Attainable Weight Loss Goals
You might want to look a bit more appealing, or even sexy, depending on what you want to see about yourself in the mirror. Every day we are constantly reminded about the importance of physical fitness and beauty: it’s easier to approach people and be approached if you have a bulging six-pack with matching toned biceps or if you simply are not (excuse the terms) obese or stick-thin. You may be looking for new friends, new business associates, or a new partner. Then again, you may simply be concerned about your overall health.
The quest to be healthy inside and out is a high and demanding goal that knows few compromises. It can be as simple as burning more calories than you consume on a daily basis, yet how come few people come close to the fit and trim bodies they want so badly?
You might think that by riding on the bandwagons of the latest diet trends or taking slimming pills, you would lose weight fast. That is simply not true. It takes a tremendous amount of consistency and discipline to effectively lose weight, and taking shortcuts is counterproductive.
Here are a few tips on how to set attainable weight loss goals:
- Learn to commit, as commitment means doing whatever it takes. Regardless of however your day turns out, never break your regimen. Every now and then you’ll end up making mistakes like getting tempted to eat a burger or gorging at the corporate buffet, but just remember to stay on track. Fall seven times, stand up ten.
- Create a SMART plan. You hear this a lot in business and management seminars, but it applies to ever goal-setting aspect of your life. Keep your goals Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Reachable and Time-Bound. This keeps them tangible and makes sure you’re not literally biting off more than you can chew.
- Determine how much you actually want to weigh. You can take your cues from the BMI index or you might want to go back to how much you seemed to weigh in pictures of your younger self. A number helps you track how many calories you need to lose on a daily basis. For a start, try to lose one or two pounds of weight per week.
- Turn to the food pyramid. Less carbohydrates, more fiber. Less soft drinks, more water. These are very simple tenets of health and weight loss, but you can easily forget them when you’re surrounded by a smorgasbord of choices at the grocery store. Structure your diet according to the food pyramid and take care of your food intake.
- Create a support system. Ask your loved ones and significant other to keep you on track for those times when you’re craving for french fries or getting too lazy about going jogging for the day. Your partner would be most interested in keeping you trim and fit, so keep him or her close by encouraging an active regimen for both of you.
- Pat yourself on the back for small victories. Mustering the will to not go to your weekend barbecue shindigs takes a sheer amount of willpower. So does getting out of bed and onto the treadmill. Even if you can’t always measure you success in pounds lost or laps round around, you still need to congratulate yourself for keeping your discipline in check. It helps to strengthen your confidence as you go through withdrawal pangs and cravings. Small victories also build towards the overall goal and complete victory of seeing your desired weight on the scale. Imagine how good you’ll feel about yourself across the mirror.
- Take a gym membership. If you want to take the next step and systematize your regimen, go to the gym regularly and find a process that works in line with your goals for your body. Seek a trainer who can advise you about correct nutrition and who you can consult with so you waste no time in reaching your goal.
The maxim holds true: no pain, no gain. The same is true with any goal. Pay the price day in and day out, there are no shortcuts. Just hold on to how good you’ll feel inside and out a few months from now, assuming you can hold on to the process. It’s all up to you.
