Goal Setting for Weight loss

Having goals is an important part of life. Whether it be fitness related, for personal or career growth – we all have some kind of goal or desired outcome… but it’s important to set goals effectively in order to set ourselves up for success.

Often when you start out you may have a big broad goal such as “I want to lose weight”. While this is a good goal to have, it doesn’t really say much and it is fairly general. So, what does that goal actually mean to you? Do you want to lose a couple of kilos? Do you want to be stronger, fitter or healthier? Do you have an event coming up? One way to set your goals up for success is to use the SMART approach.

 

SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound. What does all of that mean:

Specific – what do you want to do?

Measurable – how will you measure your progress/success?

Achievable – is it possible and realistic?

Relevant – is it something you want to do?

Time-bound – what is your timeframe?

 

So, let’s take the goal of wanting to lose weight and turn it into a SMART goal.

Specific: I will lose 10 kgs of body fat.

Measurable:  I will use body composition scales to monitor my progress.

Achievable: I do have excess body fat to lose.

Relevant: I want to do this to be healthier and feel more confident in my own skin.

Time frame: I will achieve this goal within 6 months.

So that is the big goal broken down, however, 6 months is still a long timeframe so you may want to have an action plan with smaller achievable goals. Such as:

• I will make healthier food choices: instead of buying takeaway four nights a week I will cut down to one night a week
• I will exercise more: I will aim for 20-30 mins of physical activity a day, whether it be a walk or going to the gym
• I will weigh myself every 2 weeks to check my progress

When we break the big goals down, they become less overwhelming and it is easier to stay on track! This can work for any goal you have, first make it a SMART goal and get specific and then break it down into mini-steps. Another tip – don’t get caught up in your first plan, goals are allowed to change and evolve… What may start out as a weight loss goal may change to a goal about body confidence, or body shape. The best way to stay on track is to self-evaluate, where you’re at, where your heading and if you get off track why did this happen and how can I avoid it happening again.

 

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