Setting Mental Goals along with Physical Goals

I had a rude awakening today. I realized I am not as mentally grounded as I thought I was. I still believe whole heartedly in slow and steady. But last night I got depressed because I saw that I have a ways to go to get to my physical goal. I was so happy about my inch loss yesterday, I decided to take some progress pictures. Instead of celebrating the loss, I fixated on my flaws.

My waist is still too think
My butt needs more shape
My arms are still so fat
I am just so short and stout, I will never look good no matter what
.............. I went on and on.

And the reason being is that I tie my self worth to my appearance. I always have. Practically, I know this is horrendous for my mental health. But emotionally it is difficult to detach my appearance from my self worth.

Jillfit is one of the blogs that I follow, and she has a good topic about how "You must work on your mindset before you work on your physique." And that is the damn truth. Because no matter how much weight I lose, I'm still the same soul, but in a smaller vessel. In addition to focusing my energy on getting to my physical goal, I need to make head way on a self acceptance goal:

^^ This is a lot easier to read than to believe. But this month, I will keep repeating it to myself daily. Just reading it now, my spirits are uplifting.

Fortunately, one advantage to the slow and steady process of weight loss is that it helps prevent diet/exercise obsession. There is no need to obsess over food or exercise plans because those components seamlessly become a natural part of your routine. Just by mindfully eating and moving throughout the week, you get closer to your physical goals. But mental goals should not be glossed over. I advise setting both a physical goal and mental goal for your unique journey.