What dieters can learn from the Super Bowl

Reposted from Igor's Journal at www.CalorieCount.About.com
Watching the XLIII Super Bowl, I noticed what an important role motivation plays in the competitiveness of NFL teams. Those teammates are constantly knocking each other on their helmets, yelling into each others' faces, and going ballistic after good plays. Is there something that we can learn from those guys?
I am not suggesting that we start slapping each other every time we lose half a pound, but I do think we should look at how football players break up their overall goal of winning the game into many little mini-goals, and what they do to re-focus after every single play. For example, if you wanted to lose a certain number of pounds in 2009, you should break up your yearly goal into 12 smaller monthly goals, and then focus on each one of them separately. This approach will not only make your ambitions seem more manageable, but it will also give you a more instant gratification.
You could even go one step further - how about breaking up your yearly goal into daily ones? For example, you could reward yourself on those days when you manage to stay under a certain number of calories, and punish yourself when you don't. This will allow you to re-resolve and re-focus every morning when you get out of bed, and you'll know exactly how you're progressing.
Last but not least, just like football, dieting is also a team sport and you'll need the support of your community to win this game. That's why we encourage our users to create their own groups, share a journal, or post in public forums. Basically, do anything that will help you stay focused, even if it involves knocking on other people's helmets, yelling into their faces, and going ballistic after losing weight.