2: Lead Measures

Lead Measures are the measurable actions that I can affect to accomplish my Wildly Important Goal. So with my WIG set, I needed to identify the things that I have control of that would lead to my desired result – 50+ lbs of weight loss.

Based on information I already had, from trusted sources and authorities, I knew I wanted to follow a ketogenic eating plan coupled with intermittent fasting. This combination, according to the experts, promotes fat burning in place of carbohydrate use for energy. I’ll bring more detail and talk about some of the resources in the next installment of this series. Additionally, I have decided to avoid gluten as much as possible, based on its reputation for causing inflammation throughout the body.

With these parameters in place, I identified the following Lead Measures to monitor daily, along with my lag measure – the change in my body weight.

Caloric Intake: less than 1858 calories per day, established using the Carb Manager tracking app.
Exercise: at least 5000 steps daily, strength training 3x weekly
Supplements: taken daily to maintain important mineral and vitamin levels
Apple Cider Vinegar: 1-2x daily, many benefits including appetite suppression, without affecting the fasting window
Fasting: meeting daily minimum of 16 hours fasting, preferred window 18-20 hours
Avoiding Problem Foods: Grains, Dairy, Sugar

These six Lead Measures are keys to successfully achieving the fat burning objective of my plan. One other measure which I did not track, is H2O intake. I have developed a good habit of drinking plenty of water, however I do have my days where I slack off, and it certainly wouldn’t hurt to include that in the tracking.

In a later article, I will share more about my daily monitoring (Scoreboard), and the Accountability elements that have been a great help.