Weight Loss Goals - Tips and Ideas for Building a Successful Plan

     You need to set clearly defined weight loss management goals in order for you to to establish the direction you must take. A realistic, achievable plan will help you stay on track with your diet and keep you motivated. The more motivated you are, the more likely it is that you are going to stick with your diet and exercise plan. You are far more likely to succeed if your goals are written down. There is something about the act of committing them to paper that makes the whole process more concrete. The more details you can include, the better. When and where will you carry out your activities? Do you need any equipment to get started? How will it all fit into your schedule? You should also avoid vague generalities - the more specific you can be about your objectives, the more likely it is that you will be able to accomplish them.

You need to aim for sensible weight management goals. Healthy weight loss is a gradual process, it does not happen overnight. Make it a goal to only lose one to two pounds a week. This doesn't sound like much at all, but providing you stick with it, you will soon notice the results. You must tailor your weight loss goals to take into account your body's limitations. Your targets should be challenging, but you should be confident that you can achieve them with a little work. Setting your expectations too high will lead to disappointment. They could also have negative consequences for your health should you try and lose too much weight too fast. Your written plan should also be broken down into short term and long term goals. Short term goals will keep you energised and focused on a daily basis, whereas long-term goals remind you of the big picture (your ultimate aim). This process will break everything down into small manageable steps. Focusing exclusively on one huge goal can make everything seem overwhelming and you are far more likely to abandon your plans.

Selecting a start date for your new weight loss regime is important. Achieving anything is a battle against your natural inertia, so it is vital that you begin when you plan to. Failure to do so will psychologically undermine your future endeavours. You should weigh yourself at the outset and monitor your progress on a regular basis. At the end of every week, make an honest assessment of your progress. Analyse what did and didn't work and adjust your plans accordingly. Understand that your weight loss goals should not be rigid and unyielding. Flexibility is essential, if something isn't working for you, then change it. Providing you keep moving forwards, you will get where you want to do be. You should accept that setbacks are inevitable. Life will sometimes throw obstacles in your path. There will be birthday celebrations with ice cream and family get-togethers at the local restaurant. When this happens, you just need to get back with the programme the following day. The key thing is not to give up - persistence can overcome virtually anything.

1. Prev:Lose the Spare Tire
2. Next:Manage The Festive Season: Fitter not Fatter