Advice
Anon
How many times have you decided, "I want to lose weight", only to find, weeks or months later, that you've hit a wall, your enthusiasm is lagging, and you'd rather give it all up? The problem with setting vague goals like "lose weight" is that it lacks any kind of structure or accountability to help you achieve that goal. How do you measure your progress? How do you know when you've succeeded? "I want to lose weight" covers all kinds of unending possibilities, meaning that it's hard to stay on track, recognise your successes, and stay motivated enough to see it through to the end. "I want to lose weight" has no obvious end. So how can you lose weight successfully and stick to it? The trick is setting SMART goals that set you up for long-term success. These are goals that are:
So let's take that resolution, "I want to lose weight", and give it a SMART makeover.
There's no sense in picking a goal you half know you might never achieve. You can't climb Everest without first conquering the foothills. Evaluate your weight loss history – what have you managed to achieve in the past? Setting a goal way beyond this might be unfeasible.Rather than deciding from the offset to get your weight right down into the healthy BMI range, why not aim for a 3, 5 or 10 percent body weight loss? Research suggests that losing just 5% of your body weight can bring significant health benefits. Of course, once you reach your goal, you can always set a new one. The goal becomes: "I will lose 20 lbs, tracking my weekly progress on my phone. I will then re-evaluate whether I want to lose any more weight."
Next, the goal needs to matter to you. What do you want to lose weight for? Perhaps your doctor has told you it will bring health benefits and could get you off your diabetes medication. Maybe you just want to feel more energetic. Keeping this positive end-point in mind is crucial to staying motivated. "I will lose 20 lbs, tracking my weekly progress on my phone. I will then re-evaluate whether I want to lose any more weight. Losing weight will benefit my diabetes, potentially bringing down my blood sugar levels and allowing me to come off my medications."
Finally, every resolution needs to be time-bound in order to give it impetus. Decide on a reasonable amount of time to achieve your goal (1-2 lbs a week is a common goal). Stick to it. "I will lose 20 lbs by Christmas, tracking my weekly progress on my phone. At Christmas, I will re-evaluate whether I want to lose any more weight. Losing weight will benefit my diabetes, potentially bringing down my blood sugar levels and allowing me to come off my medications."
By setting a SMART goal you not only give your weight loss journey structure, but also provide yourself with accountability and motivation along the way. Of course, SMART goals aren't the only key to success, and everyone could do with a bit of a helping hand.
That's where we come in. Visit our Services Page to find out more about how we can support your weight loss with one of our free programmes.