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Fitness Tip: Defining Success in Achieving Fitness

How do you define success when it comes to achieving fitness? First, success can be defined only by you, not your spouse, your parents or anyone else. Second, success is a process of attaining, not the finished state of attainment. You define success by the choices you make on a day-to-day basis. Third, success occurs in steps and can be learned. Fourth, if you set your fitness goals too high, you can become discouraged; if you set them too low, you underestimate yourself. Ultimately, success in fitness is being honest about where you are right now and where you want to go.

Featured Member: Nameless

Some of the regular contributors to our site have become like neighbors. We recognize their names and look forward to their comments. But we also have members who observe our conversations but are reluctant to join in. One such member is Nameless. She represents all of those members who are absorbing the information and enthusiasm we share and are quietly getting fit. A person of few words, Nameless writes:

"I just joined, but have been following your group since August 21. In this time, I have lost 20 pounds."

I love hearing from and corresponding with nameless members, like Nameless who are systematically reducing their weight and getting fit. (That's why I encourage you to check your messages.) To acknowledge Nameless's contribution to our community, I am sending her an autographed copy of From Fat to Fit: Turn Yourself into a Weapon of Mass Reduction. Now that she's written once, we look forward to more of her progress reports.

Become a Holiday Try-Athlete

Thanksgiving is approaching. Estimates on how many calories the average person will consume on Thanksgiving range from 3,000 to 6,000. How much will you eat? And as soon as Thanksgiving is over, it's time for the holiday parties and treats. All of these situations encourage excess and challenge our efforts to eat carefully.

That's why we introduced the first holiday Fat 2 Fit Try-athlon. The Fat 2 Fit Try-athlon keeps us focused on our fitness goals. Instead of regrets, we can begin the new year feeling good about ourselves.

Anyone can participate because the nature of the Fat 2 Fit Try-athlon is unique. Each of our three sports involves trying something new:

Sport One--Eating: Try a new food each week, try a new recipe, try a different eating pattern, etc.

Sport Two--Exercising: Try a new exercise activity each week, try a different routine, try to extend your routine, etc.

Sport Three--Contributing: Try a new way to support others' fitness efforts, try a new way to share your commitment, try to create a social event that doesn't focus on eating, etc.

Report the results of your weekly participation in the try-athlon topic area of the forum. By posting our results each week in one topic area, we can see what each other is doing and get ideas for additional ways to compete. (Incidentally, you can define your seven-day week as Monday through Sunday or any other combination you like. Just be sure to work in your three try-athlon sports during the seven-day period and report your weekly results in the forum.)

The Fat 2 Fit Holiday Try-athlon began Monday, October 19 and ends Monday, January 4. We have a surprise weekly prize for the member who is most creative in his or her try-achievements.

About Our Community

Several people joined us last week, so the Fat 2 Fit Online Community group has 3,955 members. Do you have a friend, neighbor or relative you could invite to join us? Just for the fun of it, I've set our goal at 4,000 want-to-be-fitter members.

A Few Reminders

Collect Your Messages--Next time you take a break, click on your Message Center to get your messages. Some of you have reported problems with notifications, so log on to make sure you don't miss any comments.

Next Week's Featured Member--Next week, I'll pick another member to lift up to our community. Who will it be? Maybe you?

Have a great week.

Coach Carole