The proliferation of Fitbits, sleep trackers, and dieting apps have made it possible for us to closely track and measure just about all things wellnessand to share the results on social media. The outcome is that many of us take for granted the idea that we should strive to be the best, healthiest version of ourselves, while outdoing everyone else.

But this is the wrong mindset. If you want to achieve your health goals, you shouldnt focus on being the best. You should focus on being the best at getting better.

I learned this firsthand through my experience with running. When I began pounding the pavement about 10 years ago, all I wanted was to finish a half-marathon. But I quickly realized that if I wanted to be a lifelong runner, this specific goal set me up for failure. If I finished the race, I had no other athletic goals to work toward, so I might well stop running entirely. And if I failed to finish the race, Id feel dejectedand more likely to quit.

So I shifted my mindset and sought simply to become a better runnerthat is, to get faster, run longer, and enjoy the act of running itself. Thanks to this shift in mindset, Ive finished countless half marathons and marathons. I havent always achieved my more specific goals; for example, I wanted to complete my last marathon within three hours, and I was five minutes over. But I have become a much better runner, learning from each race and incorporating those lessons into future competitions.

The same logic applies to areas beyond diet and exercisewhether our goals involve parenting, relationships, careers, or our creative ambitions. Research shows that the problem with focusing too much on end results and big goals is that theyre too black and white: you either achieve the goal or you dont. If you do achieve them, then its all too easy to get carried away basking in the glory. Youre liable to become complacent and next thing you know, youve already fallen behind your competition. If you fail to achieve your big goals, however, then the opposite holds true: youre likely to become sad, lose motivation, and in the worst-case scenario, burn out and quit whatever it is you were doing altogether.

Psychologists call this mindset obsessive passionwhen a persons drive is fueled not by how much they enjoy a given activity, but by external results, recognition, and rewards. Obsessive passion is linked to anxiety, cheating, depression, and burnout.

And so when you are working toward a goal, your best bet is to concern yourself less with a specific resultsay, losing 10 poundsand more with the process of getting better at healthy eating and exercise. In this way, youll become resilient to both success and failure.

Nearly all of the people I encountered in my research for my book, Peak Performance: Elevate Your Game, Avoid Burnout, and Thrive with the New Science of Success, embodied this mindset. Here are a few steps you can take to embody it too.

Select a specific capacity or area of your life in which you want to grow. For example, perhaps you want to cook more meals at home. Be intentional and specific. Remember that its really hard to take on too many challenges at once.

Assess where you currently stand. Be honest in your self-evaluation. Perhaps even ask trusted friends or advisors who you know will give you a truthful answer.

Ask yourself: Whats the next logical step? A common trap is to take on too much too soonfor example, drastically cutting calories, and ramping up exercise, and sleeping two more hours per night all at once. Dont fall for it. Remember that small progress in the short term leads to big progress in the long term.

Focus on nailing whatever incremental objective you came up with. Once youve done just that, ask yourself what the next logical step is, and then go about nailing that. For instance, perhaps youve been consistent with four 30-minute workouts per week. Now you could consider upping that to five, or perhaps increasing the duration to 40 or 45 minutes. Or, if youre a writer, maybe youve kept a high-quality blog for six months and gained a readership. Now is the time to try pitching a smaller magazine. Its this sort of upward spiral that youre after.

Avoid comparing yourself to others. Doing so only leads to insecurity, which makes you either sad or reckless (or sometimes both).

When you do progress through waypoints that have measurable results, abide by the 48-hour rule. Give yourself up to 48 hours to feel happy or sad, but then return to your efforts. Theres something magical about doing the work itself that puts both success and failure in their respective places.

Regularly remind yourself that your goal is to get better for the sake of getting better, and that this goal knows no end. Pursue progress for your own sakenot for some type of external validation.

Learn how to write for Quartz Ideas. We welcome your comments at ideas@qz.com.

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Weight-loss and fitness goals often backfire. Here's what to do instead - Quartz

There are as many ways to lose weight as there are people who need to do so.

In the past two years, two Kenosha residents lost significant poundage in significantly different ways, both driven by the desire to be better and healthier parents to their children.

