The one common New Year resolution that all of us have heard about is, “I am going to lose weight this year. I am going to exercise and follow a strict diet pattern and lose weight in the next few months.”
It has been seen that setting weight loss goals is one of the most common practices among people who wish to lose weight. Weight watchers set up unrealistic goals and often face disappointment. Very few people set their goals in a manner that makes them more likely to succeed. It is imperative to set realistic goals to keep yourself motivated.
Setting weight loss goals is one of the most difficult things to do when you start a weight loss regime. The one question that is hard to answer and is often based on your particular goal is how much do you need to lose weight?
Team Medimanage suggests tips on setting realistic weight loss goals.
Set goals that are achievable considering your limitations. It is important to evaluate your health concern and fitness level before setting your goal. Healthy weight loss generally occurs slowly, set a smaller goal of losing only 10% of your current weight.
- Set short term and long term goals.
Short term goals are easier to achieve and offers a sense of satisfaction and pride as you complete each stage. It also keeps you motivated to achieve your long term goal.
If you set only long term goals you may start with enthusiasm but you may lose your motivation and give up long before you reach them. For instance, if you wish to lose 10 kgs of weight, you can make short term goals of losing 1 -2 kgs each week.
Decide on how you intend to lose weight. Do you plan to exercise? What form of exercise and how long do you plan to exercise? Do you plan to follow diet regime to achieve your goal? What kind of food do you plan to eat? Be sure to plan for circumstances that might hamper your efforts such as vacations, office meetings etc.
Create a very detailed action plan that you intend to follow. This will help you in reminding your action plan and will avoid later confusions.
Read your goal and make every day plans to stick to your commitment. It is easy to excuse yourself because you are tired or there are guests at home or cannot miss the party. There should be NO excuses that should keep you away from keeping up your commitment except true emergencies.
Set backs are natural in achieving any goals. Everyone who sets goals to make changes in his or her life experiences setbacks. It is important not to get carried away by such setbacks and hence plan for setbacks to keep you motivated to reach your goals.
Many weight watchers take their weight loss goals very seriously. They feel frustrated and disappointed when they are unable to reach their goals and their weight loss plans starts taking a toll in their life. If you feel too stressed, it is important to relax for a while.
Evaluate your goals after every few days. Try to figure out if you were able to successfully meet your desired goal in the past few days. If you were not able to reach your desired goal, try to find out what worked and the reason for not being able to reach your desired target. Make plans on how you intend to reach your goal during the next few days.
If you feel that if you have made frequent adjustments but still scale back, you may not be setting realistic goals. It is important that you re-examine and adjust your weight loss goals. Achieving weight loss goals is possible if you stay clear with three main things, from where you are starting, where you plan to end and how do you intend to get there.
The best way to achieve any weight loss goals is by being consistent. It is important to follow the above guidelines and keep yourself motivated to realize your weight loss goals.
Be positive and don’t give up!
