How to Lose those Pesky Pounds as the Holidays Approach
Ten Tips to Achieve Your Weight Loss Goal Before the Holidays
Yes fall is in the air! What a perfect time to turn over a new leaf and recommit to your weight and wellness goals. Let’s look at what goals are, how to set them, and what it takes to achieve them.
Define a Goal
“The end toward which effort is directed;” This leading line implies not only an intention but a commitment. Does that definition describe your goal in weight loss?
Before setting goals, it’s important to understand what a goal is. “Goal” is such a commonly used word; but do we really think about its meaning? A goal is the object of an ambition, a desire, an effort, something you want to achieve.” Put simply, a goal is a dream with a deadline.
Recognize What Goals Are, and What They Are Not
Here are some characteristics of a good goal, and some examples of what it’s not.
A Good Goal Is:
Your vision for the future. How do you want to look and feel? Build your vision around a date or occasion like my cousin’s wedding. or Spring Break, or even next holiday season.
Specific. Write the number you want to weigh. Name the clothes size you want to wear.
Time-sensitive. Setting a start and end date is critical to achieving goals. Goals generally are long-term with short-term strategies to mark your progress along the way.
Measurable. It’s critical to be specific and to know if you are meeting the interim goal markers along the way to reaching your ultimate goal
A Goal Is Not:
Unreasonable: At 56 years old shooting for my skinny high school weight is not likely realistic, nor necessarily healthy.
Steps + Strategies. While goals describe what you want to achieve, steps/strategies are what take you to the goal.
A resolution. Resolutions are usually temporary, giving short-term gratification but not necessarily leading to your long-term success. Think of all your past New Year’s Resolutions… A resolution is a decision to do or not do something, a goal is what you commit to achieve.
Three Principals of Weight Loss Goal Setting:
Think larger – yet within reason. You can reach a big goal – and – it needs to be reasonable. Go for your big goal and set smaller, short-term strategies to get you there.
Align with your Values. How do you know if you are aligned? The following questions can help you figure that out. Do you believe that balanced nutrition is essential for long-term weight maintenance, as opposed to fad diets? Are there particular foods that conflict with your culture? Do you believe that balanced nutrition is essential for long-term weight maintenance, as opposed to fad diets? Are you being true to yourself? Can you put yourself first to reach your weight loss goal, in spite of social, work friends, and family pressures?
Set goals you can control. If your weight loss goal is based on factors outside of your control, for example; a cost way beyond your financial means, or availability of diet products, or of an abundance of fresh produce, you won’t be able to control whether or not you can actually do a particular weight loss program. Goals should never be reliant upon external factors of which you have no control. for example, your weight loss goals should not be dependent on other people, other than those fully supporting you. Remember you are doing this for you!
Five Reasons Goal-setting is important
Goals give a sense of direction. Goal-setting gives a sense of direction, purpose, and satisfaction in life.
Goals help to see the bigger picture. When you set a goal, you identify what you want to achieve and what you need to do to achieve it.
Motivation. Goals motivate you to take action and to keep steady on the course towards meeting your goal.
Perspective. Setting goals helps you take a step back and see what’s really important. They help you see the bigger picture and provide a sense of accomplishment once you achieve that goal.
Goals give you greater control of your future. Setting goals puts you in the driver’s seat of your life. Just by writing down goals, you are actively acknowledging what you want out of life.
Ten Tips to Set and Achieve Weight Loss Goals
Once you’ve made a decision have made a commitment, and are willing to do the work, it’s time to get into action.
Write your goal in the present tense with a date: “I weigh 135 lbs on January 4th”. Rather than “I will weigh…” Believe that it is happening, not will happen.
Be Specific. Vague goals just don’t work.
Set a challenging but reasonable goal. In 90% of studies conducted research by the creators of goal setting theory, Locke & Latham, found that challenging and specific goals led to higher success than when people set either easy goals, “do your best” goals, or no goals at all.
Write it down on paper. Writing is significantly more effective in reaching them than “thinking” them. And writing goals analog (on paper) is significantly more effective than digital. However digital is very helpful with all the tools it provides, like daily motivations and visual and auditory cues. But always begin with analog written goals.
Keep it visual. Keep that paper where you can see it daily. Shoving it in a drawer likely means forgetting about it. Visually having your written goals in front of you will help keep your momentum.
Use tools like Sticky notes. These brightly colored little shapes are effective reminders as well – post on your bathroom mirror. On your pantry cabinet. On your refrigerator!
Make it measurable AND record the measurements. You’ll only know you are making progress, and ultimately achieving your goal if you can measure it against time.
Keep it time-related. If you set a deadline too far into the future for a smaller task, or an unrealistically short deadline for a bigger goal (thinking of weight loss lbs you want to lose) neither will likely happen.
Identify potential obstacles. Best be prepared that there are always bumps in the road and unforeseen circumstances along the way. Give some thought to what these challenges might be, discuss them with your weight loss coach, and be prepared to overcome those challenges. Your awareness of your potential obstacles will make them less intimidating as you are faced with them along your journey toward success.
Work with a weight loss coach. You don’t need to achieve your goal on your own.
Why a Weight Loss Coach?
90% of our clients at BonVie Weight Loss & Nutritional Wellness come to us and stay with us because they recognize the benefit of accountability. Trying to accomplish a goal entirely by yourself can be lonely and overwhelming. Our weekly client check-ins help you stay on track, problem-solve with solutions, and support you towards consistent, steady progress. Having a weight loss coach helps you achieve your weight loss, wellness, and clothes size goals.
Goals: How to Keep Perspective
Your weight loss goal is one facet of your life and it’s important to keep your life in balance for success in all areas. If one becomes overly obsessed with just one goal in life it can lead to:
Burn-out: When we become exhausted with hyper-focus or obsessive thinking about our weight loss goal the chance of long-term success is diminished. Eventually, this leads to quitting – giving up on your dream and effort to lose weight and wear that desired clothes size.
Disappointment: The whole purpose of committing to a weight loss program and achieving your goal is to feel better about yourself.; to like yourself better and to enjoy life more. Like everything in life, achieving your weight loss goal is not a straight climb. For various reasons and circumstances, and sometimes your body makes an internal readjustment, our progress slows and we don’t see progress for a few weeks. This is normal. Just stick with your weight loss program and consult with your BonVie weight loss coach
Practice kindness toward yourself and give yourself time.
Reflect On and Adjust Your Goals
What if you haven’t achieved your goals in the time frame you wanted to? What if your goals were not really practical given conditions such as your age, your activity level, metabolic changes, and lifestyle challenges?
If this is happening, we take a breath and appreciate the progress thus far made. You don’t need to feel defeated. Talk with your weight loss coach about the challenges you are having, and what is a more practical way forward. Adjusting your goals may be a great idea, but do stay committed to the same goal-setting strategies initially utilized. They always work, even if the end goal might be adjusted.