Apr
Today’s world of crash diets and miracle pills leaves most of us thinking that losing weight “fast” is the best way to do it. However, not only can losing weight too quickly be unhealthy, but setting unrealistic weight loss goals for yourself can also mean setting yourself up for disappointment and failure.
At the same time, if you set your goals too low or don’t push yourself a little you won’t see results and it can be easy to lose your motivation.
The key is to find a balance and learn to set reasonable weight loss goals that challenge you, give you healthy, visible results and are easy enough to stick with for the long term.
Here are some tips for setting weight loss goals that will help you get the healthy, fit body you’ve been wanting.
Aim for Losing 1-2 lbs. Per Week
Everyone wants to lose 20 lbs. in a week, however, it is both unrealistic and unhealthy to think that you can do it.
If you want to lose weight in a healthy way and keep it off for good, you should instead aim for losing 1-2 lbs. per week. Although it may sound slow, those pounds add up quickly and before you know it you will be seeing big results in your body.
The best part about taking the slow but steady approach to weight loss is that you will be much more likely to keep the weight off for good and can skip the yo-yo dieting that many of us get caught up in for years.
Figure out how many pounds you want to lose and then determine how long it will take you while losing weight at a reasonable weight.
For instance, if you want to lose 50 lbs. set a goal of doing it in 6 months. That means to reach your goal you need to lose about 2 lbs. a week.
Break Large Goals Down into Smaller Goals
Setting a goal of losing 100 lbs. can leave you feeling overwhelmed. It can be difficult to see how you can accomplish a goal when it is so difficult, and as a result you might wind up giving up before you even start.
Instead, set a large goal and then break it down into smaller, bite-sized goals. So if you did want to lose 100 lbs. you might break it down into more manageable goals like cutting out a certain number of calories each day or adding 20 minutes of exercise several times a week.
Work on turning each small goal into a habit and before long you will have changed from an unhealthy lifestyle into a healthy one.
As you make continual small improvements you will be losing weight and learning how to keep it off. As you do, keep your eyes on your larger goal as well and keep pushing yourself a little harder toward it with more small improvements. Before you know it you will have reached it.
Celebrate Your Successes
Each time you accomplish one of your smaller goals, celebrate it. Find ways to reward yourself without food. It is important to congratulate yourself for the good that you are doing and to acknowledge that you are making progress.
Set Goals Based on Measurements and Not on Weight
Using the scale to judge how well your weight loss is going can backfire on you. As you lose weight and get in shape you can be replacing the fat in your body with muscle. Since muscle weighs more than fat you can be getting thinner but the numbers on the scale might not reflect that.
Instead of trusting the scale to judge how you are doing or gauging your success on how many pounds you have lost, try using a measuring tape to judge your progress instead. Your measurements give you a much more accurate picture of what is really going on with your body. You can be losing inches without losing pounds.
By setting realistic, attainable goals you will be much more likely to stick with a weight loss plan until you have gotten the fit, healthy body that you’ve been wanting.
