and the most important. In the case of taking charge of your health, that first step is a commitment. A commitment to change. You don't get to just wake up on January 1 and say "I'm going to lose 50 pounds this year". Sorry. Doesn't work that way.

You have to start with a plan. It has to be reasonable and workable. Decide where you need to focus your initial energies and set goals. Changes are much easier to make when you pick one to start with and then add others.

If you already get a lot of exercise then maybe food choices needs to be your starting point. If you haven't gotten off the couch for anything other than a trip to the kitchen then adding exercise might be your baby step. The object is to develop new habits and habits take time to form and it is much easier if you just concentrate on one thing at a time.

Once the plan is formulated then the goal setting starts. Goals should be both short and long term. Usually the long term goal is to keep off the weight you lose or maintain the healthy lifestyle or keep your blood pressure/cholesterol under control, whatever you need it to be. The short term goals will be many. They really need to be realizable in order to be effective. I will walk 30 minutes four days this week. I will package my snacks in small containers rather than eating mindlessly from the bag. I will record my calorie intake for the next three weeks on a daily basis. I will ___________. You fill in the blank.

Success comes from a sense of accomplishment. When you sit back at the end of the week and see that you did what you said you were going to it makes it easier to add the next goal. You don't want to set yourself up to fail by putting more on yourself than can be done. You are only human, you know.

Changes take time to become habits. Have patience.