It might sound obvious but in order to succeed in any endeavour it is essential to have a clear understanding of what you want because without it you will lack direction and in all likelihood, fail to achieve your aims. That’s why setting goals is so critical for weight loss success. Try these tips to help you achieve yours.
9 Top Tips for weight loss success
1. Write it down: Pick your goals and write them down in order of importance. Achieving an ideal weight is an obvious one, but there are many others to choose from. For example, your goal might be able to fit into a certain clothes size, or to be able to run for the bus without losing breath.
2. Be specific: You are more likely to achieve precise and detailed goals than general ones. For example, instead of aiming to lose two stone in the new year, set yourself the goal of shedding at least one pound per week over the next 30 weeks.
3. Make it measurable: In the world of business it is often said that what gets measured gets done. The same goes for weight loss, so choose measurable goals that you can monitor to ensure you keep on track.
4. Be realistic: Set realistic goals that you can reasonably expect to achieve. Unattainable goals will only set you up for disappointment and failure.
5. Make it sustainable: Choose goals that can me maintained over the long term. There’s not much point crash dieting for short-term weight loss success if the pounds are going to pile back on again.
6. Make a plan: Draw up a plan setting out where you are now, where you want to go and how you will get there. For example, your BMI index may indicate that you are overweight and need to lose three stone. So your plan should specify at what rate you will lose this weight and how many fewer calories you will need to eat to achieve this.
7. Motivate yourself: Think of the benefits you will gain by achieving your goals such as health, looking better and feeling more confident. Write them down and refer back to them whenever you need to motivate yourself to keep working towards your goals.
8. Make movies: Visualisation is a positive self-motivation technique that is often likened to making films in your head. So create your own mental movie in which you star in a scene you would love to be in, strolling along a sunny beach for example, at your ideal weight wearing a beautifully fitted holiday dress.
9. Don’t be discouraged: Don’t lose heart if you fail to achieve your goals. Remember that everyone has setbacks now and again and that failure is often a better teacher than success. Think about why you slipped on this occasion, how to avoid the same pitfalls in the future and then get back on track.
To speak to a Motivation Weight Management Adviser or to book an assessment consultation, find your local clinic contact here.
