How to Set Doable Weight Loss Goals

Millions of people around the world want to lose weight. In fact, losing weight is at the top of New Year’s resolution lists every year, but after an initial attempt, people usually give up. Though the level of motivation varies from person to person, there is a common underlying cause why most weight loss attempts fail: people don’t set doable weight loss goals. They expect to cut the excess flab from their torso overnight and when that doesn’t happen they feel disappointed and eventually give up on their efforts. This is not the right approach at all.

This is where setting SMART goals can help. As you might know, SMART is a goal-setting technique used in different fields. The best part is it works for weight loss goals as well.

Here’s how this works:

Specific
You have to make sure the goals you set are specific. For instance, you can plan to lose 8 pounds in the first month of your weight loss attempt and then move on from there. Regardless of the duration of the plan, make sure your goals are specific.

Measurable
There is no point in setting goals you cannot measure. Let’s say you say you state that you will eat healthy from now on. How are you going to measure your success? Instead, saying you won’t eat more than 1,000 calories in a day is better.

Attainable
Don’t set impossible goals, as failure to achieve will lead to regret and you will end up giving up. You have to keep in mind the time and resources available to you and then decide the limit to which you can push yourself.

Realistic
Being realistic is the key to success when it comes to weight loss goals. Don’t expect that you will lose 50 pounds in a week (or even a month). Losing weight requires hard work, patience and perseverance. If you aren’t realistic about the effort required, you will quit.

Trackable
You also need to track your goals. If you decided you want to lose 3 pounds in a week, you should have a clear idea of how far you managed to go towards achieving it. You need to maintain a journal or diary so you can track your progress. There are apps you can download for this purpose, which makes things easier for you.

So, these are some tips on how to set SMART weight loss goals which are doable and achievable.