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Thinking about losing a few pounds? You’re ready and this time you mean it. But you’re not sure where to start. Perhaps one or two simple goals might. But goal setting is hard.
Most people you know would probably agree they could lose a few pounds but they’re not excited about setting goals and changing habits. Even people who look like they have a healthy weight would probably agree.
When considering your weight loss goals you might spend time focused on how you should look rather than what a reasonable weight for you should be.
There are broad parameters to consider to determine if you need to lose weight. In general terms, you may need to lose weight if you meet any of the following:
- A BMI (Body Mass Index) of more than 25
- A waist-hip ratio of higher than .8 for women and higher than 1.0 men
- An abdominal girth measurement of more than 35 inches in women and 40 inches in men.
If you meet any of the criteria above what’s next?
Generally to lose 1 to 2 pounds a week, you need to burn 500 to 1,000 calories more than you consume each day, through a lower calorie diet and regular physical activity. Depending on your weight, 5% of your current weight may be a realistic goal, at least for an initial goal.
For me it came down to several things. Goals, Knowledge and Habits.
I didn’t know what I didn’t know. You may be the same? But what I did know is I needed to lose weight. And I needed to set some goals and change some habits.
In a separate post I talked about the day I got on the scale and realized just how obese I had become.
I set two goals. Make a commitment and self educate.
Setting weight loss goals is probably one of the more difficult steps for weight loss. How much do you need to lose and how do you calculate that number?
The way most of us approach it is to choose a number based on what we used to weigh or what we’ve always wanted to weigh. But is that a realistic goal?
For me I didn’t care. What I knew was even moderate progress would be better.
If you’re losing weight for your health, your goal might be more modest, say 5 to 10 percent of your current weight. But what if you have something more specific in mind like a certain clothing size you want to fit into, you goals could be different.
So, what’s the answer to all of these questions? Your first step is to learn how to set reasonable weight loss goals you can actually measure.
The key to setting weight loss goals is to follow the standard of goal setting, which means it needs to be SMART. A smart goal is: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Tangible.
Go all the way back to the basics and start by figuring out if you really need to lose weight.
For me it started with my morning coffee. If I could modify my morning coffee with success I knew I could set new goals toward a larger success. Success begets success.
Set yourself up for success
Well-planned goals can help you convert your thoughts into action. Here’s how to create successful weight-loss goals.
Weight-loss goals can mean the difference between success and failure. Realistic, well-planned weight-loss goals keep you focused and motivated. They provide a plan for change as you transition to a healthier lifestyle.
But not all weight-loss goals are helpful. Unrealistic and overly aggressive weight-loss goals can undermine your efforts. Use the following tips for creating goals that will help you reduce weight and improve your overall health.
My Goals Started like this:
#1 Purchase a well marketed program like Nutrisystem and follow the plan.
#2 Lose 15 lbs before my vacation to Scotland in 90 days.
#3 Document my weight on a digital scale scale each day at the same time of the day.
Focus on process goals
Goals for weight loss can focus on outcomes or the process. An outcome goal; what you hope to achieve in the end might be to lose a certain amount of weight. While this goal may give you a target, it doesn’t address how you will reach it.
A process goal is a necessary step to achieving a desired outcome. For example, a process goal might be to eat five servings of fruits or vegetables a day, to walk 30 minutes a day, or to drink water at every meal.
Process goals are helpful for weight loss because you focus on changing behaviors and habits that are necessary for losing weight.
Set SMART goals
A good goal-setting strategy is the SMART goal checklist. Be sure that your weight-loss goals whether a process goal or an outcome goal meet the following criteria:
- Specific. A good goal includes specific details. For example, a goal to exercise more is not specific, but a goal to walk 30 minutes after work every day is specific. You’re declaring what you will do, how long you will do it and when you will do it.
- Measurable. If you can measure a goal, then you can objectively determine how successful you are at meeting the goal. A goal of eating better is not easily measured, but a goal of eating 1,200 calories a day can be measured. A goal of riding your bike is not measurable. A goal of riding your bike for 30 minutes three days a week is measurable.
- Attainable. An attainable goal is one that you have enough time and resources to achieve. For example, if your work schedule doesn’t allow spending an hour at the gym every day, then it wouldn’t be an attainable goal. However, two weekday trips to the gym and two weekend trips might be attainable. If a particular type of exercise, such as running, is physically too difficult for you, then running every day would not be an attainable goal.
- Relevant. It’s important to set goals that are relevant and meaningful to you and where you’re at in your life right now. Don’t set goals that someone else wants you to obtain. Ask yourself what’s most important to you, and then determine your goals. Is weight loss a priority for you? If so, ask your doctor to help you determine a daily calorie goal based on your current weight and health.
Time-limited. Pick your goal and set a deadline accordingly. For example, if you want to lose 10 pounds (4.5 kilograms), circle a finish line on a calendar and strive for that. Giving yourself a time limit can motivate you to get started and stay on course.
