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another person, you take back
control of your life
. What you lost when you fell comes back to you.
REACH DOWN AND REASSESS
    Once you own up to your mistakes, reassess the promises that you made to yourself. Why did you break them? Maybe something came up in your life that you used as an excuse to drop the ball. Maybe there was an unexpected life event and you spent the day stranded in an airport or emergency room. When you reassess a promise you broke for reasons like these, you can realistically expect to get right back on track tomorrow.
    But maybe you bit off more than you could chew and set your goals too high. Maybe you’re a single working mom with three kids who set herself the impractical goal to do two hours of cardio every day. Wow. That’s one extreme promise! You’ll definitely fall, so you need to reassess your expectations.
    To keep falling from turning into failing, ask yourself sincerely if your vision is
realistic and attainable
. Is it really possible to reach those goals you set? Or do you need to reduce the weight of your commitment by aiming for more attainable targets? Remember, the carb-cycle program is totally adaptable to your needs and capabilities. If you
reassess and revise your goals
, you’ll know that you can reach them, and you
will
reach them, and you’ll believe in yourself again.
    SMART Goals
    What are your dreams for your body? Do you want to lose 20 pounds? 100 pounds? Do you want to get down to a cholesterol count of 180? A dress size of 10? To achieve transformation, your goals have to be crystal-clear. Without a detailed plan, your dreams have no direction—no purpose.
Goals
focus on hard-and-fast targets.
    I help my clients put their weight-loss dreams into words using a proven technique called SMART goal-setting. Using this method, it’s easy to map out and stay on your path to success. You can work out both short- and long-term goals.
    The SMART system spells out the
five criteria
that a plan must meet in order to be effective.
    SPECIFIC: Don’t just say “I’m going to lose weight.” This kind of vague, ambiguous promise makes it easy to bend the rules if you hit bumps in the road. Your commitment will crumble, and you’ll destroy your self-respect.
Be explicit
when you lay out your plan: “I will work my way up to power-walking one mile” or “I will lose fifty-three pounds.” Now you really know where you’re headed!
    MEASURABLE: Translate your plan into numbers, so you can measure
your progress toward your goal
. Numbers will keep you from kidding yourself about how you’re doing! What’s more, seeing your numbers move in the right direction will strengthen your motivation, while seeing them move in the wrong direction will refocus your efforts. Whether pounds, body measurements, clothing sizes, or health markers, choose one or two quantifiable transformation goals, such as how many inches you want to take off your waist or what you want your blood pressure to be. Track your numbers and use them to stay on course.
    ATTAINABLE: Boost your chances of success by setting goals that you can actually attain. Line your goals up with the
realities
of your life: Do you have a heart condition? Do you work crazy hours? Do you hate fish? The carb-cycle program can flex with your situation, so make sure your goals take the facts into account. You have to move toward your goals every single day, so only set ones that are doable
for you
. Attainable goals make you feel great: Each time you reach one, you believe in yourself all over again.
    RELEVANT: Does this goal have a significant meaning to you? Is it worth making it a priority in your life? To create a change in your body and health, you will need to create a change in your lifestyle. This can mean certain sacrifices must be made. Make sure that for you, the juice is worth the squeeze!
    TIME-BOUND: Set a precise time frame for your transformation journey. For example, “I will reach my short-term goal by next Saturday.