megram - Index

megram - 55Ottawa - Index

Plan ahead
You take time to plan vacations:you reserve plane tickets,
hotel, make sure your house is safe, pack your suitcase,
etc. In the same way, if you plan to lose weight you have to
plan your meals, shop for the right food (and make sure it’s
available when your willpower and blood sugar are low)
and make time for exercise. So if your goal is important to
you, plan ahead. Make space in your life to accommodate
your new goal.You can’t go for a walk if you don’t make
time for it and you can’t have healthy meals and snacks if
you don’t make time to shop for healthy food or buy/cook
healthy meals.
Practice small changes
Of course, you can fool yourself into getting a reality
television makeover but they don’t work because you are
not in control! Make small,effective changes:do what counts!
For instance, if you want to lose weight, commit to walking
20 minutes, five days a week.This is feasible and it works: it’s
the cumulative power of each action that pulls you in the
right direction.But claiming you will get to the gym five times
a week? Come on, you know that it will quickly become too
much and will make you feel you are failing.What you have
to do is build your strategies to fit your life.
Find support
It’s much easier to reach a goal when you feel accountable
to someone: a close friend usually works well, as long
May 2008 • 21 • Fifty-Five Plus Magazine
as she/he agrees to your goal. Finding a wellness partner is
one key to success.
Commit to your plan
Now is the time to commit — not “to try”but to wholeheartedly
commit. Trying implies possible failure while
committing implies success. And don’t promise yourself
what you can’t deliver — commit to something you know
you can achieve.
Take action
Don’t weigh pros and cons forever. Don’t look for
the perfect time to get started — today is as good as any
other day.There is no magic bullet, so don’t look for the
perfect solution — there isn’t one. Whatever you do
today, tomorrow and the next day all count as steps in
the right direction.
Expect setbacks
A setback is NOT failing. It’s dealing with the fact that
life — and you — are not perfect. Falling off the wagon?
Come on! That’s binary thinking: black or white, right or
wrong. Let me give you an example to drive this home: you
start crossing the street,only to realize there is a truck coming.
Binary thinking? Oh well, I am dead — too bad.
Creative thinking:look for ways to get out of the way! Now,
apply this to your goal. Do you dwell on occasional setbacks
or readjust,put the past where it belongs,adjust your