Long-term and short-term goals
Long-term goals help you focus on the big picture. They can shift your thinking from simply being on a diet to making lifestyle changes. But long-term goals may seem too difficult or too far away. You may benefit from breaking down a long-term goal into a series of smaller, short-term goals.
If your outcome goal is to lose 15 pounds in three months, you may break it down into separate goals for each month, perhaps 7 pounds for the first month and 4 pounds for each of the last two months because early weight loss is often faster. An example of a process goal might be to walk 30 minutes a day. If you currently don’t walk regularly at all, you may want to walk 15 minutes a day for two weeks and then add five minutes to your walk each week.
Allow for setbacks
Setbacks are a natural part of behavior change. Everyone who successfully makes changes in life has experienced setbacks. It’s better to develop a plan for dealing with them. Identifying potential roadblocks; a big holiday meal or an office party, for example, and brainstorming specific strategies to overcome them can help you stay on course or get back on course.
During my last family Thanksgiving day I was focused on mostly vegetables and a little turkey, and one reasonable portion of desert. I avoided stuffing, crackers and chips, cream cheese and a few other things. At the end of the day nobody noticed.
Reassess and adjust your goals as needed
Be willing to change your goals as you make progress in your weight-loss efforts. If you started small and achieved success, you might be ready to take on larger challenges. Or you might find that you need to adjust your goals to better fit your new lifestyle
How to simplify your goals
Now that you know why to simplify your goals, let’s look at how to simplify your goals.
1. Focus on one area or goal at a time
While it’s fine to set goals on more than one area of your life, focus on at a time. That doesn’t make you can’t make progress toward more than one thing, but often we kid ourselves into believing we can do more than we can and end up doing nothing.
It’s also ok to simply set fewer goals. Don’t feel the need to change everything in your life at once.
Focus on the goal most important to you right now. Make it a priority. By identifying what matters most, you’ll be simplifying your goals as you work toward them.
2. Set SMART goals
Part of simplifying is adding clarity. Vague goals are confusing. Choose instead to set SMART goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely.
When you take the time to set SMART goals that are meaningful you’ll be more likely to achieve the goal. It doesn’t have to be the beginning of a year to set goals. The best time to set goals is always now. It is helpful to revisit them seasonally.
3. Break it down into steps
For each goal you set, break them down into actionable steps. Overwhelm sets in without a clear action plan. When you think through the necessary steps towards your goal, you’ll know what you need to do to get there. Every time you take action it takes you one step closer to your goal. My post coffee is an illustration of what I did.
4. Focus on habits
In the book Atomic Habits, James Clear said, “While I still like setting goals, focusing on habits can be a way to simplify. When you focus on behavior change rather than the big goal, it feels less daunting and more doable.
5. Create goals for less
Have you ever considered setting goals for less of something in your life? One way to simplify your goals and simplify your life is to look at where you need less.
Work towards having less stuff. Create margin in your schedule by saying no more often. Set boundaries and limits with technology. Shop less often.
These are simple changes you thinking and habits that will enable you to modify habits in other facets of your life. We are programmed to need more. Sometimes less is what’s needed.
The Basic Plan
1. Start Small and Go Slow
Don’t overwhelm yourself, take time to train yourself by approaching each new habit as a process rather than a “do it all now” mindset.
2. Why Do You Want It
It’s very hard to devote yourself to something that you are not entirely invested in emotionally. Being clear on why you want the new habit, and what benefit it offers you will help make sure your heart is truly in it.
3. Give it Life Support
Do your daily activities will make it easy to perform your new habit? Perhaps integrating the new habit into something you already do will help put this new activity into regular practice. I would normally leave the office during lunch. On a fasting day I’d leave the office and read a book in my car to distract myself.
4. One at a Time Please
Don’t frustrate yourself by trying to focus on too many things at a time. You’ll only serve to overwhelm yourself, which will definitely not make you successful in getting any of them stick. We all have dreams and visions of the life we want to live. But we also know that getting there requires dedication, discipline, and most importantly change. So how do we make these changes in a way that makes them last for the long-term? Here are a few suggestions.
5. Make a Plan
Take the time to write your plan down and keep it someplace where you’ll you see it every day. Seeing it every day will reinforce the new habit and will remind you why it’s important.
6. Who Cares
Obviously you do. But, having at least one other person who supports your goal will also help make the habit stick. Try to find someone who will not only support your new habit but encourages it. Success certainly is a lot easier when we have someone cheering for us.
7. Make it Fun
No need beating yourself up when you don’t meet all of your goals. This is only going to make you angry with yourself. It’s easy to walk away from something when we are mad or disappointed in ourselves. So try to take the frustration out of by rewarding yourself for sticking to it for five days, ten days, etc.
Staying with a new habit doesn’t have to cause you stress, and it shouldn’t feel like a burden that keeps you from living the life you want. If you are working towards the right goals, you should feel happy with yourself for making progress. You should feel good about yourself and the future.
SUMMARY
You should set some very simple SMART goals. I’d start with what you’re eating. You know where you need to change habits. Identify one or two and follow the SMART method. Goal setting doesn’t have to be hard. You can do it.
