Setting Goals and Keeping Track

1. Setting Goals and Keeping Track

2. Introduction • You’ve seen how healthy eating and physical activity each plays a role in losing weight the healthy way. • The next step is to develop a plan to put these ideas into action. • Having a plan gives you confidence that you know where you’re going, how to get there and what to expect along the way.

3. Setting Goals  The first step is to set some goals • Setting goals help give youconfidence that you are on the right track and that you’re actually making progress. • Long term goals Reflects something that you want to achieve in more than one year from now. • Short term goals Reflects something that you want to achieve in much less time; on a daily, weekly or monthly basis.

4. Be S.M.A.R.T. About Setting Goals S specific - be clear about what you want to achieve M measurable - you will know if you have reached your goal A achievable - this is a goal that you can reach, within reason R realistic - you are likely able to do what it takes to reach your goal T time - you have given yourself a reasonable amount of time to reach the goal

5. Goals for Healthy Weight Loss • Base your long term goal on your own healthy weight range from the BMI chart (see Presentation #1 Introduction). • Short term goals are very important in helping you reach your long term goal. • For many people, losing as little as 10 pounds is enough to achieve health benefits and to feel more energized. • Healthy weight loss is based on SLOW weight loss, 1-2 pounds per week.

6. Short Term Goals for Healthy Eating Set some short term goals to reduce your energy (calorie) intake. Some examples include: I will eat at least 2 servings of fruit during my work day for at least 4 out of 5 work days for the next month. I will reduce the number of times that I eat French fries to not more than twice during the next week and will limit the amount to a small serving.

7. Short Term Goals for Physical Activity Set some short term goals to increase your physical activity. Some examples include: I will walk for at least 15 minutes during my lunch break at work at least 3 out of 5 work days during the next week. I will start a structured physical activity program that will make my heart beat faster and that I will do for one hour at least twice a week for the next month” (examples may include: aquatic fitness class, power walking, tennis lesson, dance class and aerobics class).

8. Short Term Goals Change Over Time When your initial short term goals become habits, you can “add on” to these goals by: • Eating more of the foods you identified • Eating these foods more often • Eating smaller amounts of high-calorie foods • Eating high-calorie foods less often • Doing that specific activity you identified more often • Doing that specific activity at a greater intensity • Adding another kind of physical activity to your plan

9. Keeping Track Keeping food and activity records is very helpful in tracking your progress and spotting problem areas. • Include in daily food records: • Time and place • Food choice • How hungry you were when you ate the food • What you were doing when you ate the food • Portion size (compare to Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating) • You may also include how you were feeling when you ate the food (e.g. content, sad, angry, frustrated, etc.)

10. Keeping Track Keeping food and activity records is very helpful in tracking your progress and spotting problem areas. • Include in daily activity records: • Time • Activity • Length of activity • Intensity • Carry your tracking book with you during the day so you can make notes.

11. Keeping Track Tracking form resources • You will find tracking forms that you can use for your food intake and your physical activity in the files attached to this presentation: • Tracking form for food intake • Tracking form for physical activity

12. Expect a Challenge • You will likely experience times when you start going back to old eating and (in)activity habits. Set backs are normal and unavoidable. • Don’t panic! This is an opportunity to strengthen and reinforce your problem-solving skills. How you deal with setbacks can make all the difference between success and failure in reaching your long term weight loss goal.

13. Dealing with Setbacks Here are some suggestions: • Re-examine your short term goals-are they realistic? • Make sure you have support from your family, friends and co-workers. • Make sure you’re eating enough healthy foods to fill you up whether you’re at home, at work or on the go. • Do some form of physical activity during the day if you haven’t been active for a few days or a week, even if it is less than the amount you were doing. This allows you to begin to build up to the level you originally set for yourself.

14. The Best News Is… As you begin to feel better and have more energy, you’ll discover how good it feels to move your body and experience the pleasure of eating foods that make you healthy!

15. Remember… Weight Loss occurs when: Changing long term behaviours for eating and physical activity doesn’t happen overnight. Don’t give up… YOU CAN DO IT!

16. Additional Resources Check out these websites for more information on Losing Weight…the healthy weigh. Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada Click on "Healthy Living" http://www.heartandstroke.ca/ Canadian-Health-Network "Getting There-How healthy eating and active living helped one woman reach her goal" http://www.canadian-health-network.ca/html/newnotable/nov1a_2002e.html WebMD: Healthy Weight-Tools for Change http://my.webmd.com/encyclopedia/ article/2731.1433

17. Additional Resources More websites on Losing Weight…the healthy weigh Winning by Losing www.caloriecontrol.org/winweigh.html Shape Up America www.shapeup.org Web-based weight loss program www.navigator.tufts.edu/focuson/weightmgt.html American Dietetic Association Excerpts from "Dieting for Dummies" book (2001) www.eatright.org/dieting.html

18. Self-learning Quiz

19. Self-learning Quiz 1 An example of a short term goal for healthy weight loss is, “I will be more active next week.” (true or false) 2 Besides recording what you eat, name at least 2 things that you should include when you keep track of your food intake. 3 When dealing with set backs during your weight loss program, you should fast for one day and stop all activity for three days to help you get back on track. (true or false)

20. A ANSWER 1 Self-learning Quiz An example of a short term goal for healthy weight loss is, “I will be more active next week”. (true or false) False. Short term goals need to be SMART to be effective: specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-focused. For example, “I will go skating for at least one hour at least 3 times during the week.

21. A ANSWER 2 Self-learning Quiz Besides recording what you eat, name at least 2 things that you should include when you keep track of your food intake. • Besides recording what you eat, you should also include: • Time • Place • Portion size (compare with Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating) • How hungry you were when you ate • the food • What your emotional state was when you ate the food (e.g. content, sad, angry, frustrated, etc.)

22. A ANSWER 3 Self-learning Quiz When dealing with set backs during your weight loss program, you should fast for one day and stop all activity for three days to help you get back on track. (true or false) • False. • To help you get back on track, you should: • Re-examine your short term goals-are they realistic? • Make sure you have support from your family, friends and co-workers. • Make sure you’re eating enough healthy foods to fill you up whether you’re at home, at work or on the go. • Do some form of physical activity during the day if you haven’t been active for a few days or a week, • even if it is less than the amount you were doing. • This allows you to begin to build up to the level you originally set for yourself.

23. For more informationon For more information on Losing Weight…the healthy weigh, contact the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit 258-2146 x 3100. Ask for the latest brochure and newsletter from Working Toward Wellness Workplace Health Promotion Program.