Middle school teacher Justin Weber lost 180 pounds with the aid of an online weight tracking app called LoseIt.

Businesswoman and mom Drew Rad lost more than 240 pounds through a combination of stomach surgery, diet and exercise. Here are their stories.

Justin Weber has a big story to tell. A very big story.

Webers tale is the journey of going from 375-plus pounds down to 195 pounds in two years.

It is also the story of motivation. Webers motivation was the birth of his son, Jonah.

Weber, 35, did not start out life as an overeater. A Kenosha native, he was considered husky in high school, but his weight crept up and by the time he was 23 he had hit the 300-pound mark.

I was a secret eater. I would eat too much during regular meals, but I would also secretly overeat on a daily basis, he said.

Repasts of whole pizzas, several side dishes and multiple sodas were not uncommon. He estimates that at peak, he consumed some 6,000 calories per day.

But Weber was not oblivious to his situation and he says his weight became a source of shame at restaurants and at Washington Middle School, where he teaches English.

His turnaround was the birth of his son, Jonah, on Oct. 17, 2014.

The first time I was holding and looking at him, I realized I couldnt physically be the father I wanted to for him; even getting off the couch was a struggle, Weber said. The question he says he asked himself then was, How do you make a a change?

Weber says he knew from the get-go he didnt want to go to the gym and didnt want to diet. And surgery and pills were too expensive and too scary.

Just when he began to waiver on his pledge to slim down, he heard about a phone app called LoseIt. He liked the simplicity of tracking calories and making his own diet choices. It felt like a game. Right away I wanted to see how I could get under my daily (calorie) budget.

Webers 5,000 calories-per-day intake fell to 3,000 and the weight fell with it. Today he consumes an average of 1,700 to 2,000 calories a day.

Exercise was not part of his original weight loss plan, says Weber. It was hard to exercise while overweight most exercise machines have a 300-pound limit.

As he shed pounds, however, he sought out exercise. One of my (weight loss) goals was to be able to ride a bike, he said. Now he typically rides 20 to 30 miles in a day and at the end of June participated in the Menomonee River Century Ride.

Weber says his overall health has improved dramatically. When I was overweight I had back pain and foot problems; now these problems are completely gone.

The best part, he says, has been becoming an active dad for his now 2-year-old son.

On July 17, Weber told his story to Joy Bauer, Kathie Lee and Hoda Kotb on the Kathie Lee and Hoda segment of the Today Show. Show producers got wind of Webers weight loss story after he began promoting the LoseIt app on Instagram and Facebook.

Bauer introduced Weber as a new member of her Joy Fit Club.

Joy Bauer was really awesome, supportive and uplifting, said Weber.

Weber has also shared his story on Today.com, LittleThings.com and other media outlets. To inspire others, he has also authored an online blog, Getting Healthy on Good Food How I Cooked Myself Thin..

For Drew Rad, losing weight wasnt an option: it was pretty much life or death. Waking with chest pains in the middle of the night at the end of June, 2015, Rad discovered that her weight was literally killing her.

But it wasnt a heart attack. In the emergency room Rad found out she was pregnant and was having a miscarriage.

My weight was so out of control I didnt realize I was pregnant, said Rad in a recent telephone interview.

Rad, 31, says she had had a weight problem for as long as she could remember, but always justified it away. If I was 200 pounds, Id say, At least Im not 300 pounds. But eventually she hit those 300 pounds and more.

I used to lie to myself and tell myself, Youre meant to be fat, youre just a bigger woman.

In the emergency room she discovered she had an ectopic pregnancy a pregnancy forming outside of her uterus and was miscarrying. That was when she also discovered she had now surpassed the 400-pound mark.

It was completely horrifying and beyond my wildest nightmares that I was 400 pounds, she said.

I looked at that moment as that I was losing a baby, but that baby was saving my life because it made me need to change, Rad said.

At this time, Rad was also diagnosed with severe sleep apnea, which was causing her to stop breathing 134 times a night. She realized the situation was dire. I thought, I will actually die and leave my two girls without a mom.

