Do you remember what you thought of numbers when you were a kid? I remember my introduction to math in school, learning to count by 1′s, 5′s and 10′s. It was fun to think about numbers then. Numbers meant possibilities; would your mom let you have two cookies? Could you stay up and watch one more show? Wanting five more minutes of sleep…..
As an adult numbers aren’t as much fun. When I think of numbers now I think of my bills, my bank acount, the calculations I do at work, and the number on the scale.
No matter how we look at it, numbers are important in our lives. Setting goals that involve numbers can help motivate us as well as let us track our progress. When I set a goal I like to be very specific and numbers help me to do this. When I initially got serious about losing weight I took my measurements and weighed myself. These are the numbers I began at, and by knowing them, I am able measure my success. Numbers don’t lie (people however, do!). Then when it came time for me to set some goals, I calculated things like what 5% of my body weight was, what 10% of my body weight was, and what my 5lb intervals of weight loss would be. These are the numbers that are important to me now. These are the numbers that I celebrate as I reach, and they also help me set new goals. One thing I really recommend for people wanting to lose weight is to take their measurements and weigh themselves regularly. Hiding from those numbers aren’t going to make you any skinnier or fitter. At least by knowing them you can use them as leverage to motivate yourself and to reward yourself for your success.
There are other important numbers though when it comes to fitness. The number of times you workout every week, the number of minutes you spend exercising every day, the speed or intensity of your workout, the number of sets and reps you complete, the number of servings of different food groups that you eat, the number of calories or points you consume….the list is endless. You don’t have to like numbers and you might not be great at calculating them but when it comes to getting fit and losing weight, numbers rule!!! Know your numbers!!
