So let’s talk about setting a target. Some of you may know it as a Personal Achievement Target (PAT) and the important word there really is personal. Unlike other plans you may have followed in the past, this target is totally and completely up to you.
I’m Tracey! I am a Slimming World Consultant in Tallaght but most importantly I am a Slimming World member. I have lost five stone following the plan and words cannot convey just how much it has changed my life in every single way. I was a comfort eater, a secret eater and miserably unhappy for all of my teenage life. Since becoming a parent something clicked for me. I want to be around for my son for as long as I can be. I don’t want him to grow up seeing food as the enemy and as a reason to hide his emotions. Slimming World has changed everything for me and I want to help others do the same.
So let’s talk about setting a target. Some of you may know it as a Personal Achievement Target (PAT) and the important word there really is personal. Unlike other plans you may have followed in the past, this target is totally and completely up to you. When you join Slimming World your consultant will ask you to set a target weight for yourself. A weight that, for a number of reasons, feels right for you. It is a very personal decision and once that weight is not unhealthy for you (for example if you chose a weight that would be too light to be considered healthy for you on a BMI chart) it will be logged in the system as your Personal Achievement Target. Oh, and what an achievement it will be.
It really is important to set yourself a target when following the Slimming World plan. We have all joined a group because we really want to lose some weight. Many of us will have recognised that we needed a bit of help doing that and Slimming World has opened it’s friendly doors to help us do that with lots of other people who are in the same boat. One of the best things about Slimming World is the diversity of people who will be in group. There will be men, women, people who attend with friends and people who attend alone. There will be people who have joined in the past and people who are hearing about the plan for the first time. There will be people who want to lose a couple of stone and others who want to lose a couple of pounds. The wonderful thing is that regardless of how you got there Slimming World has your back. It’s ready and waiting to support you. Part of that support is helping you get to where you want to be. Setting a target really helps us do that.
Setting a target weight is important because it gives you a focus point. It gives you something to work towards and to notice yourself moving closer to every single week. It also encourages you to really think about where you want to be. Rather than saying a random number that you haven’t thought much about, we as consultants will encourage you to really think about this one. What is your dream weight? What would you absolutely love to see on the scales? Is there a time in your life that you remember feeling really confident, healthy and comfortable in your own skin and is there a weight range that you recall being at that time? Looking at the BMI chart is a really great guide because it gives you an idea of the healthy weight range for different genders, ages and height ranges.
A recent study showed that slimmers who set themselves ambitious target weights lost twice as much weight in twelve months as those who did not. Setting a target weight really encourages you to think about this journey on a deep level. It allows you to really connect with yourself and decide upon where you want this journey to take you. It reminds you that you are worth it and that dream weight that you can barely say out loud can and WILL be yours.
PS, target members go to group for free – sweet!
Written by Tracey Quinn staff writer at FFHQ who also blogs at www.loveofliving.ie.