To get her weight under control, Rad chose stomach surgery, but in the six months before the surgery, she made changes on her own. After watching her calories and going to the gym, Rad lost 90 pounds.

I started living that day as if I had already had the surgery, she said.

Rad had a vertical sleeve gastrectomy, a procedure that removes a portion of the stomach, restricting the volume of food that can be consumed. It also eliminates the hormones associated with food cravings, Rad said.

Today Rads 5-foot-6-inch frame carries 172 pounds, a loss of 243 pounds.

She recalls that when told that she was medically no longer considered obese, she wept with happiness.

This summer, her story was picked up by the Daily Mail and she has joyously shared her achievements on social media.

Most people have told me that by now I would have plateaued and stop losing weight, but I go to the gym and eat right, she said.

Rad has also learned how to eat differently: more slowly and in smaller portions. Also, because her stomach tube is much smaller now, she must take in solid and liquid foods separately.

Also, no carbonated beverages after this surgery they make your stomach bloat; you eat more food because (the stomach) gets inflated.

The upside to these inconveniences is her new life, says Rad. She says she loves the way she looks and feels and the chance to be the mom she wants to be.

For the first time in her adult life, Rad is able to ride roller coasters and play on playground equipment with her daughters, Ellovee, 3, and Avalina, 6.

Rad says her daughter Avalina has said, I like it that youre smaller because I can put my arms around you better.

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Weight loss success stories - Kenosha News

Sharing before and after pictures on Imgur, user clockworkindigo wrote: A lot of you have been asking about what I have done to lose the weight.

My biggest tip is to stop eating just because something tastes good.

For example if you are thinking about having ice cream, think about how you are benefiting from it.

In that case you are not benefiting and it will just make your job harder. Simple thoughts like that go a long way.

Going into specifics, he continued: Also try cutting out most of your carbs and drink lots of water (instead of soda or beer)!

I go to the gym four to five times a week and really pay attention to what I am eating. Eating my body weight in grams of protein, limiting carbs and more healthy fats.

His original post went viral, with hundreds of comments. He then shared an update nine months later and showed his impressive physique.

Explaining how he got such defined abs, he wrote: It is a very hard process and diet is a main factor in seeing good results.

For my cut I did Jim Stoppani's Shortcut to Shred. A six week program that has you doing cardio instead of resting.

This is one of the best feelings. You work so hard for this and to finally see it after the work it is so rewarding.

He also revealed he did not count calories to achieve his dream body, and said: I am doing this to show everyone what a real transformation looks like. I don't count my calories with an app, I estimate each day.

This is to show everyone that it IS possible to make a change for the better and that IT TAKES A LOT OF TIME! You have to be willing to put in the time and be PATIENT!!!

But clockworkindigo also revealed he finds it difficult to accept his size now and struggles with body image.

He shared: There are a lot of days where I will beat myself up and tell myself that I am not getting anywhere.

There are days when I think that I am still overweight and it destroys my confidence. It's very hard on someones mind to go from overweight to an average size.

The man has shared his weight loss story as it has been revealed what you eat before a work out can affect how the body burns fat.

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Weight loss: Man loses over three stone by swapping fizzy drinks for THIS - Express.co.uk

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When you are trying to lose weight, there are many different tips and tricks people offer to make the process easier.

However, a new study has revealed a tip that requires no effort at all: Stepping on the scale every day.

Researchers from Drexel University and the University of Pennsylvania studied 294 women of various sizes and asked them how often they tracked their weight.

Positive weight gain snaps spread across social media with the hash tags #screwthescale and #gainingweightiscool. After using the MyProtein diet and healthy exercise.

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Positive weight gain snaps spread across social media

The womens body fat percentages were taken after six months and again after two years.

The researchers used this to determine the womens BMIs and found that women who stepped on the scale more frequently had a dip in their BMI compared to those who didnt.

Study co-author Diane Rosenbaum, Ph.D and psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania said: The losses in BMI and body fat percentage were modest, but still significant, especially keeping in mind that these women were not part of a weight loss program.

We did not expect that, in the absence of a weight loss intervention, folks would be losing weight.

