Weight
loss and goal setting are two inseparable things. I m sure you
have heard of the adage that says "if you fail to plan, you are
planning to fail". This is as true as it gets when it comes to losing
weight.
It is not that people do not know that they need to lose weight, rather
is the accuracy of how much they need to lose and why they need to lose
it that is not clear. The same way you are likely to run off the
road if you are driving in the dark without lights, is the same way you
would fail if your weight loss endeavor if your planning is not
accurate.
You likely have heard that you need to lose between one pound and two
pounds a week. And as much as this is very safe and commendable advice,
it is not necessarily a hard fast rule.
The better way to set a goal is to first determine what weight you want
to live with for the rest of your life. You can use a jeans size to
determine this or you can go more scientific by using the BMI scales.
Ideally your "for life" weight should be something you are emotionally
attached to. You want to desire that size enough to be able to overcome
huddles that are imminent in your dieting journey. Emotional attached
or deep down desire is a source of passion. Passion is your fuel that
keeps you going when you really feel like you don’t want to. If
your goals are just numbers in a sheet of paper you can as well stop
trying to lose weight.
To start your plan, you need to be able to state your purpose in one
sentence. For example "I want to be size 12 in one year". This
statement will be the basis for the goal setting. You can then devise
steps month by month, week by week to help you reach this goal. Your
ultimate desire to be a size 12 is your goal. Steps to achieving this
goal are your objectives. Objectives build up to lead to a goal. For
example you would have weekly objectives that lead to achieving monthly
objectives which then lead to achieving the ultimate goal.
The beauty of planning on paper first before attempting weight loss is
that it allows you to see if your plans are achievable. If after
deciding on your ultimate goal, you break it down and you find you need
to loss 3 pounds of weight in a day then you know your plan is
unrealistic.
But it can be a different story if you need to loose 3 to 4 pounds a
week. And a much of this is on the higher side, it is feasible with
stringent techniques.
So the question then is can you keep up with this stringent techniques
to be able to lose weight. If you feel you will not, you would be
better off adjusting your ultimate goal. Usually you do this by
increasing the time you need to reach your goal.
In our case above, you could double the time required to reach your
goal. This immediately drops your weekly target from 3 to 4 pounds to
1.5 to 2 pounds. This is more easily achievable with a simple weight
loss plan.
As it is said, if you are not going anywhere, anywhere you get to is
fine. Goals help determine where you want to go and help you map your
way there.
This
content is reviewed periodically and is subject to
change as new information on weight loss becomes
available. The information is intended for
educational purposes only. Please
consult your healthcare provider before beginning
any kind of weight loss program
