Fad diets and programs that sell quick results are becoming increasingly popular in the weight loss world. These type of practices can be misleading, as losing weight is a long-term process rather than an overnight change; it takes time and effort. That is why creating a well-structured weight loss plan with realistic and detailed goals should be the first step on any weight loss journey.
Why you should set weight loss goals
Creating a clear weight loss plan to follow will increase the chances of losing weight and keeping it off. Here are the key reasons why you should set weight loss goals:
- To stay focused: Although it is possible to lose weight without a plan, you’ll need a minimum of structure to know what exactly you’re doing to lose weight and understand the reason behind it. Without a plan, the results will be unpredictable, and you won’t know exactly what you’re doing that’s causing you to lose weight.
- Trust the process: Not having a well-thought-out plan won’t result in long-term success. You’ll probably lose motivation if you don’t notice any consistent results and won’t be able to put trust in the results. By creating a plan with realistic and achievable goals, it encourages consistency and focus on the bigger picture.
- Trackable progress: Part of having a well-structured plan involves tracking your starting point and establishing end goals. This makes it much easier and tangible to monitor your progress and detect if the weight loss plan is working, based on where you currently are, so that you can adjust it if necessary.
- Anticipating setbacks: Any plan should identify potential obstacles and prepare strategies to overcome them, so that we minimize the changes of giving up.
- Increased motivation: It is proven that people who are motivated by health and fitness goals have a lower chance of dropping out of a weight loss program than those motivated exclusively by appearance.
How to set realistic weight loss goals
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Find your objective
Find your why. Why do you want to lose weight? Is it for health, confidence, energy? Understanding your why and remembering it throughout your journey will help you maintain the motivation and remind you of your commitment.
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Analyze your current situation
For a week, track what you eat, how much physical activity you do, how much you sleep, the amount of free time you have, your mood and as many other factors as you can. This will help you assess your current situation and identify areas that need improvement.
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Set your general goal
Once you understand your current situation and your limitations, define an overarching goal. Although this goal should be quite general, try to make it a little specific, for example:
“I want to lose 30 pounds in 6 months to improve my overall health and feel more confident.” -
Break down your general goal into mini-goals
Having a big goal can be very overwhelming, so it’s better to split it into 2 to 3 smaller goals so that it’s more manageable. Use the SMART method to make your goals achievable; knowing what you want, how to do it and why you need to do it will make it harder to ignore it. So, when building a goal, make it:
- Specific: “I want to lose 10 pounds”
- Measurable: “I will track my progress by weighing and taking note of my calorie intake and physical activity through a health diary.”
- Achievable: “I’ll workout 3-4 times a week, with a mix of cardio and strength training, and I will make adjustments to my diet to incorporate more vegetables and reduce my intake of processed foods.”
- Relevant: “I want to achieve this goal to improve my overall health, energy levels and confidence.”
- Time-bound: “In 2 months”
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Plan for potential setbacks
Sometimes, problems will arise that will make it harder to stick to your weight loss plan, whether those are time constraints, life circumstances, or social pressures. Try to have an emergency plan for these types of obstacles to not lose focus. For example, if your work schedule prevents you from going to the gym, consider shorter sessions that can be done from home and find other opportunities to stay active, like walking during lunch breaks.
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Get support
Share your goals with your loved ones so that they can support you, encourage you and make you feel accountable. Additionally, you can join online weight loss communities where members share advice, motivation and their experiences to help each other in their weight loss journeys.
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Monitor your progress and stay consistent
Track your progress regularly and reassess your strategy if things aren’t going as planned. Consistency is key, so implement your new habits to your life, instead of seeing them as temporary diet changes.
Tips to reach your goal weight
Be Flexible and Compassionate with Yourself
Apart from setting realistic goals, you should be flexible when things get difficult. Things will happen that will make it harder for you to workout one day or meal prep for a whole week. Instead of feeling discouraged, assess the situation and use it as a learning opportunity. Understand what went wrong and adjust your approach. Maybe you realize you have way less time for certain things that you initially thought, so you’ll have to go back to your original plan and make some changes. Instead of beating yourself up after a slip-up, focus on how you can learn from your mistake and continue moving forward.
Commit to a Lifestyle Change
Understand that this is not something that’s going to last for 6 months, and then you’re done. You should focus on changing your habits instead of applying temporary fixes. A good way to understand this is to shift your focus from the scale to new behaviors, such as incorporating resistance training in your routine or making healthier food choices. These types of habits build a foundation for long-term success rather than relying on quick fixes. Practicing restrictive habits often leads to binge-eating instead of actually changing your lifestyle. Don’t look at weight loss as a temporary fix, instead see it as an opportunity to build lasting habits, such as cooking at home more often, prioritizing physical activity or learning how to manage impulsive food choices.
Use Tools and Seek Professional Help
Nowadays, you’ll find countless apps to help with meal planning and exercise tracking, as well as a lot of trusted resources that you can use to build your diet or workout plan.
Furthermore, consulting with your doctor to make sure that your weight loss plan will be safe and effective for you would be a great idea before starting. This will take into account any kind of medical condition or limitations that you have.
Additionally, if you experience a weight loss plateau -which is very common- a professional can help you solve the problem, maybe by proposing weight loss medication or surgery. For those worried about surgery, Spatz3 gastric balloon is a non-surgical procedure that has proved to be more effective than traditional surgeries.
Remember, weight loss is a journey, not a race. Create a well-thought-out plan with small realistic goals and track your progress so that you can adjust over time.
