How To Set S.M.A.R.T Weight Loss Goals
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How to set S.M.A.R.T Weight Loss Goals
Setting goals is critical to weight loss success. But most people either don’t set goals or they don’t know how to set weight loss goals correctly to get the results they need. You have to know what you need to lose, you need a plan to get there, and you need steps to execute that plan.
It’s not overly difficult once you know how to do it. And you can use this process for other goals as well.
How much do you need to lose?
There are many different ways to find this out. The fastest way is to pick a number based on your past weight. If you weigh 250lbs now and you really want to be at the same weight you were in college, which was 200lbs, you know your goal will be 50lbs. You only have to make sure it’s one specific number.
It’s not always that easy though.
You could go based on BMI (body mass index). Find a BMI calculator or use the one below and put in your stats. It will tell you where you fall on the healthy scale and you can determine a number from there. Then just lower the weight until you are in a healthy range and you have your weight loss target.
How to set your goal
It is best to set S.M.A.R.T goals. If you haven’t heard of smart goals before, it stands for:
Specific – You need to use that number of pounds to lose that you came up with earlier.
Measurable – There has to be definite criteria for measuring your progress.
Attainable – The goal can’t be to lose 50lbs by tomorrow.
Realistic – You must be both willing and able to achieve this goal.
Timely – There must be a time frame set to achieve this goal.
Here are some examples of some good S.M.A.R.T goals:
1.) “I will lose 25lbs by December 12, 2009. I will commit myself to sticking to my diet plan and exercising 5 days per week.”
2.) “I will be able to run for 30 minutes straight by June 15, 2010.”
3.) “By August 30, 2009, I will transition to having ½ of all my meals consist of fruits and vegetables.”
You get the idea. You can make them as long or as short as you want as long as you follow the guidelines. This is crucial to your success. Make sure there is a deadline and you are specific on what you are going to achieve.
What is your action plan?
With every S.M.A.R.T you make, there must be an action plan created to achieve it. This is your guide. This is the roadmap to get to where you want to go. Make a list of things that need to happen for you to achieve this goal. Big and small.
One example might be to start eating oatmeal and fruit every day for breakfast. Or that you will have a salad every day for lunch. You might say you will take the stairs at work every day instead of the elevator. Or you will ride your bike to work. Any step you can take to get you closer to reaching that goal.
Here is the finished product:
Goal: I will lose 25lbs by December 12, 2009. I will commit myself to sticking to my diet plan and exercising 5 days per week.
Action Plan:
1.) Create a calendar with every days meals listed
2.) Lift weights 3 days per week
3.) Do 4 days of cardio per week
4.) Park farther away at work to walk more
5.) Take the stairs at work instead of the elevator
The beauty of this is that it’s flexible. There is no need to get stressed out when you hit December 1st and you still have 10 lbs to go. Create a new goal and a new action plan to knock out those last 10 lbs. Also, continually update your action plan. Add things and take things away. Break these steps in to smaller steps. Get as specific as possible. Map out your whole day if you can. Do whatever you can to reach your goal.
Setting weight loss goals is a crucial step to success. If you don’t know where you are going, how do you know how to get there? I will have much more on this topic in the future, and I would love to hear your advice. Please leave a comment and let me know what else you think can be done to improve weight loss goal setting
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Thanks for posting about this, I would like to read more about this topic.
You are right; the specificity in goal setting is very important as this makes the entire goal more credible. I think setting a goal on the upper range of of your recommended BMI is a great first goal to set and acheive. It should be very reasonable and attainable and should motivate you to set new goals upon completion.
Brian –
I agree – that is an excellent place to start. For myself personally, it is critical that I don’t set a goal that is to difficult to achieve. I need little victories to force the momentum to get after the big ones. Thanks for commenting!
Nick