How to Set Realistic Weight Loss Goals and Stick to Them

By Your Health Magazine

The process of weight loss can start with excitement but quickly become disillusioning in the wake of excessive expectations. It is easy for individuals to get into the cycle of trying to achieve extreme, short-term outcomes only to end right back at the beginning. What most people do not realize is that reasonable setting of goals, patience, and planning are the ingredients necessary to achieve weight loss. By putting expectations into gradual and not instantaneous change, people are able to make adjustments that will benefit not just their physical body, but their mental stability as well. Here are going to learn how to set realistic weight loss goals and most importantly how to stick to them.

a) Creating SMART Weight Loss Objectives

Weight-loss aims need to be established with proper regard for personal circumstances and capabilities. The SMART system provides a good template to do so in encouraging Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound aims. Rather than the general aspiration to “exercise more,” a better aim would be to “walk 30 minutes five times a week.” This makes progress as well as the aim in itself more easily measurable. Nutritional aims need to be directed to reasonable change like to be able to lose a stone in a month rather than drastic restriction.

b) Creating a Sustainable Action Plan

Creating a sustainable plan is the next most essential after setting attainable goals. While motivation can be the drive to begin, both consistency and new habit-making are what lead ultimately to long-lasting success. Functional ideas such as prep time for meals can be implemented to allow for healthful eating during stressful weeks and keeping a log or the aid of a tracking app keeps one in check. Leaving space for the occasional indulgence is necessary to prevent the feeling of deprivation, leading to binge attacks. Non-scale victories such as increased energy or better sleep can also be used to motivate one when the weight loss stagnates.

c) Overcoming Common Weight Loss Challenges

Despite the best of intentions, setbacks are inevitable on any weight-loss program. Plateaus, where progress stops despite continued effort, are frustrating and all too common. These periods usually call for adjustment of exercise routines or calories in an effort to get things going again. Boredom and stress are frequent drivers of poor food choices, as is emotional eating. Switching to a different activity to solve the issue can short-circuit the cycle. A social gathering is ok once in a while but prior planning by looking over menus can guarantee compliance.

d) Strategies of Long-Term Motivation

Willpower can only get you so far when it comes to long-term commitment. Creating new habits requires repetition and time, and methods such as habit stacking – connecting a new routine to one you already do – can make the process less challenging. Visual prompts act as reminders and incentives. Non-food reward systems may give you additional incentives. Perhaps most important of all, finding physical activity you enjoy makes exercise something to look forward to.

e) Embracing Progress, Not Perfection

The process to healthy, sustainable weight loss isn’t one of perfection but of progress. There will be setbacks that must be viewed as a chance to learn, rather than as failure. Most of all, the most important thing is the capability to get back to track and continue. Being realistic, making progress toward healthy lifestyle choices and treating oneself with kindness, individuals can achieve the long-term changes that have absolutely nothing to do with the number in the scale. Success is not weight loss, though, but about creating a healthier relationship with food and exercise that enhances overall quality of life for the years to come.

The Significance of Realistic Expectations

The most important thing to remember about realistic goals is that they form the foundation of ultimate success. Study demonstrates that being able to gradually lose a stone in a month is not only healthier but longer lasting in the long run. A gradual approach lets the body acclimatize gradually as it provides people with the time necessary to form new food and exercise routines that can last a lifetime.