High-protein, low-carbohydrate diets are all the rage right now and for good reason. Protein is an important component of every cell in the body. Hair and nails are mostly made of protein and your body uses protein to build and repair tissues.

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Women with higher BMIs and body fat percentages surprisingly weighed themselves more at the beginning of the study compared to women with lower BMIs.

The scientists said that constantly being reminded of your weight could help to keep diet and fitness goals in check.

Study co-author Meghan Butryn, Ph.D and associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences at Drexel said: Regularly weighing yourself can motivate you to engage in healthy eating and exercise behaviours, because it provides you with evidence that these behaviours are effective in helping you lose weight or prevent weight gain.

Similarly, if you see weight gain on the scale, that information can motivate you to make a change.

Meanwhile, another recent study has revealed that drinking coffee could lead to weight gain.

This is because thecaffeine attaches to adenosine receptors in the body which keeps you awake.

However, the caffeine also decreases your ability to taste sweet things making you crave more sugar than before. This could make you more likely to seek out sweet foods which could mean you pack on the pounds.

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Doing this ONE simple thing daily will make you lose weight fast - Daily Star

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Hoping to drop five pounds in a week? You might want to change your mindset and your strategy: Steady, and most often slow, weight loss is more likely to be long-lasting, researchers say.

In a study that included 183 overweight or obese volunteers, those with consistent weight loss in the first couple of months were more likely to keep the pounds off long term than those whose weights fluctuated from week to week, according to the report published in Obesity.

These stories of weight loss will inspire you Play Video - 3:55

These stories of weight loss will inspire you Play Video - 3:55

"While its possible that some people did have fast and consistent weight loss, for most who are consistent from week to week its probably slower, said the studys lead author, Emily Feig, who was a graduate student at Drexel University while doing the research and is now a clinical research fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Most people can lose weight the hard part is keeping the pounds off.

To figure out the factors for keeping weight off, volunteers were enrolled in one of three weight-loss programs that included some behavioral treatment. In addition to the standard counseling, one group was told to use two meal replacements per day and another was told to consume fewer energy-dense foods while increasing protein and fiber intake.

The participants were also asked about food-related behaviors and attitudes, such as cravings, emotional eating, binge eating and confidence in regulating intake, and their weights were checked weekly.

When the researchers checked in after a year and then again after two years, they found that when it came to long-term weight maintenance it didnt matter which group the volunteers were from. What did matter was how consistently someone lost weight. So, those with more variability in their weight loss over the initial 12 weeks of the study tended to have poorer weight control at 12 and 24 months.

Harvard nutrition specialist: 'No magic bullet' for weight control Play Video

Harvard nutrition specialist: 'No magic bullet' for weight control Play Video

Intriguingly, volunteers who reported lower emotional eating, binge eating and preoccupation with food when the study started were more likely to display higher weight variability and less weight loss overall. That may mean that consistent weight loss, rather than a persons relationship with food, may be far more important in predicting who will be more successful long term.

Another important point, Feig said, It tells us that if youre in a weight-loss program and you are not able to lose consistently, its a sign you may need to try something else."

The bottom line: Find something you can stick with, even if it means not losing more than a pound, or even a half pound, a week.

Dr. Zhaoping Li, who was not involved in the new research, said the study underscores the need for an individualized approach.

We need to find an intervention that fits the individual, said Li, a professor of medicine and director of the Center for Human Nutrition at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles. One issue weve been suffering from overall is trying to find one meal plan that works for everyone. Thats a recipe for disaster. If people are struggling in the very beginning, you need to modify the plan, otherwise it wont stick long term.

For inspirational stories of weight-loss success, check out our My Weight-Loss Journey page.

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How to lose weight and keep it off: lose it steadily - Today.com

Have you reached your happy weight? Many will say that the faster your metabolism is, the faster you will lose weight because your body will convert all your food into energy. They are only partially right.

In a nutshell, metabolism is the various chemical reactions in your body which converts the food you eat into the energy your body needs. Whether you have fast or slow metabolism, your body WILL burn the calories from your food.

However, when your body receives more calories than what is required for your energy level, metabolism wont touch these calories. These extra unburned calories will get stored as body fat. Your happy weight does not entirely depend on the speed of your metabolism.

