Small Goals to Reach a Much Larger One

Last year when I found out that I had cancer and that I needed surgery, the doctors told me to try to gain weight as it was coming off of me quickly and I was almost 100 lbs. I needed to increase the quantity of food that I ate and I had to eat often. I had removed those bad habits before finding out about the cancer and I was at a crossroads about reintegrating them into my life.

The added weight helped me during and after the surgery. However, time has passed and I have continued these habits and continued to gain weight. I am now at 148lb. I would love to be at 130 lbs, but more importantly, I would love to increase my energy levels, reduced my stress levels, and increase my overall health. I know what to do, but I can’t do it all at once, otherwise I will get overwhelmed and stop everything, like I’ve done in the past. Instead, I will set myself a few realistic goals that I can achieve. Here they are:

• Food:
  • 1 fruit at breakfast
  • 1 vegetable at lunch
  • 2 vegetables at supper
  • No eating after the kids are in bed
• Water:
  • Drink minimum 4 glasses per day (I can break this down to ½ cup each time I need to take medication, as I take medications at least 8 times a day)
• Exercise:
  • Minimum 15 minutes daily (example: yoga, go for a walk, trampoline, etc. The goal is to create a routine to move daily.)
• Mental
  • Write a gratitude list of five to ten things from the day before going to bed. In the morning, I reread my list from the night before.

How will I know that I am making progress?

• the amount of sleep that I need: This past week, I napped almost every day and I slept on average 9 hours per night. Hopefully, I won’t need naps as often and I will need less sleep at night.
• the easiness it is to write my gratitude list and to be more grateful during the day: as the more I practice gratitude, the more I will do it during the day, and I will be quicker to write the list at night
• the scale: hopefully, the number on the scale will reduce a bit. Even if it’s only a pound or two, it will be going in the right direction
• measurements: I will take my measurements tomorrow morning and again on October 1^st to see the decrease

As I wait for my next surgery in early 2022, depending on COVID, these changes will help my body and my mind to be prepared for my hysterectomy, which will help with my recovery too.

I will share my progress at the beginning of October. (Hopefully I’ll write a post before that, but the progress will be shared with you in a month’s time.) What are some small goals that you can make this month to improve your health?