Here are some things you can do to get your happy weight.

1. Eat everything in the right portions

Fad diets like Atkins, South Beach, Weight Watchers and Mediterranean promise quick weight loss by encouraging you to focus on eating specific types of food. Research shows that fad diets do not actually do much to help you keep your happy weight.

They might also make you vulnerable to diseases because your body will lack certain nutrients that your body needs.

Medical experts say that you should get the right amount of proteins, carbohydrates and fats to satisfy the nutrients your body needs.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggest 45-65% of calories from carbs, 20-35% of calories from fat, and 10-35% of calories from protein. Depending on the weight change you want, stick to the lower or higher end of the range.

Try taking walks. Make these a regular habit and try some challenging routes at times. Walking can encourage metabolism and weight loss.

Research found that people who took up walking as a regular activity can burn around 186 to 371 calories, depending on the speed.

Scientists have found that lack of sleep and sleeping problems are directly connected to how efficient your metabolism is in converting energy for your body.

When you dont get enough sleep, your body does not produce enough of the substances that regulate metabolic function. When this happens, your body doesnt get the energy to function properly.

Many people often focus more on what they eat when they think of losing weight. What you drink also affects your metabolism. Studies show that drinking about 500 ml of water before breakfast, lunch, and dinner can result to decrease in body weight.

Water has zero calories so your metabolism would turn to stored body fat to satisfy your bodys calorie requirement.

Strength and resistance training is another way to reach your happy weight. These exercises help you build muscles.

Did you know that each pound of muscle needs 30 to 50 calories daily to function properly? The more muscles you build, the more calories you burn.

Some people have turned to tasty vegan dishes on their quest to weight control. Researchers at Oxford University have found that vegans are much leaner than meat-eaters.

However, it still is necessary to take not of what you eat and when you eat to keep your ideal weight after going vegan.

Aerobic activities are any activity that makes you use your muscles groups and increases your heart rate and breathing.

The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes of moderately intense exercises weekly, with each session lasting for a minimum of 10 minutes

Studies show that eating spicy dishes can temporarily increase your metabolism by around 8% over your normal rate. Spicy foods can also give you a feeling of being full which makes you eat less food. Moreover, nutrition experts found that spicy food can promote abdominal fat loss.

A good cup of coffee can extend energy levels when you exercise, thus you burn more calories. Drinking coffee after exercise can also increase the glycogen in your muscles and help you replenish stored energy.

Others may say that yoga does little for your metabolism because yoga is meant to help you meditate and relax. Remember that metabolic processes in your body continue to work even while you are at rest.

Certain yoga poses like the locust, twisted chair, eagle, and bow poses that boost your energy will consequently boost your metabolism.

11. Stand up whenever you can

Did you know that a 150-pound person can burn 114 calories per hour while standing? Medical experts have discovered that the more time you sit, the fewer calories you tend to burn.

On the other hand, the muscles in your back and legs expend energy when you stand.

When you are in a hurry, everything in your body is working overtime so that you can move at a faster speed. As a result, your metabolism also works overdrive to fuel your body.

If you are not a fan of coffee, you can try drinking green tea. A study found that green tea and at least three hours of moderate exercise weekly can reduce abdominal fat over three months.

14. Eat yogurt and seafood

Yogurt and other fermented foods have probiotics which promote weight loss. A British study showed that taking a probiotic pill daily can lead to weight loss after 12 weeks.

Your metabolism also gets a boost from omega-3 fatty acids from fish. The oil decreases the levels of fat-storage enzymes in your body.

Probably the easiest and most surprising way to boost your metabolism is laughter. Researchers discovered that genuine laughter can use up 10% to 20% more energy.

This means that you burn an increased 10 to 40 calories during 10 to 15 minutes of laughing.

Being active, eating the right food, and getting enough sleep are just some things you can do to keep your metabolism going.

Ultimately, reaching and keeping your happy weight depends on how much you and your metabolism work together.

Excerpt from:
Hack Your Metabolism: 15 Ways to Maintain Your Happy Weight - HuffPost